Rejoice greatly, Fair Tzion; Raise a shout, Fair Yerushalayim! Lo, your king is coming to you. He is victorious, triumphant, Yet humble, riding on an ass, On a donkey foaled by a she-assZechariah 9:9 (The Israel Bible™)
גִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת־צִיּוֹן הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבוֹא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל־חֲמוֹר וְעַל־עַיִר בֶּן־אֲתֹנוֹת
Hear the verse in Hebrew
gee-LEE m’-OD bat tzi-YON ha-REE-ee BAT y’-ru-sha-LA-im hi-NAY mal-KAYCH ya-VO LAKH tza-DIK v’-no-SHA HU a-NEE v’-ro-KHAYV al kha-MOR v’-al A-yir ben a-to-NOT
The Arrival of the Messiah
Zecharya (Zechariah) described the arrival in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) of Israel’s king, mashiach (messiah), to the cheers of the people after defeating Israel’s enemies. Returning in miraculous victory, the mashiach will not enter the gates of Yerushalayim on a glorious military steed. Instead, the mashiach will ride into the holy city on a humble donkey. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, explains that the word donkey in Hebrew is chamor (חמור), similar to chomer (חומר), which means materialism. This verse teaches that the mashiach who represents spirituality will ride upon the donkey of materialism, for he will usher in a world where these two contrasting values will be fused together in the service of Hashem (God).
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