The Midrash in the verse found in our chapter, "May his name endure forever; May his name be continued as long as the sun" (Psalms 72:17), teaches that the name of the Mashiach was already created even before the creation of the world. What is the meaning behind this?
Our chapter, according to the sages, deals with the Mashiach. This is how the verse is explained: "Let kings of Tarshish and the islands pay tribute, kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts." (Psalms 72:10), in Midrash Bereshit Rabbah (Parasha 78):
"He said to him: ‘What is it?’ He said to him: ‘All those gifts that our patriarch Jacob gave to Esau, the nations of the world are destined to return to the messianic king in the future. What is the source? “The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will return tribute” (Psalms 72:10). It is not written here, “bring,” but rather, “return.”
Also, the verse later in the psalm is interpreted in another source as referring to the Mashiach: "May his name endure forever; May his name be continued as long as the sun" (17):
"Seven phenomena were created before the world was created, and they are: Torah, and repentance, and the Garden of Eden, and Gehenna, and the Throne of Glory, and the Temple, and the name of Mashiach...The name of Mashiach was created before the world was created, as it is written in the chapter discussing the Mashiach: “May his name endure forever; his name existed before the sun(Psalms 72:17)" (Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 54a)
The first Midrash is understood - the Mashiach will return to the people of Israel all the property that our forefather Jacob had to give to Esau. But what is the meaning of the Midrashic assertion that the name of the Mashiach was created even before the creation of the world?
It seems that the Midrashic interpretation provides an answer to human distress. We stand before the conclusion of the second book of Psalms, a challenging book with many personal and external challenges. The chapter and its Midrash tell a person - perhaps it is difficult for you now, not clear how you can continue, but know that in the future it will be much better. The Mashiach will come. And if you have doubts, know that even before the world was created, along with other things, the name of the Mashiach was known. The good ending was created along with all the other things.
Courtesy of the 929 website.