Thanks for the input. I am unfortunately not very well versed in the Talmud or rabbinic writings, but I find them interesting and insightful, so it is one of my goals to delve into them a bit deeper. Because of that, I'll go with what you say, though you don't seem too think that everything on that list is in error. I do think it's interesting that some of the Rabbis see references to the Messiah in Isaiah 53, seems how most most of what I've read seems to indicate almost exclusively that it is only Israel who is being spoken of.
Some of my issues with Isaiah 53 speaking of Israel are: whose iniquity/sickness is being placed on him, who was healed by his stripes, Israel was not cut off from the land of the living, etc. It also seems to be talking about two separate entities, as in 53:6:
6All
we like sheep did go astray,
We turned every one to his own way;
And the LORD hath made to light on
him
The iniquity of us all.
And verse 8:
8By oppression and judgment
he was taken away,
And with his generation who did reason?
For
he was cut off out of the land of the living,
For the transgression of
my people to whom the stroke was due.
So I wonder how that can all be referring to Israel, or if it's not all about Israel, then what exactly you think it's saying. I hope that makes sense.
I don't mean to derail the topic of this thread, so hopefully that's not the case.