As we enter the month of Menachem-Av, the intensity of mourning for the destruction of the Temple increases, reaching its peak on Tisha B'Av. But in fact, the longing for the Temple's construction accompanies us every single day.
The Jewish calendar and even the prayer book make clear the centrality of the Temple in Jewish life.
Three times a day, at the end of the Amidah prayers, we add and ask: "May the Temple be built quickly in our days." The Seder night and the closing prayer of Yom Kippur also end with the exclamation "Next year in Jerusalem," and the intention is that next year we will celebrate Passover and the Holy Day in the Temple in Jerusalem.
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The realization of the Torah in the Temple
The building of the Temple is the essence of the wishes of the Jewish people for generations. The longing for its construction focuses the expectation for the rebuilding of the Jewish nation and its return to its rightful place, and with it the return of the Divine Presence to dwell in Israel.
The centrality of the Temple stems first and foremost from the many commandments associated with it. In the absence of the Temple, our Torah and mitzvot life is very partial and lacking. It is common to speak of 313 mitzvot, but most of the mitzvot can only be kept when the Temple exists.
Judaism is not only Tefillin and Shabbat, but also the daily sacrifice and the incense of the holy things, the Bread of the Presence and the Menorah of Light. We can only study and dream about all of these now. However, the Torah is the law of life, which must be applied in reality, and therefore we wait and expect its full realization, in the building of the Temple.
The Temple is also the place where God dwells and reveals Himself to His people. One of the commandments of the Torah is the pilgrimage – "Three times a year all your memory shall appear before the face of the Lord your God." And just as a Jew comes to the Temple to show himself before God, so he comes to see 'the face of the Lord your God" – to see the face of the Divine Presence.
The Mishnah describes the ten miracles that frequently occurred in the Temple. Every pilgrim would see the laws of nature changing. He would not need faith to recognize this – things would be visible to his eyes. Everyone would see the Divine Presence dwelling in the Temple, and from it the light would emanate to the entire world. We look forward and long for the building of the Temple, because then "our eyes will behold" the return of the Holy One to Zion.
The Center of Humanity
The Third Temple will be of an immeasurably superior rank. Thus says the prophet: "For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." Even the nations of the world will recognize its importance and centrality, and therefore the Temple will be the center of holiness and faith for all humanity.
It is important to promote awareness of the Temple. To understand its place in the entire fabric of Jewish life. To study the issues of the Temple, its laws, and the procedures for working in it. To pray a lot for its building and the return of the Divine Presence to Zion. And to believe that we will indeed merit the building of the Third Temple and the complete redemption soon in our day.
