Holy One Blessed Be He65– immediately following thedestruction of the Holy Temple, Moshiach must beprepared [for his mission], in order that there can be theRedemption “immediately” when they repent.66)Rather, a greater statement is being made here.Namely, that there is no delay between the destruction of the Temple and the redemption and the [re]building of the Holy Temple; there is not a moment’s pause betweenthese two events. The
very moment
following thedestruction of the Temple was the beginning of theRedemption – “their savior was born” – in the physical world below, in the Land of Israel itself. Although ostensibly the Jewish people are highlyconscious of the perceived reality of destruction, for which reason there are laws [of mourning] regardingTisha B’Av and etc., the very point of these laws (fastingand the conduct on the day of Tisha B’Av in particular)is to inspire repentance – as it is phrased in Rambam inthe beginning of the Laws of Fasting, “
This
matter isamong the ways of repentance”67– in order that theRedemption and the building of the Temple should comeabout in actuality68through the repentance and theDivine service of the Jewish people.
[To be continued be”H]NOTES:57See Footnote 54 in the original for a discussion of whetherthe new structure must be better than the one demolished.58For, notwithstanding the fact that the verse, “A lion hasarisen from its thicket,” refers to the First Temple, which wasdestroyed be Nevuchadnetzar, it is said of the Second Temple(although it was lacking in five respects [in comparison to theFirst Temple] ––Yoma 21b), “The glory of this later Temple will be
greater
than the former” (Chagi 2:9; Bava Basra 3a,end ff.), etc. – see Footnote 55 in the original.59 Zohar III 221a and see Zohar I 28a.60To note that also the manner whereby it is “greater” thanthe Second Temple is with respect to its “structure” as well asits “years” (Bava Basra ibid), meaning that it has greaterlongevity. See
Likkutei Sichos
Vol. 9 (pg. 27-8 and the notesthere; pg. 62; 67-8), where the point is raised that this is asuperiority in both quality and spirituality.61Eicha Rabba 1:51.62 Wording of the
Matnas K’huna
ibid.63 Although it says, “the redeemer of the Jewish people was
born
”(and how can it be possible that he [as an infant] will be ready right away to redeem theJewish people?), we find precedence forthis [kind of miracle] before the Flood –that “on the day he was born he helpedhis mother” (B’Reishis Rabba 36:1, VaYikra Rabba 5:1), etc. – see Footnote62 in the original.64Rambam Laws of Repentance 7:5.65 Zohar III 95a. See Shir HaShirim on the verse, “I amasleep, etc.” (Shir HaShirim 2:5).66See the address of Chag HaShavuos 5744, where itexplains that, during the destruction, when the Jewish peoplesaw the destruction of the Temple, etc., it was a veryappropriate and auspicious time for repentance.67Ibid Ch. 5, beg., applies this principle to the four fasts,including Tisha B’Av: “The Jewish people fast, etc., in orderto arouse their hearts and to initiate the ways of repentance.”68[To the extent that the perceived reality will no longer be of destruction and exile but of the true and completeRedemption in all respects.]
The very moment following the destruction of the Temple was thebeginning of the Redemption – “their savior was born” – in the physical worldbelow, in the Land of Israel itself.
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