Jerusalem and The Holy Temple

The sages ruled that when a person builds a house for himself and arrives at its final stage, the whitewashing of the walls, he must remember that the Holy Temple still lies in ruins. He must therefore leave a square cubit of wall without whitewash.

Does the sanctity of the Temple stem from the Divine Presence or from the Land of Israel? Is Jerusalem destined to be sanctified with a more exalted sanctity in the future? Does the sanctity of the First and Second Temples continue to exist today?

Just as the time for the Redemption is dependent upon Israel's merit, so the nature of the redemption depends upon Israel's worthiness. The sages teach, “If they are worthy - with Heavenly clouds; if they are not - a peasant riding on a donkey” (Sanhedrin 98a).

What drove the Romans against the Jews was the Jews' “dangerous culture” - a culture which had begun to penetrate the Roman Empire. Judaism was educating the masses to behave according to the principle that says “man is created in God's image.”

The Three Weeks between the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Av are a time of sadness and danger. Rav Kook shows that they are also a time during which we can rebuild the Temple if we learn the secret of Causeless Love.

What can we do today in order to strengthen our ties with the Temple? The first thing we can do is pray for the Temple’s speedy restoration. In addition, we must visit and gaze upon the site of the Temple. The act of gazing possesses great value.