Chazal[1] teach that the Beis HaMikdash
is considered to have been destroyed in every generation in which it is not
rebuilt. This is difficult to
understand. There have been many
generations during which lived great tzaddikim. Are Chazal telling us that the Beis
HaMikdash would have been destroyed in these generations as well? Furthermore, are we to understand then, that
the generation in which the Beis HaMikdash is rebuilt (we pray this is
ours!) will have more merit than all the generations since the destruction,
enough to warrant the rebuilding? This
is certainly a difficult position to maintain.
What, then, are Chazal really
teaching us?
The Sfas Emes explains that we cannot take this Chazal at
face value. Rather, Chazal are teaching
us that the merits of each generation are aggregated. Each generation helps in the rebuilding of
the Beis HaMikdash. In spiritual
terms, the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash began after its destruction
and continues to this day. For this
reason the following pasuk is in present tense, “בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַם ה' .../God builds Yerushalayim …” (Tehillim
147:2)
There may have been particularly backward generations with
poor merit that have not helped in the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash. These are the generations to which Chazal are
referring. Since these generations have
not helped in the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, it follows that they
are considered to have destroyed it.
However, we can safely say that most generations have had sufficient
merit to help.
This notion applies not only on a generational level. It applies to each of us individually as
well. We each have the ability to help
build the Beis HaMikdash through our actions. To the extent that we accept upon ourselves
the yoke of heaven, we are helping to build the Beis HaMikdash. Chazal,[2]
alluding to this idea, teach us that everybody helps with the building of the Beis HaMikdash. May we merit helping to build
the Beis HaMikdash and may we merit seeing it manifest
physically this year!
