22/07/2018
Reconstructing the Temple of our Hearts
We have to first understand that the Torah is based on unity and the existence of the Jewish people is dependant entirely on this.
"עיקר קיום התורה הוא על ידי האחדות, ועל כן בשעת קבלת התורה בוודאי נעשו מיד
ערבים זה לזה"
("ליקוטי הלכות")
“The main aspect the Torah is based on is "Achdut" unity and so when they received the Torah they certainly immediately felt responsible for each other. (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov - Likutei Halachot)
"בעוד משה רבנו היה עמם במחיצתם, היה הוא מאחד ומחבר אותם, ובעוד כנסת ישראל למטה, כאיש אחד בלב אחד, הם עצמם כחומה בצורה בפני כוחות חיצוניים, ואין יכולים להתגנב לתוך כללות ישראל, אלא רק כשנמצא סדק בחומת ישראל"
("שם משמואל")
“While Moses was with them, he united and connected them while the assembly of Israel below were as one man in one heart. They were as a strong wall against the external forces, which could not pe*****te into the whole of Israel, but only when there is a crack in the wall of Israel (“Shem MiShmuel“).
Troubles befall us only when there is a break in our unity. The Temple first existed spiritually in our unified heart. The only way to bring back the Temple is through recognising this and how we broke it through disunity:
כל הצרות – תכליתן לסובב לאדם סיבות נפשיות, שיצטער על חורבן בית המקדש הרוחני שבלב, והיא היא דרך הגאולה"
("מכתב מאליהו)
“All the troubles and their purpose is to provide a person with mental reasons so that he will feel sorry about the destruction of the spiritual Temple in his heart, which is the path to redemption” (Michtav Me’Eliyahu).
על ידי בית המקדש היינו לעם אחד, וכאשר היה חילוק בינינו, נחרב המקום של אחדות ישראל, ולפיכך על ידי שנאת חינם נחרבו העיר והמקדש"
(המהר"ל מפראג)
“It is by the Temple that we became one nation and when we were divided, the place of the unity of Israel was destroyed, and so it was because of unfounded hatred that the city and the Temple were destroyed.” (The Maharal from Prague).
Ultimately it is our connection to the Powerful Light hidden within the Torah that can remove our evil inclination for disunity and egoism and ignite the flame of unity as our sages have said in Masechet Kiddushin: ‘I have created the evil inclination, I have created the Torah its antidote’. And from that:
אור גדול יֵצא מהחושך, הקללה עצמה תתהפך לברכה, וחורבן בית המקדש יהפוך בניינו"
(השל"ה הקדוש)
“a great Light will come out of the darkness, the curse itself will turn into a blessing and the destruction of the Temple will turn into its construction” (The Holy Shela"h).
ואם נחרבנו על ידי שנאת חינם, נשוב להיבנות על ידי אהבת חינם"
(אורות הקודש)
if we were destroyed by unfounded hate, we will be rebuilt by unfounded love (“Orot HaKodesh" Rav Kook).