Feature Tidbit Build a/the Mikdash Today! "Build for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell among you." Moshe Rabeinu and his generation fulfilled this mitzva with the Mishkan in the Midbar. Shlomo HaMelech and his generation fulfilled the mitzva with the building of the first Beit HaMikdash. (Those who build the structure for the Mishkan in Shilo, and in the other places the Mishkan rested between entry into Eretz Yisrael and Bayit Rishon also fulfilled the mitzva.) Those who returned to Eretz Yisrael from Bavel with Ezra and Nechemia and all those involved in the construction of the second Beit HaMikdash fulfilled the mitzva. What about the rest of us, throughout the generations, and today? Let's address this question in three ways. Rabbi Eliezer Azikri, 16th century (actually, it was the 54th century - we're in the 58th) Tzfat Kabbalist, author of Sefer Chareidim, wrote several beautiful "love poems" to G-d. His most famous is Yedid Nefesh. Another is BIL'VAVI, which states, "In my heart I will build a Mishkan... and for its eternal flame, I will take the fire of the Akeida, and as a sacrifice, I will offer my very soul." Although not the "official" method of fulfilling the mitzva to build a Sanctuary, the dedication and commitment of a Jew to Torah and mitzvot, motivated by love and fear of G-d and inspired by the deeds and qualities of the Avot and Imahot, certainly fulfills the spirit of making a Sanctuary for G-d to dwell in each Jew. That was the individual fulfillment of building a Mikdash. The communal version has been and continues to be the establishment of Jewish communities with shul, school, mikve at its epicenter. A shul is called a Beit Mikdash M'at, a Mikdash in miniature. When a group of Jews build a Jewish infrastructure for Torah way of life, they have definitely fulfilled another dimension of the mitzva to build a Sanctuary, so that G-d will dwell among us. And what about the actual third Beit HaMikdash? - may it be built speedily in our time. This is the third way of answering the original question. Let's leave aside the issue of whether the third Beit HaMikdash will descend from Heaven in fire, completely intact and immediately usable, or whether we will do the physical construction. And let's leave aside the questions of when we may commence building and who will instruct us. Rather, let us take a look at the foundations upon which the Mikdash will be built (so to speak). According to Rambam, Melech HaMashi'ach has three major tasks: To restore the Torah to the People of Israel, to restore the People of Israel to Eretz Yisrael, and to build the Beit HaMikdash. Instead of looking at these as three separate tasks, let's consider the spread of Torah and the return of Jews to Eretz Yisrael as the foundation of the 3rd Beit HaMikdash. When we once again become the Nation of G-d that lives by the Torah and in Eretz Yisrael, then the Mashiach is a corollary and the building of the Beit HaMikdash is a foregone conclusion. (Pardon the over-simplification.) There are all kinds of technical problems to the actual building of the Mikdash now. But there is nothing stopping us from laying the foundation. He/she who works to spread Torah, mitzvot, midot, values, etc. is fulfilling the mitzva of building a Sanctuary so that G-d will dwell among us. He/she who encourages and facilitates Aliya is also involved in the mitzva. This is the third practical method of fulfilling this special mitzva. The beauty of the three methods is that they do not operate on an either-or basis. They go hand in hand and complement each other every step of the way. And to this mitzva and these ways of fulfilling it, we can apply the important teaching of Rabbi Tarfon: It is not incumbent upon you to finish the tasks, nor are you at liberty to remove yourself from actively pursuing these tasks. Building the Mikdash is not a three or four times ever mitzva, it is an everyday, always mitzva, because it is linked to keeping mitzvot and living a Torah life. This is the Parshat T'ruma challenge. [The Truma Homepage]
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