And in the Meanwhile?

This week's sedra contains the command to built a Mikdash to G-d, a focus of our spiritual energy. Our sources tell us that this is not a mitzva for individual Jews, but rather for the whole of Klal Yisrael. Furthermore, this mitzva applies when a majority of the Jews in the world live in Eretz Yisrael. That is something that demographers tell us is perhaps a small number of years down the road, but at the moment, we are not yet a majority. So the mitzva that was fulfilled by Moshe Rabeinu and our ancestors in the Midbar, and again by Shlomo HaMelech and his generation, and again by those who returned from Babylonian exile to rebuild the second Beit HaMikdash. If we are lacking certain conditions and proper leadership and guidelines to undertake the holy task of V'ASU LI MIKDASH at this time, what should we be doing in the meantime?

The short answer is, What ever we can do now to properly prepare for the third Beit HaMikdash and the coming of Mashiach, and whatever will bring closer its building and his coming. This includes a lot of different things that we can and should be doing right now...

First of all, we can and should feel sad without the Beit HaMikdash. When you see a square AMA of unplastered, unpainted wall opposite someone's door, do you feel a sense of loss, akin to seeing a photo of a loved one who has passed away? We should. 

Do you feel a burst of hopeful longing when you say V'LIRUSHALAYIM IRCHA or ET TZEMACH DAVID or V'TECHEZENA EINEINU? We should.

Do you learn about the Beit HaMikdash, its furnishings and vessels, and the service in it? We should.

Do you seek out the museums and institutes that are already making whatever KELIM we are allowed to and know how to, in preparation for the next Beit HaMikdash? And do you get excited about it? We should.

Do you learn, teach, and encourage Torah and the practice of mitzvot to less knowledgeable fellow Jews? We should. Aside from the mitzvot involved, it can also hasten the Mashiach by doing part of one of his tasks.

Do you live in Israel and encourage others to do the same? Do you help ease the absorption of new Olim? We should. Aside from the mitzvot involved, this too can hasten the Mashiach, becasue this too (according to Rambam) is one of his tasks.

Do you believe with a full heart in the restoration of the Jewish People to Torah and to the Land of Israel, in the coming of the Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Beit Mikdash? These are some of the things to do meanwhile.