First-of-all you have to think about the Beis Hamikdash. Most people don’t even think about what the Beis Hamikdash meant for Klal Yisroel.
So, when you come to the last few words in Shemona Esrei, ̇– Please Hashem! Let it be Your will that the Beis Hamikdash should be rebuilt quickly in our days, say it with kavanah. At least these words say with feeling. So even if you were sleeping through the davening at least these last few words say with feeling. Show that you understand that it’s a loss. If you don’t even recognize the loss then there’s no use even talking. So, every day, when you finish Shemona Esrei, say these words and think about them.
Also, spend some time thinking about how great of an opportunity we had when the Beis Hamikdash existed. You would come to the Beis Hamikdash and you would learn yiras Hashem just from being there. – Come to the Mikdash in order to learn how to fear Hashem. Merely by coming there and seeing the Holy Sanctuary you’d become so inspired. You know that Yonah Ha’Navi became a navi because he was present at the simchas beis hashoeivah in the Beis Hamikdash. He was so inspired that the ruach hakodesh came upon him and he became a navi. Think about that when you say Please Hashem! Let it be Your will that the Beis Hamikdash
And therefore, you must speak to the Ribono Shel Olam. “Ribono Shel Olam, please restore the Beis Hamikdash.” I’m not even talking about Moshiach. The Beis Hamikdash even without Moshiach is such an opportunity. You can gain so much yiras Hashem from seeing the Beis Hamikdash.
Of course, it won’t come without Moshiach as well. But we want Hashem to build the Beis Hamikdash once again so that we can all come together and be zoicheh to ruach hakodesh and to see Hashem. That’s why we are looking forward to the binyan Beis Hamikdash.
Little by little, you must work on thinking these thoughts and that’s the way to mourn for the Beis Hamikdash. You’ll never mourn for the Beis Hamikdash if you don’t feel the loss – if you don’t know what you’re missing. So first you must train yourself to feel how great of an opportunity it was to have the Beis Hamikdash – and then you’ll know what it means that we don’t have it. And then you’ll be able to mourn the loss.
Reprinted from a recent email of Toras Avigdor based on a Thursday night lecture (July 2000)
