The Shabbat before Tisha B'Av is called "Shabbat Chazon" (vision), for on that day, as Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explained, a glimpse of the Third Holy Temple is given to every Jewish soul, affording it strength and sustenance. Following the week's regular Torah portion (Devarim), the "Vision of Isaiah," a prophecy about the Temple's destruction, is read in the synagogue. Oddly, the word "vision" is used in connection to both the destruction of the Temple and its rebuilding.
About the destruction, our Sages declared, "A lion (Nebuchad-nezzar) came in the month whose sign is a lion (Av) to destroy Ariel ('the lion of G-d'--the Holy Temple), so that a lion (G-d) will come in the month whose sign is a lion and build Ariel." Once again we find the same word--"lion"--referring to both the destruction and the rebuilding of the Temple. What can we learn from this?
In order to understand the connection between the two, let us examine the true nature of the destruction. Our Sages explain that G-d Himself observes the Torah's 613 mitzvot. But if so, how could He have destroyed His Holy Temple, when we are expressly prohibited from razing a synagogue or place of worship? It is also forbidden to wantonly destroy an object of value. Why, then, did G-d allow His dwelling place on earth to be demolished?
One cannot explain the destruction and the subsequent 2,000 year exile by saying that the Jews lost their right to the Temple because of their misdeeds, for instead of destroying the Temple, G-d could have hidden it away as He did the Sanctuary, for such a time as the Jews would merit its return.
Rather, the only instance in which it is permissible to tear down a synagogue is when one wishes to build an even more magnificent edifice on the same site. It follows that the destruction of the Holy Temple also fell into this category. The Second Temple was destroyed only because G-d wanted to build the Third and most exalted Holy Temple--the one that would stand for eternity.
The inner purpose of the destruction, therefore, was solely to rebuild. That is why the Midrash relates that "the redeemer of Israel" was born at the moment the Temple was destroyed: from that moment on, the true objective of the destruction--the Redemption and the building of the Third Holy Temple--could begin to be realized.
It is for this reason that our Sages used similar words to refer to both the exile and the redemption, for just as the Temple's destruction was an integral part of its rebuilding, so, too, is the exile an integral part of the Final Redemption and the coming of Moshiach, may it happen speedily.
Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The fast of Tisha B'Av commemorates the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem about 2,000 years ago. We sit low and read Lamentations. Jews from the world over pray at the Western Wall and embrace its stones--our only remnant of the Holy Temple's grandeur.
The words and the cry, "If I forget thee O, Jerusalem!" kept us going through our exile and wanderings. Wherever we settled, we turned back to Jerusalem in prayer. Our synagogues face east, and the "mizrach" decoration in Jewish homes points the way to our ultimate destination.
Even if we can't be there physically, we are there in heart and mind. Now, on Tisha B'Av, let's get as close as possible to these precious stones. Let us try to outline, if only on paper, our hopes and yearnings.
"Behold, my beloved stands behind our wall, looking in the windows, peering through the cracks," wrote King Solomon in the Song of Songs. The Divine presence never left the Western Wall.
The Western Wall is not only for the rich and famous. Every Jew owns a piece of the rock. And no one gets lost between the cracks. The stones reflect our differences: Big and small, whole and broken, smooth and rough, together we form a formidable wall, a fortress of faith that endures forever.
The Western Wall is not just a tourist attraction or an archeological point of interest. Each stone block is like a page, each row a chapter, of our long Jewish history, written in stone. The Rock of Ages that guarantees Jewish survival.
But let's face it, it's incomplete. Let's not get too comfortable with just one wall. If our own home was ruined save for one wall--no dining room, bedroom, or kitchen--would we be satisfied living in a hole in the wall?
We pray daily for the Holy Temple's rebuilding through the righteous Moshiach speedily in our days. To some people, that may sound off the wall. But our belief in Moshiach is a cornerstone of Judaism. "I fully believe in Moshiach's coming. Each day I await him," is the foundation on which all else stands.
We must leave no stone unturned. We must study, do mitzvot, prepare and look forward to the Redemption as we conclude Lamentations. "Return to us, O G-d, and we will return to You. Renew our days as once before!"
