This Shabbat is called “Chazon” (Vision), named after the haftarah (“Chazon Yeshayahu”) which speaks of the sins of the Jewish people, destruction, and exile. However, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev offers a different interpretation: “Chazon” comes from the word “machazeh” — a vision. On this Shabbat, each and every Jew is shown a vision of the Third Holy Temple from afar.
He illustrates this with a parable: A father made a precious garment for his son, but the son tore it. The father made him a second garment, which the son also tore. Then the father made a third garment — but this time he did not give it to his son. Instead, he kept it, and only on rare and specific occasions would he show it to his son and say: “If you behave properly — you will receive it.” In doing so, the father trains the son to act correctly, until this behavior becomes like second nature to him — and then he is given the garment.
Thus, the word “Chazon” alludes both to destruction and to redemption.
What Gives the Right to Destroy?
This can be understood by first asking a fundamental question: How could G-d destroy the Temple? After all, there is a clear prohibition in the Torah against destroying the Temple or synagogues!
It is not enough to answer that the destruction was a punishment. Even if the Jews lost the merit to have the Temple — does that justify transgressing a Torah prohibition? G-d could have hidden away the Temple, as He did with the Mishkan (Tabernacle), without destroying it.
The only permissible reason to demolish a synagogue is “if one does so in order to rebuild” — that is, when the destruction is for the purpose of building a larger and more beautiful synagogue in its place.
From this, we learn that the destruction of the Temple falls into the same category: “demolishing in order to rebuild.” G-d wanted to build the Third Temple, which will be an eternal structure — therefore, He had to first destroy the previous one.
So the entire purpose of the destruction is construction. The destruction is a correction — a step toward building the Third Temple. That is why there are two parallel themes to the destruction: on the one hand, grief and mourning over the loss, and on the other, hope and anticipation for the final Temple.
Moshiach is Born
That’s why the Midrash says that at the very moment of the destruction, “the redeemer of Israel was born.” This expresses the deep, inner meaning of the destruction: it was intended to bring about the Third Temple and the final redemption through Moshiach. And so, from the very moment of destruction, the process of redemption begins.
This is also why exile and redemption are symbolized by the same name “Chazon”, because, at their root, destruction is part of the building process, and exile is part of redemption.
It is specifically through exile that the true and complete redemption is built — and it will be revealed imminently, speedily, in our days.
(Based on the teachings of the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichot, vol. 29)
