Here we are again; another shiva asar b’tamuz passed and the Bais Hamikdash hasn’t yet been rebuilt. There is a well-known vort from the Kotzker. It says in Shulchan Aruch (siman aleph) that every yarei shomayim should be in a lot of pain and worry because of the churban Bais Hamikdash. Asks the Kotzker: the Shulchan Aruch was given to every individual, yet we find here a halacha only for the one who is a yarei shomayim. What does someone who doesn’t have yiras shomaim do? Answers the Kotzker, a yarei shomayim gives a krechtz and cries over the Bais Hamikdash, and someone who is not a yarei shomayim, he cries over his personal churban.
Everyone knows that to make coffee, one needs milk and coffee beans. Let’s say a person can’t get real milk and coffee but wishes to drink a coffee. What will he do? He’ll find substitutions. He’ll get a milk substitute, like soy milk, and a cheap imitation of coffee powder. When he drinks this poor substitution, he will realize just how poor it is. There really is no substitution for the real thing.
So too, when it comes to ruchniyus, there are times when we have no choice but to find a substitute for the “real thing”. And this is what manhigei yisroel like Rav Yochanan ben Zakai did right before the churban - they tried to leave klal Yisroel with a lifeline to “substitute” for the Bais Hamikdash. Of course, we know that such a thing doesn’t exisit. But, Rav Yochanan ben Zakkai was the manhig hador and he understood that there was a gezeira that the bais Hamikdash will be destroyed, yet klal Yisroel must survive. He was determined to save whatever was possible and decided to go and meet Aspasyanus the king.
The gemora says (Gitin 66A-B) that Rav Yochanan went out to meet Aspasyanus and greeted him, “Sholom Aleichem, king!” Espasyanus responded, “You deserve to die; I am not a king - I am a general of an army”. Rav Yochanan replied, “You are a king; the pasuk says “v’halvonon b’adir yipol”. Levanon is referring to the Bais Hamikdash and adir refers to a king. The pasuk says clearly that the Bais Hamikdash will fall into the hands of a king”.
Isn’t this unbelievable? We would imagine that Rav Yochanan prepared carefully what he was going to say to the Roman general. And here, with a short greeting, he was already given a death sentence! And how did he get himself into such a “mess”? We see from here that manhigei Yisroel have one reality and one reality only – and that is the Torah. What it says in the Torah – that’s the fact. It doesn’t matter that the world considers Aspasyanus a general. If the Torah calls him a king – then he’s a king. And Rav Yochanan wasn’t afraid to state that truth. And, in fact, just moments later the message arrived from Rome that Aspasyanus was indeed crowned as king.
The gemara continues: Rav Yochanan asked from the king that three things should remain with klal Yisroel to help them survive: 1. “Give us Yavne and its chachomim in order that Torah could continue. 2. Don’t kill the family of R’ Gamliel, as he continued malchus bais Dovid. 3. Heal Rav Tzadok.
Rav Yochanan, with his tremendous gadlus, understood that klal Yisroel’s continuation and survival through the long, bitter galus is dependent on Torah, on the hope for Moshiach, and having gedolim in our midst. Rav Yochanan’s wish was granted, and these three lifelines continue to ensure our survival as a nation. We hold on strongly to Torah, to our belief that Moshiach is coming, and to our connection to our gedolim.
Let us take a look at the spiritual quality Rav Yochanan ben Zakai’s generation, right before the churban. (It’s unbelievable!) The Gemora in Kesubos 66b relates that Rav Yochanan ben Zakai was traveling and his talmidim followed behind him, when suddenly they noticed a young girl collecting barley grains from the droppings of animals belonging to Arabs. When the girl saw him, she cried, “Rebbe! Feed me!” He asked her, “Who is your father”? She said, “I am the daughter of the wealthy Nakdimon ben Gurion”. Asked Rav Yochanan, “What happened to your father’s money?” She said, “My father didn’t practice tzedaka properly”. The gemora asks how can she say that when we know that her father was a huge ba’al tzedakah? It was said about Nakdimon that when he walked from his house to shul, expensive woolen clothes were spread beneath his feet and the poor followed behind him and were able to take them. How can you say he didn’t give tzedaka? Answers the Gemora, he gave tzedaka, but according to how rich he was, he should have given more.
Says Rav Yaakov Galinsky, “Amazing!” This girl could have told Rav Yochanan, “I am the daughter of Nakdimon who gave so much tzedaka, and does it make sense that Hashem is doing this to me? It’s not fair!” And Rav Yochanan would have answered, “Yes, your father did give tzedaka, but not enough”. But no, this young girl is so steadfast in her Emunah that she has no questions, no complaints, just a plea. Says Rav Yochanan to his talmidim, “Look at this amazing nation we are! Here is a young girl who came from a rich home and is about to die from hunger. Instead of being angry and complaining, look at the tremendous emunah she has. Mi k’amcha Yisrael!
Let’s say we encounter some trouble in our homes, the first thing we do is check our mezuzos, but why do we forget to check ourselves? Maybe we are not so okay. Chazal say that any generation in which the Bais Hamikdash was not rebuilt, it’s considered as if it was destroyed. We have to check ourselves and make a cheshbon hanefesh. Everyone knows what he needs to be mesaken. There really is no substitute for the Bais Hamikdash, and we all need it back, now. Let’s mourn properly, fix ourselves, daven, and rejoice in the ge’ulah shelaima, b’karov.
