Gan HaTorah
THE BAIS HAMIKDASH IS ALIVE
השם אלוקי אֲ בֽ וֹתֵ כֶ֗ ם יֹ סֵ ֧ ף עֲ לֵ יכֶ ֛ם כָּכֶ ֖ם אֶ ֣ לֶ ף פְּ עָ מִ ֑ ים וִ ֽ יבָ רֵ ֣ ךְ אֶ תְ כֶ֔ ם כַּ ֽ אֲ שֶׁ ֖ ר דִּ בֶּ ֥ ר ל ָ כ ֶ ֽ ם
“May Hashem, the G-d of your forefathers, add to you a thousand times as yourselves, and bless you as He has spoken to you.”
Why did Moshe Rabbeinu give a limited brachah to Klal Yisroel, yet Hashem gave an infinite brachah to Avrohom Avinu regarding his children? Moshe was not relaying the message of the brachah from Hashem; rather, he was giving his own brachah, in addition to the brachah that Hashem gave. Thus, there is not a contradiction between Hashem’s brachah and Moshe’s brachah. However, this still doesn’t explain why Moshe didn’t give Klal Yisroel an infinite brachah, as Hashem did.
Hashem’s brachah had one caveat. They would only be zoche if they fulfilled the Torah and its mitzvos. Moshe’s brachah was unconditional. An additional answer is that had the posuk said “ככם יסף עליכם אלף פעמים,” it would mean that Klal Yisroel, as they were, should multiply by one thousand. However now that the posuk says “יסף עליכם ככם אלף פעמים,“ it teaches us that, in essence, Moshe’s brachah was infinite. The posuk is saying that Klal Yisroel, as it were, should double one thousand times. Six hundred thousand times two equals 1.2 million. 1.2 million times two is 2.4 million. If one does this a thousand times, the number is, for all practical purposes, infinite. (ר' עקיבא איגר)
“כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה ורואה בשמחתה” – “All those who mourn for Yerushalayim will merit to witness her joy” (Taanis 30b). The Gemara learns from a posuk in Yeshaya 66:10 that only those who mourn for the loss of the Bais Hamikdash will be zoche to see it rebuilt. Why does the Gemara say “זוכה ורואה”, which is a loshon hoveh, as if one will be zoche now, as opposed to in the future? R’ Chaim Volozhin answers: It is known that a dead person is eventually forgotten from the hearts of those who are alive (Pesachim 54b). One cannot be consoled for a person who he believes to be dead but is really alive. Yerushalayim is similar to a person. One who mourns for the loss of the Bais Hamikdash and cannot accept consolation proves that Yerushalayim is not dead. For if Yerushalayim were actually dead, one would forget it and stop mourning. One who mourns the Bais Hamikdash is zoche to see the simchah now. He realizes that although we do not have the Bais Hamikdash now, it is still alive and we will be zoche to see it in its full glory in the future. (פרחי ניסן)
Moshe was at the end of his life and wanted to impart an everlasting message to Klal Yisroel. Moshe gave Klal Yisroel a brachah that was a finite number, with potential much beyond that. The amount of brachah could be one thousand times, many thousands of times, or practically infinite. Klal Yisroel have potential to be zoche to unlimited brachah. How does one tap into this great source of brachah? “כמים הפנים לפנים” – We need to show the Ribbono Shel Olam that we did not forget Him. If we demonstrate our great love for Hashem, He will reflect it back to us. We must mourn the Bais Hamikdash,which is still alive, properly. In this zechus, may we merit to see the Bais Hamikdash in its full glory, with the coming of Mashiach במהרה בימינו אמן!
