Article: Building the Beis Hamikdash

 

There is a mitzvah of “Ve’asu Li mikdash” (to build a Beis Hamikdash for Hashem). When Am Yisroel (the Jewish nation) was in the midbar (desert), they fulfilled this mitzvah by constructing the Mishkan, and years later in Eretz Yisroel, by building the Beis Hamikdash. This mitzvah is an eternal one, for all future generations—including ours. Unfortunately, we are still in galus (exile) awaiting the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, and cannot yet fulfill this mitzvah in its literal sense.

Nevertheless, we can fulfill this mitzvah while in galus in various ways:

• halachically, by building batei kneisiyos (houses of prayer) and batei midrashos (houses of Torah study);
• according to the Midrash (Biblical exegesis), Hashem told the navi (prophet) Yechezkel that being in galus should not hinder us from fulfilling the mitzvah of building the Beis Hamikdash—when we learn about the Beis Hamikdash, we are actually building it;
• as elaborated on in seforim, by striving to reveal the spiritual Beis Hamikdash that is within every Jewish heart, through doing mitzvos and maasim tovim (good deeds);
• as the Rebbe said in his Sichos, by transforming our home into a mikdash me’at (miniature sanctuary), making it a place of Torah study and prayer.

 

 

From Halacha2Go Archives
#362