Zooming In On The Third Temple

Whenever something meaningful is occurring, people, myself included, rush to take snapshots with their cameras or cell phones. We tend to forgo the greatness of the moment for the opportunity to get a good shot. My rebbi advised us that the first time that we visit the Kotel, we should leave our cameras at home.

Bring the camera the second time, but the first time bask in the spirituality. He offered a somewhat sad but humorous anecdote of the fallacy of not heeding his advice.

A little background is in order. The Gemara on Monday’s daf (Shevuos 15b) discusses the method for sanctifying a new extension of the courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash. As part of the give-and-take, the Gemara states that the Beis HaMikdash cannot be constructed on Shabbos or yom tov. Further, the Gemara states that the Beis HaMikdash cannot be constructed at night.

Tosefos states that this Gemara is at odds with a different passage, in Rosh Hashanah. There, the Gemara discusses the prohibition of chadash. One may not partake of a new crop of grain until the korban omer is brought on the second day of Pesach. Nowadays, when, sadly, the korban omer is no longer offered, the new crop of grain becomes biblically permitted at the start of the 16th day of Nissan. That is when the korban omer would have been brought if the Beis HaMikdash were standing. However, the Gemara says that rabbinically one may only partake of the new crop of grain on the 17th day of Nissan, or the third day of Pesach. The explanation is that on any given year in our exile, the Beis HaMikdash may be built. One might erroneously eat grain from the new crop on the night of the 16th (which in the Hebrew calendar system precedes the day of the 16th) assuming the grain was permitted as it always was on the night of the 16th. He won’t realize that on this particular year, which should be speedily in our days, the Beis HaMikdash was rebuilt and only the actual korban omer can permit the new crop of grain to be consumed. To prevent this mix-up, the sages decreed that one may not consume food items made from a new crop of grain on the entire 16th day of Nissan.

However, that explanation only illuminates why one can’t eat from the new crop on the night of the 16th and the morning of the 16th. Why can’t he eat from the new crop on the afternoon of the 16th? If the Beis HaMikdash was rebuilt that year, the korban omer would have been brought by then. If the Beis HaMikdash was, sadly, not rebuilt, the grain would have been permitted on the night of the 16th.

The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah explains that we are afraid the Beis HaMikdash will be built close to sunset on the 15th day of Nissan, the first day of Pesach, or on the night of the 16th, which is the first night of chol ha’moed in Eretz Yisrael. In either case, there won’t be enough time to prepare the korban omer, and the korban will have to be offered late. To preclude someone accidentally violating the biblical prohibition of eating from the new crop of grain on the year the Beis HaMikdash is rebuilt, the sages decreed that one should never consume food made from the new crop of grain until the 17th of Nissan.

(There is much discussion about the prohibition of chadash, eating from a new crop of grain, as it applies nowadays. Spring wheat, for example, is particularly problematic because it grows soon after Pesach and won’t become permitted until the next Pesach. There are various customs regarding actual practice and one should consult his halachic authority. However, it is noteworthy that the observance of yashan has become increasingly prevalent recently.)

Leaving the whole discussion of crops aside, how could the Gemara there suggest that the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt on the 15th day of Nissan? That day is yom tov, the first day of Pesach! Our Gemara clearly states we do not violate Shabbos or yom tov to build the Beis HaMikdash. Further, how could the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah suggest that the Beis HaMikdash might be built on the night of the 16th? Our Gemara says that the Beis HaMikdash cannot be built at night.

Tosefos offers a fascinating and novel answer. Our Gemara in Shevuos is discussing the expansion of an existing Temple. However, the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah is referring to the Third Beis HaMikdash. The Third Beis HaMikdash will never be constructed on the 15th of Nissan or at night. Why? Because it will descend readymade from heaven! There will be no desecration of yom tov because no construction will take place! (The Chasam Sofer points out that there may be rabbinical violations involved in dropping a readymade structure on the Earth, but the Heavenly Academy is not bound by rabbinic decrees.) Likewise, there will be no violation of constructing the Beis HaMikdash at night because it will be a pre-fab!

Tosefos says that this fits well with the verse in Az Yashir that we recite daily, “Mikdash Ado–nai konenu yadecha—the Sanctified Place that Your hands formed.” The verse implies that Hashem Himself will construct the Holy Temple, and this perforce must be referring to the Third Temple. Further, the Mahral Diskin points out that this fits well with what we recite in davening, “V’hareinu b’vinyano—and show us in its built state.”

This phrase seems rather peculiar. We should be asking clearly for the rebuilding of the Third Temple. This fits very well with Tosefos, however, because we are just asking Hashem to show us the already built Third Beis HaMikdash. The Maharal Diskin says that the zekeinim, even according to Tosefos, will have some part of rebuilding the Temple. They will install the gates from the previous Temple that sank into the ground. These are the gates referred to in the pasuk in Eichah (2:9) “Her gates have sunk into the ground.”

Commenting on Tosefos, my rebbi said “Picture the moment. Mashiach is here. Redemption has come. The entire Beis HaMikdash is coming down from Shamayim. What will people do? Rush to get their cameras! (Assuming it doesn’t fall on yom tov.) And what will they get a picture of? Everyone else taking a picture!”

According to the Rambam, though, no such problem will exist. The Rambam clearly disagrees with Tosefos and states (Laws of Kings 11:1) that Mashiach will rebuild the Third Temple. It will not be a one-time Kodak moment. Still, people will have their opportunity to take snapshots at the dedication ceremony.

As an aside, I would like to relate a story that a friend told me. He was traveling across the Midwest and met a gentile who did not see Jews often. The fellow asked my friend: “My pastor told me that your Temple was destroyed and not yet rebuilt because of baseless hatred you Jews have among yourselves. Is this true?” My friend was forced to say that it was. The fellow then asked him, “So what are you doing about it?” Indeed! What are we doing about it?