The Third Temple: Divine Gift or Human Construction

תְּבִאֵ֗מוֹ וְתִטָּעֵ֙מוֹ֙ בְּהַ֣ר נַחֲלָֽתְךָ֔        מָכ֧וֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ֛ פָּעַ֖לְתָּ יְהֹוָ֑ה        מִקְּדָ֕שׁ אֲדֹנָ֖י כּוֹנְנ֥וּ יָדֶֽיךָ׃

You will bring them and plant them in Your own mountain, The place You made to dwell in, O ETERNAL One, The sanctuary, O my Sovereign, that Your hands established.

בְּמַרְא֣וֹת אֱלֹהִ֔ים הֱבִיאַ֖נִי אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְנִיחֵ֗נִי אֶל־הַ֤ר גָּבֹ֙הַּ֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְעָלָ֥יו כְּמִבְנֵה־עִ֖יר מִנֶּֽגֶב׃ וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֵלַ֜י הָאִ֗ישׁ בֶּן־אָדָ֡ם רְאֵ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֩יךָ֩ וּבְאׇזְנֶ֨יךָ שְּׁמָ֜ע וְשִׂ֣ים לִבְּךָ֗ לְכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אוֹתָ֔ךְ כִּ֛י לְמַ֥עַן הַרְאוֹתְכָ֖ה הֻבָ֣אתָה הֵ֑נָּה הַגֵּ֛ד אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

It brought me over to it, and there, standing at the gate, was a figure who shone like copper. In his hand were a cord of linen and a measuring rod. He spoke to me: “Mortal, look closely and listen attentively and note well everything I am going to show you—for you have been brought here in order to be shown—and report everything you see to the House of Israel.”

וְשֶׁיְּהֵא יוֹם הֶנֶף. מַאי טַעְמָא? מְהֵרָה יִבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְיֹאמְרוּ: אֶשְׁתָּקַד מִי לֹא אָכַלְנוּ בְּהֵאִיר מִזְרָח? הַשְׁתָּא נָמֵי נֵיכוֹל. וְאִינְהוּ לָא יָדְעִי דְּאֶשְׁתָּקַד דְּלָא הֲוָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ — הֵאִיר מִזְרָח, הִתִּיר. הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִיכָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ — עוֹמֶר מַתִּיר. דְּאִיבְּנִי אֵימַת? אִילֵּימָא דְּאִיבְּנִי בְּשִׁיתְּסַר, הֲרֵי הִתִּיר הֵאִיר מִזְרָח! אֶלָּא דְּאִיבְּנִי בַּחֲמֵיסַר, מֵחֲצוֹת הַיּוֹם וּלְהַלָּן תִּשְׁתְּרֵי, דְּהָא תְּנַן: הָרְחוֹקִים, מוּתָּרִין מֵחֲצוֹת הַיּוֹם וּלְהַלָּן, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בֵּית דִּין מִתְעַצְּלִים בּוֹ! לָא צְרִיכָא, דְּאִיבְּנִי בְּלֵילְיָא, אִי נָמֵי סָמוּךְ לִשְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה. (אָמַר) רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי בְּשִׁיטַת רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אֲמָרָהּ, דְּאָמַר: מִן הַתּוֹרָה הוּא אָסוּר, דִּכְתִיב:

§ The mishna continues: Rabban Yoḥanan instituted that for the entire day of waving the Omer offering, it is prohibited to eat the grain of the new crop. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for this ordinance? It is that soon the Temple will be rebuilt, and people will say: Last year, when the Temple was in ruins, didn’t we eat of the new crop as soon as the eastern horizon was illuminated, as the new crop was permitted immediately with the advent of the morning of the sixteenth of Nisan? Now, too, let us eat the new grain at that time. And they do not know that although last year, when there was no Temple, the illuminating of the eastern sky permitted one to eat the new grain immediately, now that there is a Temple, the omer offering permits one to eat the new grain. Until the omer offering is sacrificed, the new grain is not permitted. The Gemara asks: When is it that the Temple will be rebuilt in this scenario? If we say that it will be rebuilt on the sixteenth of Nisan, since in the morning the Temple was not yet built, the illuminating of the eastern sky permitted one to eat the new grain, as the omer offering could not yet be brought. Rather, say that it will be rebuilt on the fifteenth of Nisan or on some earlier date, in which case the new grain would not become permitted by the illuminating of the eastern sky. In that case, from midday and onward let it be permitted to eat the new grain, as we learned in a mishna in tractate Menaḥot: The people distant from Jerusalem, who are unaware of the precise time when the omer was brought, are permitted to eat the new grain from midday and onward because the members of the court are not indolent with regard to the omer and would not postpone bringing the offering after midday. The Gemara says: No, it is necessary to institute the ordinance only in the case where the Temple will be rebuilt at night, on the evening of the sixteenth, and there was no opportunity to cut the omer that night. Alternatively, it was necessary to institute the ordinance in the case where the Temple was built adjacent to sunset on the fifteenth because there would not be sufficient time to complete all the preparations and sacrifice the offering by noon the next day. Therefore, Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai instituted that the new grain is prohibited for the entire day of the sixteenth. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: That is not the reason; rather, Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai stated his ordinance in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who said: It is prohibited by Torah law to eat the new grain until the seventeenth of Nisan, as it is written:

כִּי שִׂמַּחְתַּנִי ה' בְּפָעֳלֶךָ, זֶה אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. בְּמַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶיךָ אֲרַנֵּן, זֶה בִּנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ. מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה', מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ (תהלים צב, ו), שֶׁהָיִיתָ חוֹשֵׁב לְעָרֵב שִׂמְחָה בְּשִׂמְחָה, יוֹם שֶׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ. וְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם נָטַל עֶשֶׂר עֲטָרוֹת, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם וְגוֹ'. וּלְפִיכָךְ, אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע (תהלים צב, ז), אֵלּוּ הַלֵּיצָנִין וְהַטִּפְּשִׁין שֶׁבַּדּוֹר שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִים מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת זֹאת (תהלים צב, ו), שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל אֶחָד מֵהֶם לַהֲקִימוֹ, וְלֹא בְצַלְאֵל וְלֹא אָהֳלִיאָב וְלֹא הַחֲכָמִים הָעוֹשִׂים אֶת כָּל מְלֶאכֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וְיִטֹּל אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה מִצְטַעֵר שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה בוֹ כְּלוּם. לְפִיכָךְ, וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְגוֹ', וְלֹא בְצַלְאֵל וְלֹא אָהֳלִיאָב וְלֹא הַחֲכָמִים הָעוֹשִׂים. וּכְתִיב: וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן (במדבר ז, א). כֵּיוָן שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִשְׁכָּן, מִיָּד יָרְדָה שְׁכִינָתוֹ לְתוֹכוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְלֹא יָכֹל מֹשֶׁה לָבוֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד כִּי שָׁכַן עָלָיו הֶעָנָן וּכְבוֹד ה' מָלֵא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וּכְתִיב: כִּי עֲנַן ה' עַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְגוֹ'. לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: אַךְ קָרוֹב לִירֵאָיו יִשְׁעוֹ לִשְׁכֹּן כָּבוֹד בְּאַרְצֵנוּ (תהלים פה, י). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הָיְתָה שְׁכִינָתִי בֵינֵיכֶם וּלְעֵינֵיכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמַרְאֵה כְּבוֹד ה' וְגוֹ' (שמות כד, יז). וְלֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, שְׁכִינָה אֵינָהּ זָזָה מִכֶּם לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא אֶעֱזֹב אֶת עֲמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל (מלכים א ו, יג). בָּרוּךְ ה' לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן, סֶלָה.

For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work alludes to the Tent of Meeting. I will exult in the works of Thy hands refers to the building of the Temple, may it be rebuilt speedily in our time. How great are thy works, O Lord: Thy thoughts are very deep (ibid., v. 6) relates to the fact that You decided to combine the celebration of the erection of the Tabernacle with the celebration of the birthday of our patriarch Isaac. That day he received ten crowns, as discussed in Seder Olam. Therefore it says: A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a food understand this (ibid., v. 7). A brutish man knoweth not alludes to the scoffers and fools of that generation, who did not know the thoughts of the Holy One, blessed be He. Neither doth a fool understand refers to those who do not realize that none of them would be able to rear it, neither Bezalel nor Oholiab nor the wise men who had performed the work. Only Moses would come and do his part, since he was troubled by the fact that he had not participated at all in the work done on the Tabernacle. Therefore Moses reared the Tabernacle, and neither Bezalel nor Oholiab nor the wise could do it. And it is written: And it came to pass on that day that Moses made an end of setting up the Tabernacle (Num. 7:1). When the Tabernacle was set up, the Shekhinah descended into it immediately, as it is said: And Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle (Exod. 40:35). It is written elsewhere: For the cloud of the Lord was upon the Tabernacle by day (ibid., v. 38) to fulfill what is written: Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land (Ps. 85:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In this world My Shekhinah will dwell among you and within your sight, as it is said: And the appearance of the glory of the Lord (Exod. 24:1), but in the future the Shekhinah will never depart from you, as it is said: In that day I will dwell therein among the children of Israel and will not forsake My people Israel (I Kings 6:13). Blessed be the Lord forever. Amen. Selah.

הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ עָתִיד לַעֲמֹד וּלְהַחְזִיר מַלכוּת דָּוִד לְיָשְׁנָהּ לַמֶּמְשָׁלָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה. וּבוֹנֶה הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וּמְקַבֵּץ נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְחוֹזְרִין כָּל הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים בְּיָמָיו כְּשֶׁהָיוּ מִקֹּדֶם. מַקְרִיבִין קָרְבָּנוֹת. וְעוֹשִׂין שְׁמִטִּין וְיוֹבְלוֹת כְּכָל מִצְוָתָן הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין בּוֹ. אוֹ מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְחַכֶּה לְבִיאָתוֹ. לֹא בִּשְׁאָר נְבִיאִים בִּלְבַד הוּא כּוֹפֵר. אֶלָּא בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ. שֶׁהֲרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הֵעִידָה עָלָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ל, ג) "וְשָׁב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ" וְגוֹ' (דברים ל, ד) "אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם" וְגוֹ' (דברים ל, ה) "וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ ה'". וְאֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים הַמְפֹרָשִׁים בַּתּוֹרָה הֵם כּוֹלְלִים כָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ עַל יְדֵי כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים. אַף בְּפָרָשַׁת בִּלְעָם נֶאֱמַר וְשָׁם נִבֵּא בִּשְׁנֵי הַמְּשִׁיחִים. בַּמָּשִׁיחַ הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהוּא דָּוִד שֶׁהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד צָרֵיהֶם. וּבַמָּשִׁיחַ הָאַחֲרוֹן שֶׁעוֹמֵד מִבָּנָיו שֶׁמּוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל [בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה]. וְשָׁם הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר כד, יז) "אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה" זֶה דָּוִד. (במדבר כד, יז) "אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב" זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ. (במדבר כד, יז) "דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב" זֶה דָּוִד. (במדבר כד, יז) "וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל" זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ. (במדבר כד, יז) "וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מוֹאָב" זֶה דָּוִד. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמואל ב ח, ב) "וַיַּךְ אֶת מוֹאָב וַיְמַדְּדֵם בַּחֶבֶל" (במדבר כד, יז) "וְקַרְקַר כָּל בְּנֵי שֵׁת" זֶה הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ (זכריה ט, י) "וּמָשְׁלוֹ מִיָּם עַד יָם". (במדבר כד, יח) "וְהָיָה אֱדוֹם יְרֵשָׁה" זֶה דָּוִד. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב ח, יד) "וַתְּהִי אֱדוֹם לְדָוִד לַעֲבָדִים" וְגוֹ'. (במדבר כד, יח) "וְהָיָה יְרֵשָׁה" וְגוֹ' זֶה הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עובדיה א, כא) "וְעָלוּ מוֹשִׁעִים בְּהַר צִיּוֹן" וְגוֹ': וְאִם יַעֲמֹד מֶלֶךְ מִבֵּית דָּוִד הוֹגֶה בַּתּוֹרָה וְעוֹסֵק בְּמִצְוֹת כְּדָוִד אָבִיו. כְּפִי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְשֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה. וְיָכֹף כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵילֵךְ בָּהּ וּלְחַזֵּק בִּדְקָהּ. וְיִלָּחֵם מִלְחֲמוֹת ה'. הֲרֵי זֶה בְּחֶזְקַת שֶׁהוּא מָשִׁיחַ. (אִם עָשָׂה וְהִצְלִיחַ וּבָנָה מִקְדָּשׁ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וְקִבֵּץ נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲרֵי זֶה מָשִׁיחַ בְּוַדַּאי. וִיתַקֵּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה' בְּיַחַד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי אָז אֶהְפֹּךְ אֶל עַמִּים שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה לִקְרֹא כֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם ה' וּלְעָבְדוֹ שְׁכֶם אֶחָד):

In the future, the Messianic king will arise and renew the Davidic dynasty, restoring it to its initial sovereignty. He will build the Temple and gather the dispersed of Israel. Then, in his days, the observance of all the statutes will return to their previous state. We will offer sacrifices, observe the Sabbatical and Jubilee years according to all their particulars as described by the Torah. Anyone who does not believe in him or does not await his coming, denies not only the statements of the other prophets, but those of the Torah and Moses, our teacher. The Torah testified to his coming, as Deuteronomy 30:3-5 states: God will bring back your captivity and have mercy upon you. He will again gather you from among the nations... Even if your Diaspora is at the ends of the heavens, God will gather you up from there... and bring you to the land.... These explicit words of the Torah include all the statements made by all the prophets. Reference to Mashiach is also made in the portion of Bilaam who prophesies about two anointed kings: the first anointed king, David, who saved Israel from her oppressors; and the final anointed king who will arise from his descendants and save Israel in the end of days. That passage Numbers 24:17-18 relates: 'I see it, but not now' - This refers to David; 'I perceive it, but not in the near future;" - This refers to the Messianic king; 'A star shall go forth from Jacob' - This refers to David; 'and a staff shall arise in Israel' - This refers to the Messianic king; 'crushing all of Moab's princes' - This refers to David as II Samuel 8:2 relates: 'He smote Moab and measured them with a line;' 'decimating all of Seth's descendants' - This refers to the Messianic king about whom Zechariah 9:10 prophesies: 'He will rule from sea to sea.' 'Edom will be demolished' - This refers to David as II Samuel 8:6 states 'Edom became the servants of David;' 'Seir will be destroyed' - this refers to the Messianic king as Ovadiah 1:21 prophesies: 'Saviors will ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau....' If a king will arise from the House of David who diligently contemplates the Torah and observes its mitzvot as prescribed by the Written Law and the Oral Law as David, his ancestor, will compel all of Israel to walk in (the way of the Torah) and rectify the breaches in its observance, and fight the wars of God, we may, with assurance, consider him Mashiach. If he succeeds in the above, builds the Temple in its place, and gathers the dispersed of Israel, he is definitely the Mashiach. He will then improve the entire world, motivating all the nations to serve God together, as Tzephaniah 3:9 states: 'I will transform the peoples to a purer language that they all will call upon the name of God and serve Him with one purpose.'

מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לַעֲשׂוֹת בַּיִת לַה' מוּכָן לִהְיוֹת מַקְרִיבִים בּוֹ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת. וְחוֹגְגִין אֵלָיו שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כה ח) "וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ". וּכְבָר נִתְפָּרֵשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה מִשְׁכָּן שֶׁעָשָׂה משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ.

It is a positive commandment to construct a House for God, prepared for sacrifices to be offered within. We [must] celebrate there three times a year, as [Exodus 25:8] states: "And you shall make Me a sanctuary." The sanctuary constructed by Moses is already described in the Torah.

אי נמי - דאיבני בחמיסר סמוך לשקיעת החמה והיא היא ואי קשיא דבלילה אינו נבנה דקי"ל בשבועות (דף טו:) דאין בנין בית המקדש בלילה דכתיב וביום הקים ולא בחמיסר שהוא י"ט דקי"ל בשבועות (שם) דאין בנין ב"ה דוחה י"ט ה"מ בנין הבנוי בידי אדם אבל מקדש העתיד שאנו מצפין בנוי ומשוכלל הוא יגלה ויבא משמים שנא' (שמות ט״ו:י״ז) מקדש ה' כוננו ידיך:

אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינֶנָּהּ דָּבָר חִיצוֹנִי, קִנְיָן חִיצוֹנִי לָאֻמָּה, רַק בְּתוֹר אֶמְצָעִי לַמַּטָּרָה שֶׁל הַהִתְאַגְּדוּת הַכְּלָלִית וְהַחְזָקָת קִיוּמָהּ הֶחָמְרִי אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ הָרוּחָנִי. אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא חֲטִיבָה עַצְמוּתִית קְשׁוּרָה בְּקֶשֶׁר חַיִּים עִם הָאֻמָּה, חֲבוּקָה בִּסְגֻלוֹת פְּנִימִיּוֹת עִם מְצִיאוּתָהּ.

The land of Israel is not an external thing, an external national acquisition, a means to the goal of general unity and strengthening of the physical or even spiritual. The land of Israel is an intrinsic section of the nation, attached to it with a living bond, entwined with its existence in internal uniqueness.