Thus begins the Nine Days of Av - "acute" days of mourning over the loss of our Beit Hamikdash...
The Book of Our Heritage by Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov:
Since the day of the destruction of the Beis Ha-Mikdash, an iron wall has separated Israel and her Father in Heaven, and the Shechinah has withdrawn to Heaven. Others say that the Shechinah will never leave the Western Wall. It is as if God has no joy or happiness until Jerusalem is rebuilt and the people of Israel are restored to her.
The gates of prayer were locked and prophecy was removed from the Prophets and given to the Sages, to the foolish and to the children. The urim v'tumim have ceased and there is no longer leadership from the House of David. God has only the four amos of the Halachah, for the Destruction did not affect the halachic process and it remains as strong today as it was before the Destruction.
Since the time of the Destruction, it was decreed that the houses of the righteous would be destroyed. Wise counsel was taken from us, and great men of faith have ceased from Israel. The scholars are ashamed. There are few men of righteousness, and the physically strong and verbally facile prevail. The Sages are considered to be like scribes, the scribes like public officials, and the public officials like the ignorant, and there is no day without its attendant curse.
Since the time of the Destruction of the Beis Ha-Mikdash, the firmament has not been seen in its purity, the rains no longer fall from the storehouse of bounty and have become scant, and the dew does not provide blessing. The fruits have lost their taste and the wine is no longer full-bodied. The sweet cinnamon plant has been hidden, the shamir no longer exists, there is no dripping honey, white crystal has disappeared, meat has lost its flavor, physical pleasure has been given over to those who transgress, and the world lacks true healing.
There is no way that we, so long after the Destruction, can even imagine what its loss means - for the entire world.
The last words- “and the world lacks true healing”. Does this include being healed from any type of illness and ailment?
ReplyDeleteSince I did not write those words, I can't say for certain what the author had in mind, but judging by the context, I think it would be safe to say that to whatever extent the human body is capable of being healed in this world, we can't reach to that level while there is no Beit Hamikdash. Possibly, there is always some residual damage left behind rather than becoming "as good as new."
DeleteThe body can COMPLETELY be healed when there is a bais hamikdash. We see this throughout the Torah that the bais hamikdash cured people. And it’s nothing compared to what will be soon when Moshiach arrives and all the prophecies in Navi and throughout the Torah come true of “no more illness and everyone will be healed” once the Geulah arrives soon. You can’t compare the first and second bais hamikdash to the everlasting Third one which will come with the GEULAH SHELAIMAH!
DeleteSo many people nowadays not able to eat bread, fruits or dink grape juice or wine and lets not get started on eating meat.
DeleteWhat do you mean by residual damage? I thought people were healed from all types of ailments when we had the first and second bais hamikdash? By the third, everyone will be healed since we will have the Geulah Shelaimah.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't the "residual damage" simply mean the admixture of good and evil that came originally from the Eitz HaDaas, the zuhamat hanachash? We lost that at Matan Torah but it came back with the Eigel HaZahav and here we are, generations later, still polluted with it. It will be removed completely after Moshiach comes. TC
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ReplyDeleteAnon @5:23 p,m & others. It's true until we have our third and eternal Bait HaMikdash, everything is really lacking. The light of the world came from the Beit HaMikdash with all its goodness. Instead of light coming into the Beit HaMikdash from the outside sun, it was the opposite and therefore the windows were built so that the light was coming from the holiness within our Beit HaMikdash to the outside world. How much moreso when we will have the Geulah Shleimah.
ReplyDeleteThe 2nd Beit HaMikdash did not have the holiness or power which the first one had built by Shlomo HaMelech and considered as if his father, Dovid HaMelech built it. The second was built by the Jews after their return from Paras (Persia) and after its desecrations, Herod rebuilt it, so it could not have the same kedusha.
The third & eternal Beit HaMikdash will be Divine in all of its manifestations.
Yanki W.