The Book of Ezra captures a subtle but profound difference between the reaction of the older generation and younger generation to the rebuilt Second Temple in Jerusalem. The older people who recalled the absolute spiritual splendor of the First Temple, mourned when they saw the Second Temple, since it was spiritually lacking five of its essential features. Those in the younger generation were ecstatic and rejoiced completely over the Second Temple since they had nothing in their memory bank to compare it to.
I once read that this explains our struggle to truly mourn the destruction of our Temples. Since we never saw or experienced the Temple, and all we see is the ruins, the Kotel Hama’aravi – the Western Wall – the last remnant of the Temple, how are we expected to sincerely mourn the loss?
If we only dedicate the three-week period that is marked at the beginning and end with fast days, that we are currently in, to remind ourselves of the destruction of our Temples, it would certainly be challenging to adapt and understand the loss of our Temples.
However, since the destruction of our Temples, each and every day, three times a day within the central Amidah prayer, our Sages established that we mention our hope in the Redemption a few times. We pray for Jerusalem to be rebuilt. We pray for the Davidic Dynasty to be restored. We pray that the offerings be restored within our Temple. We pray that we should personally merit to see G-d’s Shechina – Presence – once again in Zion. And after we take our three steps back at the conclusion of the Amidah, we recite a Yehi Ratzon – May it be Your will Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, that the Holy Temple be rebuilt, speedily in our days…
Mentioning daily the restoration of the Temple, Jerusalem and its kingdom in our prayers, and by listening to the Chazan repeat it twice a day, infuses us with hope for the Temple to be returned to us.
Thinking about our loss is not confined to when we actually express it by fasting, sitting as mourners on the floor, listening to the Book of Eicha/Lamentations and reciting the Kinos/dirges on Tisha B’Av. Our loss and our hope in the future rebuilding is on our minds, lips and attention many times every day of the year.
So even though we never experienced or saw the Temple in its splendor, as long as we hope for it and realize the lack of it, it creates a certain reality in the mindset of a Jew. Then, when we follow the path of our Halacha/Laws as to how we should conduct ourselves during the period of time when the destructions occurred, it creates the possibility to sense a feeling of mourning over the Temples although we have not merited to see or experience them.
The Holy of Holies within the Temple housed the Holy Ark and the Ceruvim –two angelic winged figures. One had the face of a young girl and the other had the face of a young boy. The Torah tells us that the golden Ceruvim are to be facing one another.
Our Sages tell us that when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, the position of the Ceruvim would reflect on the spiritual level of the Jewish people. If the Jews at the time were living in harmony with G-d and their fellow, the Ceruvim would be loving facing each other. However, if the Jews were at angst with each other and living sinful lives, the Ceruvim’s faces would miraculously be turned away from each other, signifying the discord of the Jews.
The other day, I was talking to my six-year-old grandson Yehuda Saks and he told me that his Rebbe at day camp mentioned that when the wicked Babylonians entered into the Bais Hamikdash/Temple to plundered it, upon reaching the Holy of Holies they were astonished to find the Ceruvim facing each other. They wondered how this could be? This was a time when G-d was allowing His own Temple to be destroyed due to the sins of the Jews, so why were the Ceruvim facing each other?
Yehuda asked me to explain to him why indeed were the Ceruvim facing each other?
I thought for a moment and then I recalled an answer. Yes, the Jews were guilty of the three cardinal sins and they had baseless hatred towards each other that made them undeserving of having G-d’s Temple in their midst. This should warrant that the Ceruvim face away from each other.
However, when the warnings that the Prophets had given the Jews of the impending destruction if they did not change their ways was realized, at that moment, every Jew was overcome by feelings of repentance and felt sad over the tragic loss of the Temple. The Ceruvim facing each other reflected on the Jews’ current feelings of remorse.
This year, when Hamas attacked and brutally murdered our brethren on the holy day of Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah, many, if not all of us experienced similar moments of reflection to strengthen our spiritual connection. We also embraced our brethren no matter how at odds we are in our opinions, beliefs and lifestyle. We felt truly as one, with a refreshed feeling of unity.
The horrific tragedy projected us to look at and embrace each other.
The embrace of the Ceruvim at the time of destruction was also a way of G-d telling us, as upset as I am of My children’s behavior, I will always be there with you. The Babylonians saw it 2500 years ago, and here we are, still here, at the center of attention of the world – because G-d is continually watching over us and waiting for the precise time to herald Moshiach and rebuild the third and everlasting Temple!
