Rebuilding the Temple: What Asaf Wohl's Comments on ynet Can Teach Us All

Asaf Wohl wrote an article in Hebrew about rebuilding the Bet HaMikdash (Holy Temple in Jerusalem) which appeared on ynet yesterday (17/7/10). While I do not agree with most of what he said, I think that he has hit upon an important point, probably without even realizing it.

Asaf Wohl feels that there is no use in rebuilding the Bet HaMikdash because of what he fears would be the atmosphere created by such a rebuilt Temple. Though I think that he misinterprets the meaning of (among other things) rebuilding the Temple, his fears should communicate something VERY IMPORTANT to Torah observant Jews.

If a rebuilt Bet HaMikdash actually would function the way Asaf Wohl fears it would, full of the politics of interest groups (like the factions of Second Temple times, and like modern religious parties) and the divisions within the nation of Israel which they promote, it should not be rebuilt! Probably the reason that the Bet HaMikdash has not yet been rebuilt is that, with all of our religious shenanigans, we Jews have not created an atmosphere where the Bet HaMikdash can be rebuilt to SERVE AS A FOCAL POINT OF HaShem's LOVE FOR ALL HIS CREATURES and of unity of the people Israel.

I am quite certain that if we religious Jews had created the proper atmosphere which would demonstrate how the Bet HaMikdash will make true peace and unity, everyone in the world would be supporting us in rebuilding the Bet HaMikdash, and the Muslim-Arabs would assist our efforts by peacefully moving their Mosques elsewhere.

This, by the way, is also a possible resolution between the two opinions about the rebuilding of the Temple: whether it will be rebuilt physically, or will "descend from Heaven"; since having the entire world support our efforts to rebuild the Bet HaMikdash would, in a sense, be as if it descended, fully-built, from Heaven!

It is time that we stop blaming others, whether weak Israeli governments, non-religious Jews, or non-Jews, for our lack of a Bet HaMikdash. If we would do our part with truly pure hearts, I am certain that everyone else would cooperate. Conversely, as long as we do not do our part with truly pure hearts, HaShem will not allow the Bet HaMikdash to be rebuilt since it simply will not serve its true purpose!

The link to Asaf Wohl's article is:

http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3921050,00.html