Part I
Danger of Becoming Overly Accustomed to Kedushoh of
Mikdosh
Yechezkel the Novi (46:8-9) tells us: "When the nosi
enters, he shall enter the hall through its gate and leave
in the same way. But when an am ho'oretz comes before
Hashem on yomim tovim, whoever enters by the northern
gate to bow [before Hashem] shall leave by the southern
gate. Likewise whoever enters by the southern gate shall
leave by the northern gate. He shall not return using the
same gate in which he entered, but shall leave by the
opposite way."
Albeit noticing something new, something he never saw
before, thrills an average person for the first moment, the
possibility always exists that his excitement will later,
and not even much later, become dampened. He will become
accustomed to what he experienced and it will cease to
stimulate him anymore. In order to avoid this possible
cessation or step-down of stimulation, the novi
commands us to leave the Beis Hamikdosh through
another gate. Through a person's walking through the Beis
Hamikdosh in another direction to reach the other gate
he will undergo fresh stimulation, and it is to be hoped
that the impression emanating from the awesome kedushoh
of the Beis Hamikdosh will persist.
Although we can well picture the uplifting scene of the holy
Cohanim engaged in their avodoh for the Creator and
the Leviim playing on their musical instruments and singing
on top of their duchon (platform), we are concerned
that even this readily perceptible kedushoh will soon
become put out of mind. Unfortunately one becomes rapidly
adapted to an existing condition and environment, and one's
senses become numbed.
One particular person is, however, unaffected by previous
exposure to kedushoh: the nosi. Even if the
nosi exits the same gate in which he entered, he will
not lose any of his former sublime feelings. Such an
uplifted person does not need to undergo new experiences. He
does not need any new stimulus to renew and refresh his
feeling of kedushoh, and therefore only he is allowed
to leave through the gate that he previously entered.
[Collection of Teshuvos II, Mili De'Agodoh,
pg. 22]
The Day Commemorating Tisha B'Av
R' Yochonon says (Taanis 29a): "If I would have been
there I would have set the tenth [of Av as a fast] since
most of the Beis Hamikdosh was burned on it." The
Chasam Sofer (Orach Chaim 733) comments that this
shows that we maintain that after "the malevolent came and
profaned it" ( Yechezkel 7:21) and set fire to it,
which occurred on Tisha B'Av, the Beis Hamikdosh
immediately became chulin (profane and not
kodesh). Accordingly what was burned on the tenth of
Av was already profane from the ninth of Av, and it was
therefore not fitting to set a fast for its being mostly
burned on the tenth.
This explanation can be challenged from what we know that
also R' Yochonon maintains (Nedorim 62a) that "the
malevolent came and profaned it" transformed the Beis
Hamikdosh from kodesh to profane. R' Yochonon
says: "Anyone using the crown of Torah is uprooted from the
world. Belshatzar used a kli that was kodesh,
and that kli became chulin after being
profaned, as is written, `The malevolent came and profaned
it.' Belshatzar was punished by being uprooted from the
world. So surely someone who uses the crown of Torah that
exists forever will be uprooted from the world."
Furthermore, a beraissa at the end of Taanis
(29a) teaches us: "It is written in Melochim (II Melochim
25:8-9), `In the fifth month [Av] on the seventh of the
month . . . the head executioner, Nevuzar'adon, servant of
the king of Bovel, came to Yerushalayim. He burned the house
of Hashem.' Yirmiyohu (52:12-13) however writes, `In
the fifth month on the tenth of the month . . . Nevuzar'adon
the head executioner, who was in the service of the king of
Bovel, came to Yerushalayim. He burned the House of Hashem .
. .' The beraissa asks: `You cannot say the seventh
since the tenth is already said. And you cannot say the
tenth since the seventh is already said. How can this be
resolved? On the seventh the non-Jews entered the
Heichal. They ate and caused destruction there on the
seventh, the eighth, the ninth, and close to night [of the
tenth] they set fire to it."
Why according to the Chasam Sofer did Chazal set Tisha B'Av
as a fast day? The Beis Hamikdosh already became
profane from the time that the non-Jews first entered
Yerushalayim, which was on the seventh of Av.
This question forces us to determine that profaning the
Beis Hamikdosh and the setting up of the fast day are
unconnected. Although the kedushoh of the Beis
Hamikdosh was annulled on the day that the non-Jews
conquered it, it was still considered the House of Hashem.
The fact itself that the non-Jews set fire to the great and
sacred house was, however, sufficient reason to set that day
as a fast day.
Although its kedushoh was nullified, if the House of
Hashem had remained in existence [and not been burned down],
and the Jews would have later reconquered it, they would
have used that same edifice for the Beis Hamikdosh.
This is exactly what happened at the time of the Greeks when
the Chashmonaim seized the Beis Hamikdosh: its
kedushoh was renewed and the Jews again sacrificed
korbonos at the Beis Hamikdosh. The Rambam
writes that the Beis Hamikdosh can be re-used since
the kedushoh installed by Shlomoh Hamelech remains
forever. All this is perfectly simple. [Collection of
Teshuvos III, 718 and 788]
The Darkened Walls of the Kosel
. . . however in connection with spraying red-hot sand to
renew the stones of the Kosel and to remove the dirt
that has accumulated over the years from the time of the
churban of the House of Elokim, it seems to me
that even if we assume that using this spray does not ruin
its stones, it is preferable to leave the Kosel
Hama'arovi as is. We should leave it in the same way it
was for the last hundreds of years from the time of its
destruction.
These stones, blackened from age, together with the grass
that grows on it, sadden all who see them. Through these
blackened stones people will remember how the Beis
Hamikdosh looked when it stood in its splendor, and that
we are, unfortunately, currently unable to be oleh regel
to it. Through them we clearly see that our holy and
magnificent House of Hashem was burned down and all of His
delightful spiritual treasures were contained in it.
Contemplating this will stimulate us to continue requesting
from Hashem, requesting until He listens to us, to have pity
and return the Beis Hamikdosh to its previous glory.
[Collection of Teshuvos III 720 — and excerpt
from a letter in response to the Rav of the Kosel
z'l]
Our Evil Neighbors
The Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Dei'os 10:1)
writes: "It is quite normal for a person's ideas and
behavior to be influenced through his acquaintances and
friends. For this reason a person must befriend
tzaddikim and always be near chachomim so he
can learn how they act."
We also learn in Ovos (2:9): "What is the proper
lifestyle for a person to follow? R' Yehoshua says: `A good
friend.' R' Yosef says: `A good neighbor.'"
The Mishnah (Nego'im 12:6)) teaches us: "It is
unfortunate for a rosho, and it is unfortunate for
his neighbor!" If the tzaddik did not even try to
inspire his neighbor to change his wicked ways and, as a
result, his neighbor foolishly remained in his wickedness,
for sure the rosho has in some way influenced him
negatively. For this reason the entire Cohanim shift of
Bilgah was punished (Succah 5:8, because of Miriam
bas Bilgah who converted, married a Greek official, and
later when the Greeks entered the Beis Hamikdosh
struck the mizbeiach with her shoe and denounced
Hashem), as is written in Sotah (7a), "Bad neighbors
are a cause of many [unfavorable] matters."
The fact is that Eretz Yisroel was not even once
destroyed during the period of the first Beis
Hamikdosh.
First it is written (I Divrei HaYomim 5:26), "And he
exiled the [shevet of] Reuven and Gad and the half
shevet of Menasheh." They chose to live in Trans-
Jordan because it was superior cattle grazing land. They
loved raising cattle and distanced themselves from being
near anything kodesh and the holy Mikdosh.
Naturally this directly influenced the way they acted, "But
they betrayed the G-d of their fathers" (I Divrei
HaYomim 5:25).
Chazal (Bamidbar Rabbah 22:7) also write, "In
addition you find that the descendants of Gad and Reuven
were rich, owned much cattle, loved raising cattle and
settled in Trans- Jordan, and therefore were first [to be
led out to golus].
Because of the agolim of Yerovom ben Nevat and his
guards not allowing Jews to ascend to Yerushalayim (I
Melochim 12:28- 29), the Jews severed all connection
with Yerushalayim. Tosafos (Bovo Basra 21a s.v. Ki
MiTziyon) writes: "`In order to teach to have fear.' The
Sifrei writes that the significance of ma'aser
sheini is that they cause one to study Torah. Since
bnei Yisroel would remain in Yerushalayim until they
would finish eating their ma'aser sheini and would
see everyone engaged in meleches Shomayim and
avodas Hashem, they too would direct their hearts to
be lesheim Shomayim and engage in Torah study."
And indeed those living nearer to the Mikdosh were
exiled last. The influence of kedushoh helped them
survive longer. [Collection of Teshuvos III Mili
DeAgodoh pg. 60]
Doubly Sinning
The Tosefta at the end of Taanis teaches us:
"On the seventh [of Av] the nations seized the
Heichal." We therefore see that on the seventh of Av
the "malevolent came to it and profaned it"
(Yechezkel 7:22).
However in Taanis (29a) the gemora teaches us:
"The first Beis Mikdosh was destroyed on the night of
Tisha B'Av and Motzei Shabbos. The Leviim were saying
shirah [to Hashem] and were standing on their
platform."
In order to resolve this apparent inconsistency, we must
assume that although the Heichal was seized on the
seventh of Av, the Azoroh (court) was still in the
hands of the Cohanim until Tisha B'Av. [Collection of
Teshuvos 788]
"You shall break apart their mizbeichos; you shall
smash their pillars . . . You shall not do this to Hashem,
your G-d" (Devorim 12:3-4).
"R' Yishmoel said: `Can one possibly think that Yisroel are
demolishing the mizbeichos (altars)? This is teaching
us that one should not act like them and cause your sins to
destroy your Father's Mikdosh" (Sifrei
12:7)
When a person sins, not only is he held accountable for the
aveiroh itself that he transgressed, he is also held
accountable for transgressing the negative mitzvah of, "You
shall not do this." This is what is meant by the saying of
Chazal (Medrash Rabba, Eichah 1:57), "You sinned
doubly and are consoled doubly." The sin was double: We are
also held responsible for the sin of, "You shall not do
this" since our sins caused the Beis Hamikdosh to be
destroyed.
How are we doubly consoled? The gemora (Bovo
Kamma 60b) writes: "`If a fire will go out'
(Shemos 22:5) — by itself, `the one who kindled
the fire shall pay for it.' HaKodosh Boruch Hu said:
`I must compensate for the fire that I kindled. I kindled a
fire in Tziyon, as is written (Eichah 4:11), `He
kindled a fire in Tziyon' and in the future I will build it
with fire, as is written (Zecharya 2:9), `I will be
for it . . . a wall of fire all around and a honor within
it."
Rashi explains: "`If a fire will go out'—by itself, we
caused that He will destroy it, and Hakodosh Boruch
Hu promised to compensate us for it as if He set it to
fire." I will build it with fire. That is our double
consoling, and "The glory of this latter Mikdosh will
be greater than the first" (Chagai 2:9). [Collection
of Teshuvos II Mili DeAgodoh pg. 107]
End of Part I
