Longing for the Temple

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asked 5 years ago

Rabbi, what is your position on the religious longing for a temple? Ostensibly, we are in a more advanced state of affairs religiously, and we have removed many layers of halakhic law. Why is it not enough to long for the redemption of humanity, justice, and world peace? What need do we have for sacrifices and building, while human consciousness has matured and refined over the past two thousand years?

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מיכי Staff answered 5 years ago

What could be my position on longing? For those who have a longing, it is somewhat, and for those who don’t, it is not. Personally, I do not miss the sacrifices and the Temple, and I don’t think Rabbi Kook missed it either (in his vision of vegetarianism). But I have already written here before that this was said from my perspective in this time when we do not have a Temple, and perhaps there is a lack of understanding here of what the Temple and sacrifices mean. It is possible that those who experience it understand something that I do not.

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שי זילברשטיין replied 5 years ago

Rotem,
I personally fear that this longing is just untrue religious statements (self-deception). It's hard for me to point to a religious person (and I know quite a few of them) and say that they truly long for a temple. Sometimes it's just an aesthetic feeling or fantasies about a fleeting utopia or “to be a good Jew”. It's a bit reminiscent of the Jews who talk about longing for the Land of Israel but actually live abroad. I even fear that if their desire comes true they will be really disappointed that they don't have an object to desire.

ק replied 5 years ago

Shai, I know some who really yearn…
I guess it depends on who you hang around.

שי זילברשטיין replied 5 years ago

K, I don't know them, so I can't say anything about them for sure. But anyway, what exactly do they yearn for? What is the lack they want to fill? (This is “longing”. Filling a lack)

יוסיפון replied 5 years ago

After asking for forgiveness from the enemy, to say that Rabbi Kook did not miss the Temple (or even the sacrifices) is a completely absurd statement. And yet

מיכי Staff replied 5 years ago

Dance. I was talking about the sacrifices, not the temple.