Q&A: Building the Temple in Our Time
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Building the Temple in Our Time
Question
Does the Rabbi think that the Holy One, blessed be He, expects us to establish the Temple as quickly as possible, and if we drag our feet are we deserving of rebuke, as in Haggai? Or do we need to wait for the messiah, the return of prophecy, or some sign from Heaven?
Answer
This is a commandment like any other commandment, and in order to claim that we need to wait for Heaven, you need a source. I am not familiar with any source that says this commandment was ever suspended at any stage. Of course, the commandment rests on the community as a whole, not on any particular individual, and circumstances do not necessarily make it possible, for many reasons (common sense).