Q&A: Longing for the Temple
Longing for the Temple
Question
Rabbi, what is your position regarding the religious longing for the Temple? Seemingly, we are in a more advanced state of affairs from a religious standpoint, and we have stripped away many outer layers from Jewish law. Why is it not enough to yearn for the redemption of humanity, justice, and world peace? Why do we need sacrifices and a building, when human consciousness has matured and developed over the last two thousand years?
Answer
What position could I have regarding longing? Someone who feels longing longs, and someone who does not, does not. Personally, I indeed do not miss the sacrifices or the Temple, and it seems to me that Rabbi Kook did not miss them either (in his vision of vegetarianism). But I already wrote here in the past that this is said from my point of view at this time, when we have no Temple, and perhaps there is some misunderstanding here of the meaning of the Temple and sacrifices. It is possible that someone who lives this understands something that I do not understand.
Discussion on Answer
Shai, I know some people who really do long for it…
Apparently it depends on what kind of people you spend time around.
K, I do not know them personally, so I cannot make definite claims about them. But in any case, what exactly are they longing for? What lack is it that they want to fill? (That is what “longing” is: filling a lack.)
With all due respect, saying that Rabbi Kook did not miss the Temple (and even the sacrifices) is a completely unfounded statement. But this is not the place to elaborate.
Apology accepted. I was speaking about the sacrifices, not the Temple.
Rotem,
I personally worry that this longing is just empty religious talk that is not genuine (self-deception). It is hard for me to point to a religious person (and I know quite a few כאלה) and say that he truly longs for a Temple. Sometimes it is just an aesthetic feeling or fantasies about some airy utopia or “in order to be a good Jew.” It is a bit reminiscent of Jews who talk about longing for the Land of Israel but in practice live abroad. I even worry that if their desire were fulfilled, they would be very disappointed that they no longer had an object to yearn for.