The 8th annual Se'udat HaMikdash is scheduled for Tuesday, 24 Elul 5758 (September 15, 1998 ce) at Binyanei HaUma

WHEN WILL THE BEIT HAMIKDASH BE BUILT

(Bein HaUlam LeMizbeach, issue 12)

In all areas of life, the serious person takes care of it himself, the unfortunate person pushes the government to take care of it, the "nebbach" (looser) asks the local rabbi to pray for him, the desperate person blames the whole world, and the fool gives up and eats his meat while chanting "I believe".

There have been fifty years of independence, of which in over thirty of them, the Temple Mount has been in our hands. The majority of Jews have returned to their land, and most of Eretz Yisrael is in Jewish hands. There are hundreds of battle ships, thousands of planes, tens of thousands of tanks, and millions of soldiers. And still -- Zion remains a desert, and Jerusalem is desolate. The House of our Holiness and our Glory, in which our ancestors praised G-d is burnt, and our most beloved place is in ruins.

How can we continue to lie to ourselves? "Wilt thou restrain thyself at these things, Hashem? wilt thou hold thy peace and afflict us so severely?" (Yeshayahu 64:11)

Here are the excuses:

The fool says: I believe, and even though he may tarry, I still wait for him every day.

The desperate person says: The "whole" world will not allow it, and a billion Moslems will not consent. Hundreds of millions of Arabs oppose, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are threatening. Thousands of rebellious people are yelling, and hundreds of believers of furious. Several of wild people stone the Western Wall, and there's even a knife or two.

The "nebbach" says: Didn't the religious parties abandon the Beit HaMikdash in the coalition agreement. The Rabbinate has not has not put its foot down for the House of G-d. We do not know with what we will worship Hashem. Eliyahu the Prophet will answer our questions and difficulties -- which kashrut symbol do you have, and which rabbis back you?

The unfortunate person says: We have sovereignty and a government, religious and judicial institutions, spiritual and intellectual institutions, political and security institutions. In short, we are not scattered individuals, but a fully built nation. Our destination is in our hands. Let us lift our eyes to the state and demand from the government, ask the religious officials, petition the courts, and make an effort via the spiritual and intellectual institutions. Let us pressure the security forces and demonstrate in front of politicians. Turn to the nation, until it appears that the time has not come yet. Who knows -- maybe it will come.

The serious person says: If I am not for myself, who is for me? Who will believe that it is important to me when we to not acquire the Temple Mount with our feet, if we do not appear in our multitudes at the Holy Gates. If we do not beseech the Holy Place every hour, every day, every month, and every year. Who will agree to answer the belittlers, and who will dare help the inactive. Who will leave his fence for the People whose lot is such, for the People who dwell in Thy House.

I ask one thing ... that I may dwell in the House of Hashem all my days (King David) he says to my soul to walk barefoot on me, the desolate ruins on which Your Sanctuary stood, on the place of Thy Ark which was hidden away. (Yehuda HaLevi)

If you and I, he and she, they and we will not regularly stand at the Gates of the Temple Mount. If you and I .. do not walk there in its open hours and we do not keep going back, how will we feel that the enemies are resting in the Holy Courtyard, while the Kohanim and Levites remain behind the Temple. Who will enforce your broken heart, and who will bring your private crying? The police will not answer the telephone, and the governors will not answer your letters. The redemption of our Holy Temple is like the redemption of our nationhood - - with sweat, with our feet, with bearing fruit, and with dedication. No one will walk in front of us to clear the way of G-d, to nicely straighten the path to our G-d. No one is commanded to do it more than you and I.

Only when songs of the Beit HaMikdash become songs of action, can we expect the Jerusalem will be rebuilt. As long as songs of the Beit HaMikdash remain Shabbat table songs, the Mount remains "muktze" for the foxes. When the dust of Zion has is supplied with steps, the we will be able to see all of Israel three times a year. If it is supplied with secret "Tikkun Hatzot" (getting up in the middle of the night to cry over the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash), what can we hope for, but thousands of years of distant hopes.

"Build your house as originally" -- with holy workers, as well as with the foreign help that was employed to help complete the work.

"Establish your Temple on its foundation" -- as then one held the sword and his friend continued to work.

"Show us its building" -- and not just as a vision.

"Rejoice us in its upkeep" -- and not with mere talk.

"Return Kohanim to their service" -- and not to their rest -- "and the Levites to their song and hymn"

"Master of the Universe, You commanded us to offer the daily sacrifice in its proper time, that Kohanim should be involved in their holy service, the Levites in their song and hymn, and Israel standing by."

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HaTenu'ah LeChinun HaMikdash

Gathering en masse to arouse consciousness among the People, its rabbis, and its leaders to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash and return the Kohanim to their Service

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