The ninth of Av has come upon us again and we have nowhere to turn but inward. Many of us have a hard time relating to crying and morning over the Temple. Life seems fine and things are not so bad. Many of us are enjoying the pleasures of life in a stable a pleasant atmosphere. So what exactly is missing, and why should we cry and mourn over a Temple which was destroyed over two thousand years ago?

Gemara Kethuboth 66b states: Our Rabbis taught: It once happened that R. Johanan b. Zakkai left Jerusalem riding upon a donkey (at the time of the destruction of the Temple), while his disciples followed him, and he saw a girl picking barley grains in the dung of Arab cattle. As soon as she saw him, she wrapped herself with her hair and stood before him. ‘Master’, she said to him, ‘feed me’. ‘My daughter’, he asked her, ‘who are you?’ ‘I am the daughter of Nakdimon b. Gorion’ etc., he said to his disciples, ‘that when I signed the kethubah (marriage contract) of this unfortunate woman, I read "A million gold denarii from her father's house" besides the amount from her father-in-law's house’. Thereupon R. Johanan b. Zakkai wept and said: ‘How fortunate is Israel; when they do the will of the Omnipresent no nation nor any language-speaking group has any power over them; but when they do not do the will of the Omnipresent he delivers them into the hands of a low people, and not only in the hands of a low people but into the power of the beasts of a low people’.

The Maharal in the Sefer Netzach Israel 14: asks this difficulty: How could R. Johanan b. Zakkai say ‘How fortunate is Israel” in relation to being handed over a lowly people and even into the power of the beasts of a lowly people’. Is this called “fortunate”? What is the meaning of this strange Gemara?

It also states in Gemara Megilah 16a: Haman's friends said to him: This people (the Jews) are likened to the dust, and it is likened to the stars. When they go down, they go down to the dust, and when they rise they rise to the stars.

The Maharsha explains that Israel becomes like dust which anyone can trample on.

And in Gemara Chagigah 5b it says: Rabbi was once holding the Book of Lamentations and reading therein: when he came to the verse, He hath cast down from heaven unto the earth (Lamentations 2:1) it fell from his hands. He said: From a roof so high to a pit as deep!

Why do the Jewish people fall so far when they fall? Why do they wind up in such an extreme position?

The Maharal explains that the essential nature of the Jewish people is a spiritual wholeness and perfection (shlamus) and therefore any imperfection in their actions destroys their essential form and leaves them null and void.

This is exactly why R. Johanan b. Zakkai wept and said: ‘How fortunate is Israel’. Since he saw that we fell even lower than the animals of a lowly nation, he understood that our essential nature was not of the grossly physical but rather of a spiritual wholeness and perfection. When this perfection was contaminated we were left as nothing. A scratch in a perfect diamond destroys its splendor completely.

The Maharsha adds that Israel has no heavenly prince or Mazal in the heavens like the nations, but is rather directly connected with Hashem. Therefore when they do His will, they rise to the top, but when HaShem removes his presence they fall to the very bottom.

So now we can understand why our morning for the Temple is so deep on the 9th of Av. Woe to us for who we are, and for who we could be! We could be a light to the nations and an example of spiritual perfection, elevated and shinning with dignity. But HaShem has removed His presence from us and left us inadequate and disgraceful. We have been brought from down from the heights to the depths. As it says “He has cast down from heaven unto the earth the glory of Israel. (Lamentations 2:1). How can we not cry and mourn for HaShem’s presence and for who we should be?

Why do we not rebuild the Temple today?

Or, on the other hand, why do we continue to mourn the loss of the original temple when it is not a building that keeps us strong and holy, but rather our faith? We can feel bad for the people who lived long ago and mourn their loss, but why should we mourn?

(Perhaps we do not rebuild for the same reason we are not quick to rebuild the Twin Towers: we do not want another target.)

How is it that Hashem's presence "is removed from us"? Is He not with us every day?

Thank you for your interesting questions.

1. We cannot rebuild the temple because the final Temple is will either descend from heaven or be build by the Moshiach. Here are some sources.

Shemos Rabbah 15:1 - 22:1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses... this month shall be unto you the beginning of months: God is in a way called ‘first ‘, as it says: I am the first, and I am the last (Isa. XLIV, 6); Zion is called ’first’, as it says: Thou throne of glory, on high from the first, Thou place of our sanctuary (Jer. XVII, 12): Esau was called ’first ‘, for it says: And the first came forth ruddy (Gen. XXV, 25), and Messiah is called ’first’, for it says: The first unto Zion will I give: Behold, behold them (Isa. XLI, 27). God who is called ’the first’ will come and build the Temple which is also called ’first’, and will exact retribution from Esau, also called ’first’. Then will Messiah who is called ’first’ come in the first month, as it is said: This month shall be unto you the beginning of months.

Shemos 15:17: You shall bring them and plant them on the mount of Your heritage, directed toward Your habitation, which You made, O Lord; the sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands founded. Rashi explains this verse by bringing the Mechilta who says that this is a reference to the future Temple which will be built by the two hand of G-d.

Vayekra Rabbah 9:6 the Messianic King whose place is in the north will come and rebuild the Sanctuary which is situated in the south


2. We are mourning over the lack of Hashems presence in the world. Hashem will be much more revealed and our ability to reach much higher spiritual levels will be available. We will be able to keep all the mitzvoths, bring sacrifices and live according to the laws of spiritual purity. Rambam Mishna Torah Hilchot Melachim Chapter 12: 4 & 5 states:

The Sages and the prophets did not yearn for the Messianic era in order to have dominion over the entire world, to rule over the gentiles, to be exalted by the nations, or to eat, drink, ' and celebrate. Rather, they desired to be free to involve themselves in Torah and wisdom without any pressures or disturbances, so that they would merit the world to come, as explained in Hilchot Teshuvah 9:2. In that era, there will be neither famine or war, envy or competition for good will flow in abundance and all the delights will be freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know God. Therefore, the Jews will be great sages and know the hidden matters grasping the knowledge of their Creator according to the full extent of human potential, as states: The world will be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the ocean bed. Isaiah 11:9.

I hope this helps.

When I saw this quesytion posted last night the tenth of Av, I was itching to answer however my application was not verified until this morning so as far as why we do not build the temple nowadays - Rabbi Mitterhoff beat me to it - but there is a shitah that holds that the Temple will descend from heaven in a heap of fire. Rabbi Mitterhoff also added a number of Mareh Mikomos (places of Reference). Secondly you asked why we mourn and cry over the loss of the Temple - a seemingly physical structure that does not lend at all to the strength of our people. Well in fact although the Beis Hamikdash was just seemingly physical it however was the beating heart of the Jewish Naion - allow me to explain.

There is a Medrash that relates in Eicha that Plato the Philosopher saw Yirmiyahy Hanavi - author of Eicha - sitting and crying over the Rubble of the Beis Hamikdash. He approached Yirmiya and asked you being from the wisest of all men, why do you sit and cry over a building? and secondly what sense is there in crying over the past - which one cannot change? So in essence your question was the same as Plato's to our Prophet. Yirmiya turned to Plato and said you myst be bothered by many philosophical questions - why would you waist your time asking me these questions when there are so many more that have bothered you for a much longer period of time? Plato replied - you are right but there is no one who can answer my questions! Yirmiya begged for the opportunity. One by one he began to answer all of his questions with complete clarity and comprehension. When he was done Plato was strruggling over whether Yirmiya was in fact a mortal human being or perhaps a celestial Angel. To which Yirmiya thn turned to him and said all the knowledge that I have acquired in life has come from this building which I now lie on. As for the second question as to why cry over the past he said only a Jew could understand so there is no sense in me trying to answer, I hope I did justice in answering your question I hope you write back if there is anything else that I can help with.