A Heaven-Sent Temple: In Halakha

I.In the Written Law There is no Trace of the Concept of a Heaven-Sent Temple.

In his commentary on the Torah, Rashi rules that the Temple is to be built by man as a lasting obligatory precept, whether he was discussing the Temple in the present or in the future.

The following are three Torah sources for Rashi's explanation:
[a] In Genesis (49:11) we read: he ties his donkey to the vine. Rashi explains that the verse refers to the building of the Temple in the end of days. Rashi adds (like the Targum ) that the Jewish people will be the ones who build the Temple in the Messianic era, v. ibid.
[b] The Torah mentions the Temple to be built in the future in the Song at the Sea: The Temple, Hashem, Your hands have built. Rashi explains there (like the Mekhilta ) that the verse does not mean that the building will be done by the Almighty Himself, but rather "as it were, with His two hands." In Rashi's opinion, the verse means that it will be a strong Temple, one that will not be destroyed by foes (v. Rashi and his source, the Mekhilta).
It is strange that the main source for the commentators' faith in a Heaven-sent Temple -- where they explained that "The Temple, Hashem, Your hands have built" means His actual hands, adding that Rashi was the first to rule that way -- turns out to say the precise opposite: Rashi himself explains that this phrase is no more than a parable, and that the Temple will be built by man, but that the Almighty will strengthen it as if it had been built "with His two hands."
[c] T'ruma is the main source for the precept of building the Temple. A hundred and forty precepts are stated in connection with the construction of the Tabernacle, the vessels and the garments: and they shall make Me a sanctuary, and you shall do so, and they shall make an Ark, and you shall make a candelabrum, and you shall join, and you shall plate, and you shall insert and so on. Rashi, following in the footsteps of the Sages ( Sanhedrin 16 and Shavuot 14) states that these commandments are of lasting validity. By this statement Rashi has ruled out the possibility of a Temple being built by the Almighty.

II.A Halakhic Ruling Based on an Aggadic Source

One of the characteristics of the concept of a Temple descending from Heaven is the fact that all its proponents rely on Aggadic sources. This is so despite a basic rule in halakhic reasoning, that halakhic rulings are not to be based on the consequences of an Aggadic source. In the Jerusalem Talmud this rule is expressed in simple fashion: We do not make deductions from Aggadic sources (Yerushalmi, Pe'a 2:4).
We shall show infra that various writers have come up with curious statements in their books. Since there is no well-founded source for a Heaven-sent Temple, various ideas have been developed: one opinion is that the Temple descending from Heaven will be made of fire, another opinion is that it will be made of pearls and precious stones, and one writer states that it is the Temple described by Ezekiel that will drop from Heaven. Each writer derives his own hypothesis on the basis of what he has learned.
Moreover, there has been a lack of precision in quoting the sources, a phenomenon which facilitates the drawing of erroneous conclusions. In Rashi's commentaries, for instance, nowhere does it say that the Temple "will descend from Heaven." Rashi speaks of a Temple "which shall gradually appear on the scene." Such a Temple could, for example, be discovered by man on this earth, like many other discoveries made in our generation.
There are aggadic sources which mention the possibility of a Heaven-sent Temple, but the various midrashim make it clear that this is a Temple in the world to come. In this regard Maimonides has already stated "that in the world to come there is neither eating nor drinking . . . but merely the righteous sitting with diadems on their heads, enjoying the radiance of the Divine Presence" (Hilkhot T'shuva ). If this is the case, the Temple in the world to come is a spiritual Temple. Our sages have said regarding this period in a spiritual world: Torah precepts are not valid in the world to come (Nidda 61).
It is surprising that all those who have dealt with this question have not found it suitable to make the following simple distinction: how is it possible to adduce from a spiritual Temple found in the world of Aggada evidence relevant to the precept of building the Temple by natural means in this world?

III. Our Prophets Make No Mention of a Heaven-Sent Temple in their Prophecies.

The following are eight prophecies made by our prophets concerning the future construction of the Temple. They all indicate that the Temple will be built by mortal man.

Prophecy No. 1: The third Temple will be built of Lebanese cedar.
The prophet Isaiah speaks time and again of the future rebuilding of the Temple, and we find that, in Rashi's opinion, the Temple will be built by man in the end of days, according to the verse: the glory of Lebanon will come to you (Isaiah 60:9). Rashi explains that for the construction of the future Temple, various kinds of "trees from the forests of Lebanon" will be brought to Jerusalem and to the Temple, such as cypresses and cedars, to glorify the site of My Temple. In other words, the future Temple will be made of wood and stone, by man, as in the Solomonic period.

Prophecy No. 2: The Temple will be built with the aid of non-Jews.
In addition, Isaiah's closing prophecy, spread over chapters 60, 61 and 66, describes the reconstruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by human beings. Isaiah describes a situation where even non-Jews participate in the labor, according to the verse: and aliens shall build Your walls (and v. R. Sa'adia Gaon's Emunot v'De'ot [Beliefs and Opinions], section VIII, where it says that the gentiles are those who will build the temple in the future -- in regret and apology for having disrupted the construction of the Second Temple).

Prophecy No. 3: The Temple in Jeremiah's Prophecy -- is built by Man.
Jeremiah says concerning the Temple (30:18): Thus Hashem has spoken: . . . the city will be rebuilt on its hill and the palace as it should. Rashi explains that the "palace" is the Temple, the meaning of the verse being that it will be rebuilt correctly. The Torah says of the tabernacle being built of wood: and you shall set up the tabernacle as is proper or as has been decreed.

Prophecy No. 4: Ezekiel's Temple -- is built by Man.
Rashi explains Ezekiel's detailed prophecy (Chapter XL ff.) about the future Temple: Tell the Jewish Nation of the Temple . . . that they keep all its shape and all its rules, and perform them -- they will learn all its measurements from you, so that they know how to perform them when the time comes. In other words, when the time comes the Temple will be built by human beings.

Prophecy No. 5: Hosea's Temple -- is built by Man.
Rashi writes at Hosea 4:4: After the period of exile the Israelites (Jews of the northern kingdom) will return to the Land, and adds that, despite the fact that in the days of Rehavam ben Shlomo they took no pride in the Temple, they shall yet repent, and then: they shall fear Hashem and His goodness -- this means the Temple. Their fear is their sense of regret for having despised the Temple in the past as well as the corrective step, the construction of the Temple in the future (v., too, Yalkut Shim'oni, Samuel 106).

Prophecy No. 6: The Temple in Zekharia's Prophecy -- is built by Man.
One of the better-known prophecies, which some recent authorities cite, is that by Zekharia (2:3), which says: Jerusalem will not be walled in because of the large number of people and animals in the city, but I will be unto Jerusalem -- speaks Hashem -- a fiery wall around.

At first glance, it would seem that here we have a explicit indication that there will be a fiery wall in Jerusalem in the future.

Yet a closer perusal of the verses reveals that the prophet was not speaking of a fiery Temple and a fiery wall descending from Heaven. On the contrary, he says explicitly that in Jerusalem of the future there will be no wall, but that the Almighty will protect Jerusalem instead of a wall.

Rashi remains consistent here as well, regarding the building of the Temple by human beings, and explains: And I will serve as a shield for Jerusalem, as if the city was surrounded by a wall of fire. In other words, in future Jerusalem there will be neither wall nor fire.

The conclusion to be drawn from these prophecies is as the rabbis say in Sota (47a): "Not at all! That is, there will be neither a Heaven-sent Temple nor a Heaven-sent wall of fire -- for it is all a parable."

Prophecy No. 7: Hashem's Temple will be built by Man.
Another prophecy by Zekharia (10:12) talks of the rebuilding of the Temple in the future. The Targum explains that the Messiah will grow strong and build the Temple of the Almighty. V. Targum and Rashi, who also explains the verse as referring to the building of the Temple by human means.

Prophecy No. 8: Malakhi, the last of the prophets, prophesied that the Messiah would come to the already-built Temple.
Malakhi's prophecy says that suddenly the master you seek will come to his Temple. In his Iggeret Teiman, Maimonides explains the meaning of the verse thus: "that the messianic king shall appear after the Jewish people shall have rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple," i.e., that the Messiah will come to the already-built Temple. This idea is expressed in midrash Lekah Tov (B'reshit 4:11) as well, and Rabbeinu Sa'adia Gaon says essentially the same thing in Emunot v'De'ot, section eight: Messiah ben-David will suddenly be revealed to us, he will bring people with him, until he reaches the Temple.

With regard to this final prophecy as well, a prophecy which ends the books of the Minor Prophets, Rashi found no point in informing us of the existence of the concept of a Temple descending from Heaven.

IV. The Precept of Building the Third Temple -- in the Hagiographa.

Of the various sources in the Hagiographa we shall adduce only one which expresses Rashi's view simply and explicitly. This is Rashi's commentary on the verse in Ecclesiastes, One who loves money never has enough money: One who loves the precepts [of Torah] never has enough of them. "[But if among the precepts he has performed, there is not] one certain, noteworthy precept, such as the rebuilding of the Temple -- . . . then this, too, is valueless . . . Thus are these two verses explained in the Midrash." In other words, all the Torah precepts one performs in this world are "valueless," unless he performs a lasting precept: "certain, noteworthy . . . such as the rebuilding of the Temple."

This means that the rebuilding of the Temple is, in Rashi's opinion, something to be performed by human beings, and it is the greatest and most important precept on this earth for anyone worthy of rebuilding it with his own hands.

Our conclusion: in the Torah, in the Prophets and in the Hagiographa Rashi rules that the Third Temple is to be built by human beings.

V. Our Talmudic Sages: the Third Temple will be built by human beings.

The following is a selection of excerpts from Talmudic tractates, showing the consistent opinion of our Talmudic sages who were of the opinion that the Temple would be built by man.

a. Tractate B'rakhot: -- the reconstruction of Your Temple -- by human beings.
In tractate B'rakhot (29a) there appears the wording of a 'short prayer', to be recited when time is at a premium. Concerning the building of Jerusalem and the appearance of the Messianic king, the 'prayer' reads: ". . . and may the righteous rejoice in the building of Your city and in the reconstruction of Your Temple, and in the appearance of a horn for David, Your servant." It does not read: ". . . and may the righteous rejoice in the descent of Your Temple from Heaven," but rather, "in the building . . . and in the reconstruction . . ." -- all before the Messianic era, for the appearance of the horn comes after the reconstruction of the Temple. In other words, the building of Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the Temple will both be carried out by flesh and blood.

b. Tractate Ta'anit: when the Jewish people build the Temple on earth, the Almighty will enter the Heavenly Temple.
There is a saying that appears a few times in the Talmud, in the Midrash and in the Zohar, as follows: "The Almighty will not enter Heavenly Jerusalem until earthly Jerusalem is rebuilt."
A similarly phrased saying appears in tractate Ta'anit (5a; v. Dikdukei Sofrim, ibid.), stating that as long as the Jewish people do not rebuild earthly Jerusalem and its Temple, the Almighty will not enter Heavenly Jerusalem.

c. Tractate Ketuvot: a Temple built by the righteous is beloved of the Almighty -- as if He had built it with His own hands.
In tractate Ketuvot (5a) we read that "with regard to the work done by the righteous [i.e., the work in reconstructing the Temple] it is written: The Temple, Hashem, Your hands have built." Rashi explains there: "the Temple -- is the work done by the righteous," and he adds: "work performed by the righteous is work performed by the Almighty." In other words, the affection the Almighty feels for the work performed by the righteous in the reconstruction of the Temple is so great that he terms the work they do "the work of his hands." This teaches us that a Temple built by human beings in this world is preferable to the possibility of a Temple descending from Heaven.

d. Tractate Middot: the reconstruction of the Third Temple -- by Man.
The clearest indication that the third Temple will be built by human beings is the fact that our Sages saw fit to teach in tractate Middot for posterity the exact plan of the Temple: the courts, the bureaus, the Holy of Holies and the precise measurements of the Temple and Courts. This shows that this tractate is the plan of the Third Temple, which must be built in the same format.
This is what Maimonides writes in his Introduction to the Mishna, that tractate Middot merely deals with the measurements, the form and the construction of the Temple. This is useful for when it is rebuilt, it must retain the same form and the same proportions." Maimonides makes it clear that the Temple will be built by human beings, who are to retain in its construction the form and measurements given in Middot.
Tractate Middot is thus a narrative of the past, but rather practical information for the future.

e. Tractate Shavuot: the rebuilding of the Third Temple and the expansion of its Courtyards -- are to be done by Man.
In tractate Shavuot 16, the Talmud considers the possibility of expanding the wall of the Courtyard during the days just before the Feast of Weeks -- Shevuot. The discussion does not relate to the First and Second Temples which have already been destroyed; it deals with the Third Temple -- may it speedily be built, in our time! Now, if they want to expand the Courtyard before Shevuot, they must act so that the expanded Courtyard be sanctified.

The entire discussion deals with the expansion of the Third Temple -- and thus, in the midst of this discussion as well as in his commentary on Sukka (40a), the commentator Rashi defines this construction explicitly, as construction by human beings, v. ibid.

VI. According to midrash Tanhuma: the Central Concept of the Temple -- that it be built by Man.

The compiler of the Tosafot commentary to tractate Shavuot 15b adduces a source for the opinion that the Temple "will be built automatically" -- Tanhuma.

A systematic search of midrash Tanhuma reveals that there is no such source in Tanhuma. Unlike his usual custom, the compiler of Tosafot does not adduce the precise wording of the midrash, nor does he mention the section where the source is to be found. On the contrary, a scholar of Tanhuma finds a systematic train of thought proving the opposite.

The Third Temple will be Built by Israel and the Gentiles.
V. Tanhuma, Vayehi (Section X) to the verse: binding his foal to the vine, and his ass' colt to the choice vine; he washes his garments in wine and his clothes in the blood of grapes; his eyes are redder than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. (B'reshit 49:11) Here, the commentator explains that Israel, compared to a vine, will build the city and the gate of i.e., the gate of the Temple, and the entire Temple as well. V. also midrash Tanhuma, Vayikra 11:7, which says: "Why was this kingdom [Edom] compared to a pig? . . . because it will restore "our pristine glory" (this is the version of the Rishonim). Rabbeinu Bahye wrote in his commentary to explain this saying: "The First Temple was built by Solomon, of the seed of Judah; the Second Temple was built by Zerubavel . . . and it was actually carried out by Cyrus, who gave the necessary permission, but the Third Temple will be built by this nation [Edom], and this is the meaning of 'will restore our pristine glory,' for they destroyed it."

It thus turns out that midrash Tanhuma holds that the Temple will be rebuilt by human beings, i.e., Israel and the Gentiles as well.

The Almighty prefers the Temple and Vessels, built by man, to the Creation of Heaven and Earth.
This is not the place to expound at length on midrash Tanhuma's system of ideas, but a few sentences will suffice to demonstrate that in the opinion of the compiler of midrash Tanhuma, the essence of the Temple is its being built by man: "The Almighty longed to have a Residence on this earth" (Behukotai). This teaches us that the Almighty was, as it were, interested in only one thing -- to dwell on this earth, in our world.

The compiler of midrash Tanhuma adduces another revolutionary idea -- that the deeds of man in this world "are more desired and important than what the Almighty himself does" (Tanhuma, Tazria').

This concept is expressed in the following excerpt as well: that You longed for Your deeds. "Said the Almighty: I long for the candles that Aaron lights more than the luminaries I fixed in the heavens."

This excerpt, too, shows that Hashem longs for the simple deeds of flesh and blood living on this earth and worshipping his Creator to the best of his ability -- more than all the wonders the Almighty created in the universe.

Accordingly, the statement by the compiler of Tosafot to Shavuot 15b, to the effect that midrash Tanhuma's opinion is that "the future Temple is made automatically by the Heavenly Court," contradicts midrash Tanhuma's systematic view which stresses the very opposite, that Man's deeds are preferable before the Creator than the creation of the Heavens. (V. R. Sa'adia Gaon's Sefer HaMitzvot, by R. Yeruham Fischel Perla, who expresses his astonishment at this statement by Tosafot, and writes that there is no such source in midrash Tanhuma and that the sources in the Talmud and in the Rishonim prove the direct opposite.)

VII. The Opinion of the Zohar: the Lasting Precept of Rebuilding the Temple -- is by Man.

The Zohar's opinion is that the eternal precept of rebuilding the Temple is entrusted to man, as stated in the Zohar, Vayishlah (170b): "Man has two hundred forty-eight organs in him, corresponding to the 248 positive precepts in the Torah, which we are commanded to perform." In light of this correspondence, the Zohar states in B'shallah (59b): "It is a precept to build a Holy Temple down below on this earth to resemble the supreme Holy Temple in Heaven." The Zohar in this explanation relies on the verse: "You have made a place for Your dwelling, Hashem; a Temple, Hashem, Your hands have established."

Furthermore, at the very opening of the introduction to the Zohar, we read: "I hereby swear to you [to the Nation of Israel] that I shall not enter [into the Temple of] Above until your people and your residents enter into you, into the Temple of Below, and may this be your comfort" [v. ibid. for this is a free translation].

We find a similar oath in the Zohar (Part III, 147b): "The Almighty swore he would not enter into Jerusalem of Above until the Jewish People enter into Jerusalem of Below." (and v. also Vayehi, Part I, 231a for a similar statement et al).

The opinion of the Zohar thus fully matches that of our Sages in the Bavli, Ta'anit (5) and elsewhere, that the Temple will be built by human beings.

Moreover, according to the Zohar, ever since the destruction of the Temple, Hashem has abandoned His Heavenly Temple, as it were, and is waiting outside until the Jews rise up and rebuild their Temple on this earth, for He considers His entrance into His Temple dependent upon the Jews' entry into theirs.

VIII. Maimonides: the Lasting Precept of Building the Temple -- by Man.

In light of the sources adduced supra from the Torah, the Prophets, as well as the Talmud, the Midrash and the Zohar, it is evident that the precept of rebuilding the Temple is both obligatory and lasting.
It is, therefore, not surprising to find that Maimonides states in Sefer HaMitzvot (Book of Precepts) that the precept of rebuilding the Temple is lasting.

This, too, is what he wrote at the opening of Hilkhot Beit HaBehira (Laws of the Temple): "It is a positive precept to build a House for Hashem . . . as it is written: And they shall build Me a Temple . . . A 'Holy Place' and a 'Holy of Holies' are to be made in it . . . and vessels are to be made in the Temple . . . and flooring is to be laid, etc." In this way Maimonides lists in eighteen chapters the details of the act of building a Temple, according to tractate Middot and other Talmudic tractates. Maimonides makes no mention whatever, neither in his books of Halakha nor in his philosophical works, of the possibility of a Temple descending from Heaven.

IX. Rashi's Opinion: the Temple will be built by Man.

Rashi mentions the Concept of a 'Heaven-sent Temple' as a Solution to a Problem of Interpretation of an Unusual Topic.

As noted above, Rashi's opinion in his commentary to the Torah, to the writings of the Prophets and to the Talmud is that the Temple will be rebuilt by Man. Indeed, in his commentary to tractate Sukka (41a), where the possibility of the Third Temple being built just before the festival of Passover is considered, Rashi does make mention of a 'Heaven-sent Temple' -- but in a specific context.

One of the possibilities considered by the Talmud is that the Temple will be rebuilt on the first day of Passover. In conclusion, this possibility is rejected. Yet Rashi, as a commentator, saw fit to solve the problem of how the Temple could possibly be built on the first day of Passover (it should be noted that other Rishonim, such as HaMeiri, explain that it could happen as the result of a mistaken court decision allowing the builders to finish their work after the onset of the festival). The solution that Rashi suggests to explain the opinion of the Talmudic sage is the following: "The future Temple we await, built and complete, will appear and come from Heaven." Rashi writes this to explain the development of the Talmudic discussion, though in conclusion the possibility is rejected, and the need for such a solution, based as it is on Aggada, no longer exists.
It is thus surprising that a number of authorities of this generation have seen fit to turn this excerpt from Rashi into the basis of their halakhic opinions concerning the invalidation of the positive precept of building the Temple in our time.
Believing in a Temple descending from Heaven and attributing this to Rashi is repaying good with evil.
Anyone studying that topic of discussion will note just how Rashi writes explicitly that the Third Temple will be built by human beings. As he wrote at the beginning of the topic: When will the work be completed? it was clear to Rashi that the labor of constructing the Third Temple will be performed by the Jewish people. And if he states that "the Temple will appear and come from Heaven" as a possible solution to the problem posed in the Talmud, did he declare that this is "Rashi's opinion"? Did he write anywhere that the precept of constructing the Third Temple has become invalid? It was this sort of matter the prophet Jeremiah was referring to when he stated (19:5): that which I did not command nor did I say nor did it even occur to me!

Maimonides has already written in the prelude to his book, Guide to the Perplexed, that he requests of all his readers that they interpret his statements so as to correspond to his intention in writing. For if one was to interpret his writings contrary to his intention, he would be doing harm and returning evil to the writer instead of good. It would seem that to frame these words by Rashi and call them "Rashi's opinion", contrary to what he expressed in straight-forward, logical fashion in his commentary, would be a showing of ingratitude to this great Torah commentator.

X. The Temple in the World to Come and its Special Characteristics, according to the Midrash, the Zohar and Kabbala.

Our Sages have indeed referred to a Temple in the World to Come, and they did so making use of the d'rash, the remez and the sod Torah levels. But concepts must not be confused, and we must certainly not confuse precepts, which we are obligated to perform in this world, with a spiritual Temple in the World to Come.

The following are excerpts from midrashim and from books of the Zohar and the Kabbala, referring to the Temple and its characteristics in the World to Come.

Rashi's opinion of the future Temple, "built and completed" -- refers to the World to Come.

Yalkut Shim'oni, D'varim 956, contains a midrash which appears to be the source for Rashi's opinion. The midrash reads: 'matches him' in this world. 'all the day' -- relates to the messianic era. And 'rests between his shoulders' -- built and completed for the world to come." The words 'built and completed' prove clearly that this is the source of Rashi's commentary mentioning 'the future Temple which will appear, built and completed, and come from Heaven.' However, our Talmudic sages stress that such a Temple will appear in the world to come.

It would seem superfluous to state that the concepts "this world" and "the world to come" must be distinguished from one another. This world is a world of Torah observance, whereas the world to come is a world of reward, a world devoid of precept observance, as the sages have said: "Today [in this world] -- to observe them, and tomorrow [in the world to come] -- to receive their reward" (Eruvin 22, v. ibid.). We have already adduced the Talmudic saying (Nidda 61b), "Precepts are invalidated in the world to come," and the opinion of our Sages as brought down by Maimonides: "In the world to come there is neither eating nor drinking . . . but rather the righteous sitting . . . and enjoying the radiance of the Divine Presence" (B'rakhot 17). It is thus a world devoid of Torah precepts. It is self-evident that nothing concerning our real world can be learned from this midrash.

Zohar sources: the descent of Temple and Jerusalem in a spiritual sense -- is in the world to come.

The Zohar also speaks of the descent of a Temple from Heaven, but there, too, we find that such a Temple is supposed to be in the world to come. V. Zohar, III (220b): "Up until now the Almighty's primeval structure (the Temple) has not been in this world. And in the world to come it is said: 'Hashem is the builder of Jerusalem' -- Hashem will bring down both the first and second Temples together from Above."

The Zohar speaks of a spiritual Temple that existed prior to the creation of the world, that is to be found in Heaven and that is made up of two "houses", i.e., two stories, which the Almighty will bring down from Heaven in the world to come. V. ibid., that this will take place if the Jewish people is "like the holy angels in Heaven."

Similarly v. Zohar, Midrash HaNe'elam, B'reshit 113, where we read: "the Almighty will renew His world [in the world to come] and build Jerusalem and bring the entire city down, rebuilt, from Above. . . . Thus the righteous receive their souls [during the resurrection of the dead] only in a place of eternal existence [in Jerusalem], so that the soul, too, will exist forever." This is an explicit excerpt from the Zohar discussing the period of the world to come, when the world is to be renewed and souls will enjoy an eternal existence. There Jerusalem will descend from Above. All this clearly is irrelevant to our present world.

A careful reading of the Zohar results in a clear feeling that the Zohar is discussing -- in hints, secrets and parables -- concepts beyond human reality, and the "ancient Temple" that will descend, together with 'Jerusalem' that will come down from Above, are spiritual concepts, from which nothing at all can be learned about the precept of rebuilding the Third Temple in this world.
M. H. Luzatto: the Temple in the world to come will extend to the Heavenly Throne.

In M. H. Luzatto's kabbalistic writings we find a description of the period of the future world, where it says that the Temple will descend to this earth. Furthermore, Luzatto writes that there also exists an aspect of the Temple ascending into Heaven.

V. Ginzei RaMHaL (p. cccxxv) where we read: "When the Almighty takes the sun out of its bag in order to dispatch all darkness from this world, . . . in that fire will the entire rebuilt Temple exist, the Temple of Above which will descend at that time. . . . At the time of the sacrifice which will be offered up in the Temple, all parts of the Holy Temple will be seen illuminating one another and ascending up to the Heavenly Throne and all the holy beasts will stand and sing. And the fire we mentioned will burn fiercely within the wicked so as to turn them into ash."

Luzatto is talking of a period of the 'future world' in the world to come, when the Almighty 'removes all darkness from the world.' The entire description is a parable, for the Temple of Above is said to be 'within that fire.' The description of the Temple ascending into Heaven, too, is only a parable relating to the superior quality of the Temple and the Temple ritual here below, up to the Heavenly Throne, but the writer makes no reference whatever to human life in its present form on earth in this world.

XI. The Solution to the Problematics of Rashi's Opinion.

The distinction between a Temple in this world, which it is obligatory to build physically, and a Temple in the world to come, which is entirely Heavenly, explains the contradiction in Rashi's commentaries. Throughout his commentaries Rashi makes it clear that the precept of rebuilding the Temple obligates human beings until the end of time, while in his commentary to tractate Sukka (and Rosh Hashana) he mentions the concept of "the future Temple being revealed by Heaven."

This apparent contradiction has by now been resolved, for Rashi does not contest the principle that Torah precepts are forever valid, yet in order to explain away the problematics in the Amoraic saying raising the distant possibility of the Temple being built on a Festive Day -- Rashi finds it necessary to use the concept of a 'Heaven-sent Temple' in the world to come, thus facilitating the explanation of the unlikely possibility of the Temple being built on a Festive Day. There is, however, no certainty that Rashi's proposed solution was acceptable to the Talmudic protagonists, for other commentators offered other solutions -- as noted supra, and after all this his statement remains obscure.

XII. The Belief in a Heaven-sent Temple contradicts Basic Torah Elements.

The very existence of the concept of 'a Heaven-sent Temple' and the belief in such a concept would seem to challenge basic elements in Torah and in Jewish belief.

The following is a partial list of such Torah elements which seem to contradict any possibility of the existence in Judaism of such a concept.

A basic element of Jewish belief is the belief that Torah precepts are immutable. Accordingly, there cannot be a reality where Hashem first commands Israel to build a Temple as a lasting precept, followed by an order not to build any longer, for the Temple will descend from Heaven.

Maimonides in Hilkhot Yesodei HaTorah, in his Introduction to the Mishna and, in essence, in Iggeret Teiman writes as follows: "Moshe Rabbeinu . . . told us that there remain in Heaven no precepts to be handed down. . . . It is not in Heaven! He obligated us to believe in this Torah -- us, our children and our children's children until the very end of generations, for we find written: The things revealed are for us and for our children forever, to perform all the precepts of this Torah . . . and any prophet who says . . . that the obligation to perform any precept is no longer valid -- is lying! . . . and so we must put him to death if we are able to do so."

The ruling that at some stage the obligation for the Jewish people to rebuild the temple was invalidated, that precept now obligating Heaven, thus contradicts the basic elements of Torah in three ways:
[a] since no such thing was ever written into the Written Torah, and is a late ruling, it must mean that the Almighty altered the Torah;
[b] since the Jewish people took upon themselves the obligation to perform all Torah precepts forever, whereas the precept of building the Temple related only to the First and Second Temples (according to those who think this way) while the Third Temple will be built by the Almighty, this precept was thus removed insofar as the obligation to fulfill it was invalidated after a period of time -- but the Torah states explicitly: Do not detract from it.
[c] No prophet or commentator is authorized to innovate a Torah precept. How then did it happen that Rashi innovated a precept we learned not from Moshe Rabbeinu, not from any prophet, nor from our Sages -- that the precept of building a Third Temple is now invalid?
In light of all this, it is inconceivable that Rashi would innovate such a ruling which, as we have seen, is equivalent to the uprooting of basic elements of Torah and Jewish belief relating to the eternal nature of Torah and the eternal obligation to perform its precepts.

XIII. A Temple Created by Heaven cannot be used for Ritual Sacrifice.

Rashi holds that each and every precept must be performed by man; otherwise -- its performance is invalid.

In his commentary to Menahot (33a-b) Rashi wrote that if one first attaches a mezuza parchment to a board and then uses the board, with the mezuza, as a doorpost -- the mezuza is not a valid performance of the precept, because you shall do -- and not use something already done. Rashi deduces this from the precept of tzitzit, for in this regard the Torah prescribes: and they shall make tzitzit (a fringe) for themselves (and v. Maimonides, Hilkhot T'fillin, ch. VI, hal. 5, who rules accordingly), i.e., everything must be performed by hand and in the correct order, and the precept must not be performed automatically.

This is problematic, because with a mezuza the Torah does not say "they/you shall do/make," but merely and you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your home. Rashi's opinion, however, is that the rule "you shall do -- and not use something already done" is valid with every Torah precept, including those which do not use the term doing/making.

Now it must be understood that this term (doing/making) is applied to the construction of the Temple eighty-eight times, such as: and they shall make Me a sanctuary, and you shall do so, and they shall make an Ark, and you shall make a candelabra, and you shall make a table, and so on (v. supra). Incidentally, other directives involving the necessity to act, such as, and you shall coat, and you shall pour, and you shall join, and you shall fill, and you shall insert, etc. appear fifty-two times. All these are directives to construct the Temple, its vessels and ritual garments, so that the Temple will be made by man -- otherwise, the Temple is defective (like ritual fringes, phylacteries, mezuza, sukka (tabernacle) and so on).

How, then, is it possible for Rashi himself to state the opposite, i.e., that the Temple and everything in it will appear ready-made in Heaven -- when the Torah has commanded a hundred and forty times: DO! -- you yourself, and not ready-made? It seems unlikely that any halakhic authority would be so bold as to permit the lighting of a candelabra or the offering-up of incense in a Temple or using Temple vessels not formed by human hands. In all of Rashi's writings, at any rate, no such permission is to be found.

XIV. Rashi: One may not benefit from a miraculous occurrence.

Our Talmudic sages state repeatedly that it is despicable for one to benefit from a miraculous event. In tractate Shabbat (103b) we read, for example, of a person whose wife has died, so that he had no one to suckle his infant son. "He suddenly developed a woman's breasts so that he could suckle his son." Abaye says of this: "How despicable this man is that the divine order of Creation was altered for him!"

Rashi, in the wake of these sages, says: "The further one places himself from a miraculous event, the better it is" (Ta'anit 24b). There, too (Ta'anit 24a), Rashi writes even more definitively: "One may not benefit from a miraculous occurrence!" How, then, can it be possible for Rashi to rule, on the one hand, that one must not benefit from a miraculous event however insignificant while, on the other hand, he compiles a ruling that we are obliged to benefit from an extremely significant unprecedentedly miraculous event like the descent of a Temple from Heaven, with Temple vessels and garments, and that it is permissible to benefit from this event and to perform Torah precepts by means of the result of this event, not for a limited period of time, but for all time?

XV. Rashi: One May Not Rely on a Miracle -- With Regard to the Temple and its Ritual.

The following rule of Torah observance is simple: one may not rely on a miracle, neither in secular matters nor in matters of sanctity, and certainly not in Temple affairs.

In tractate Yoma (21) the Talmud reads: "R. Yehoshua ben Levi said: a great miracle took place regarding the shewbread -- at its removal it was as it was at its arrangement" (i.e., it remained warm on the table from one Sabbath to the next). Nevertheless the Talmud states clearly in tractate Shabbat (124a), that reeds must be place on the table to separate one loaf from another, lest they grow moldy. Rashi explains at this point: "for we may not rely on a miracle."

Similarly, the Talmud often concludes with regard to Torah precepts involving the Temple (v., e.g., Yerushalmi Yoma 1:4 concerning the High Priest in the Temple on the Day of Atonement) that "we may not rely on a miracle."

Nahmanides stated a famous rule concerning many Torah precepts: the Torah, when warning [one not to perform a certain act], does not rely on miracles (Nahmanides, Leviticus 21:17), and adds considerably more.

In light of this the question arises -- with regard to the opinion of those who feel that Rashi's opinion is that we must not build a Temple by human means until such time as a miraculous Temple descends from Heaven -- how it is that the Torah requires that we rely on a miracle specifically with regard to the Temple. Not only must we rely on a miracle, as it were, but we must do so that it is forbidden to build the Temple by human means because of the certain miracle of a Temple descending from Heaven! If this is so, Rashi must have come up with a novel ruling which contradicts what he himself writes elsewhere, for if in all other circumstances Rashi wrote that one may not rely on a miracle, even in the Temple, then with regard to the rebuilding of the Temple, Rashi feels that we must rely on a miracle. What, then, is the truth? Are we to rely on a miracle, or not?

XVI. He Who Relies on the Descent of the Temple from Heaven Violates a Torah Prohibition.

One of the prohibitions handed down in the Torah reads: You shall not put Hashem your God to test.

The Talmud Yerushalmi describes in tractate Yoma (1:4) the steps taken to ensure that the High Priest should not experience a nocturnal emission on the Day of Atonement in the Temple, despite the fact that one of the "regular" Temple miracles was "that the High Priest never experienced an emission on the Day of Atonement" (Avot 5). The Yerushalmi explains that the High Priest was prevented from overeating and from sleeping on the eve of the Day of Atonement, lest the rule You shall not put Hashem your God to test be violated. For one who decides to be lax about performing a Torah precept, preferring to wait and see if he is granted a miracle by Heaven to complete his performance of the precept and if not, then the precept will not be performed -- is guilty of putting the Creator to test.

V. Nahmanides' commentary (Deuteronomy 6:11) and Sefer HaHinnukh (Precept 425), which explain that the prohibition against putting Hashem to test refers to acts like the way the Israelites put Hashem to test in the desert, to see if He could perform miracles for them, such as to extract water from the rock, and so on.

Those who say, therefore, that we must refrain from performing the precept of rebuilding the Temple, but that we should wait and rely on a Heavenly miracle -- a Temple descending from Heaven -- are putting Hashem to test: will He bring down a Temple or not? And the Torah says: do not put Him to test!

XVII. The Descent of the Temple and of Jerusalem in this World -- in the Book of Revelations.

Before we discuss the opinions expressed by a few of the Ahronim who think that the Temple will descend from Heaven in this world, and rely on Rashi for the basis for their opinions, we must first note another source -- not of our Sages -- for the idea of a Temple and Jerusalem descending from Heaven in this world.

Such a source can be found in the Book of Revelations, a book written during the period of the Second Temple, adopted by the Christians and incorporated into their 'New Testament.' Our reference to this source is based on the permission granted by our Sages to adduce excerpts from these books in order to further the search for truth, as brought down in Tractate Rosh Hashana (24b): "'You shall not learn to do' -- but you do learn to comprehend and to teach."

Here are a few sentences from the Book of Revelations : "And I saw, behold, the holy city of New Jerusalem was descending from God in Heaven . . . and I heard a great voice from Heaven saying: here is the sanctuary of God with the sons of man, and He shall dwell in their midst. . . . And He took me with a wind on to a great, high mountain, and He showed me the great holy city of Jerusalem descending from Heaven, from God . . . and it had a great, high wall with twelve gates . . . but I did not see a holy place in it, for the Lord God of Hosts, He and the Lamb -- are its Holy Place."

In this vision, Jerusalem and its walls do descend in this real world; there is nothing obscure here, no hints, no secret meanings -- the words have their own simple meaning. It is no wonder that our Sages rejected these books and would not accept them into our holy scriptures, because of the dreams, the nonsense, the false prophecies in them.

XVIII. The Descent of a Fiery Temple from Heaven in the Book Shalhevetya.

In light of the above, we must express our astonishment at a number of our contemporary rabbis who have written in their books material concerning the descent of a Temple from Heaven in this world, and so -- in their opinion, the positive precept of building a Temple is no longer valid. V. the book Shalhevetya by R. Shlomo Aviner, who writes as follows: "Maimonides certainly did not overlook all the Talmudic excerpts and all the midrashim [?] which apparently teach us that a fiery Temple will descend from Heaven, ready-built and complete" (p. 13, ibid. ).

On p. 55, the author also writes under the title A Fiery Temple in the name of M.H. Luzatto, "that the Third Temple will descend in its entirety from Heaven." He wrote there, too, that "Rashi and Tosafot quote our Sages that a fiery Temple will descend from Heaven." This is surprising: where are all the Talmudic excerpts and all the midrashim he mentions? And where did he find in the writings of M.H. Luzatto any reference to the descent of a fiery Temple in this world? Where, too, did Rashi and the Tosafot mention the concept of a fiery Temple -- and in the name of our Sages, no less?
As already noted, Rashi writes in explaining the words of the prophet Zekharia: and I shall be for it a wall of fire -- words which are nothing but a parable. In other words, the Almighty will be for Jerusalem as a shield as if made of a fiery wall, whereas R. Shlomo Aviner turned this prophetic parable into reality in this world, his conclusion thus being: The Third Temple -- is of an entirely Heaven nature! It is entirely fire descending from Heaven!

XIX. The Appearance of a Temple of Pearls and Precious Stones.

Another author who relies on Rashi's statement regarding "the future Temple that will appear and come from Heaven" is Rabbi Hayim Nathanson, in his book Avoda Tamma (part VII), writes: "The future Temple will be Heaven-made, of precious stones and pearls unequaled throughout the world. . . . At any rate, both the Temple and the altar will not be made by flesh and blood." V. ibid., where he bases his ruling on the words of our Sages in Tractate Bava Batra 75.

A careful study of that source reveals that it refers in parables and hints to the period of the world to come, the concepts of "precious stones and pearls" and the descriptions of future Jerusalem being references to a perfect world. It is thus surprising that the author used this Aggadic source as a Halakhic ruling, what he calls Rashi's opinion, forbidding the construction of the Temple in this world!

XX. The Descent of Ezekiel's Temple from Heaven.

Another approach which discusses the descent of Ezekiel's Temple from Heaven is that of the late Rabbi Shlomo Goren.

The late Chief Rabbi writes as follows in his book Har HaBayit -- The Temple Mount (p. clxv): "If there is such a concept as the Third Temple descending complete from Heaven, it is very hard to assume the occurrence of so supernatural a miracle of the descent of a built, fiery Temple from Heaven without tremendous changes in nature and without the Messiah." Ibid., on p. clxiii, he writes: "The Third Temple must be built in the pattern of Ezekiel's Temple -- the Third Temple. And then it would have to be built by Heaven, according to Rashi and Tosafot and other French rabbis, and not to be built by man."

The late Chief Rabbi writes two things in the name of Rashi, though in Rashi's commentary one finds a basis for neither:
One, that Rashi is talking of "the descent of a built, fiery Temple from Heaven."

The other, that the "Third Temple must be built in the pattern of Ezekiel's Temple, by Heaven, and not by man."

As we have already noted, the concept of a "fiery Temple" is not mentioned anywhere by Rashi, so that with regard to the building of the Temple described by Ezekiel, Rashi writes explicitly that it will be performed by man. In Rashi's words: And tell the House of Israel of the Temple . . . that they observe all its form and all its laws and carry them out (Ezekiel 43:11): "They shall learn of its measurements from you so that they will know how to build it when the time comes."

According to Rashi, the Temple will be built when the time comes -- by man, in the pattern described by Ezekiel. It is thus difficult to understand how Rabbi Goren writes that Rashi's opinion is that Ezekiel's Temple will not be built by man, but rather will descend from Heaven!

XXI. A Halakhic Ruling -- the Temple will Descend from Heaven.

A halakhic ruling stating that the Temple will descend from Heaven is most surprising, for this is what the Rishon leTzion, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, wrote in his approval of Rabbi Aviner's book, Shalhevetya: "Despite the fact that from Maimonides' writings, we learn [that the Temple] is to be built by man and that it is a precept that it be built that way, Maimonides wrote at the end of Hilkhot Melakhim that we do not know just how this will come about until we actually see it. For my part, I find it easier to rule like Rashi and Tosafot, like the simple interpretation of the Talmud. For it is built by man -- from here to the Gihon there are obstacles to its being built."

The ruling of a Chief Rabbi of Israel is a ruling that cannot be ignored, but the reasoning of the Chief Rabbi in support of this ruling raises a number of questions:
a. While Rabbi Eliyahu writes that "from Maimonides' writings, we learn that the Temple is to be built by man," Maimonides himself says this explicitly time and again -- that this is an eternal positive precept (v. supra).

b. Rabbi Eliyahu writes in Maimonides' name, "that we do not know just how this will come about." This is doubtful, for Maimonides uses this phrase about the appearance of the Messiah, whereas with regard to the Temple he writes "that everyone is obligated to build it, men and women irrespective" ( Hilkhot Beth HaBehira 1:12). If so, we know that it will be built by man.

c. Rabbi Eliyahu writes: "I find it easier to rule like Rashi." What he means is that it is convenient for him to rule that the Temple will descend from Heaven. This is surprising for convenience is not a recognized halakhic consideration.

d. Rabbi Eliyahu writes, too, that halakha is ruled like Rashi and against Maimonides, though all halakhic authorities accept that Rashi is merely a commentator, and not a halakhic authority, and so halakha must be ruled like Maimonides.
e. Rabbi Eliyahu writes of the descent of the Temple from Heaven in this world as if it were certain, whereas all the sources adduced supra speak, at best, of a possibility of the Temple descending in the world to come.

f. Rabbi Eliyahu bases his ruling that the Temple will descend from Heaven on obstacles which may prevent it being built. This is incredible, since obstacles cannot serve as a halakhic excuse to invalidate a Torah precept.

g. A halakhic ruling on so central and so comprehensive a topic should be dealt with in detail, with the consideration of all relevant sources. For this reason, and especially in light of the questions raised supra, it would seem that Rabbi Eliyahu's statement, written in three lines in his approval of a book, is not to be considered a definitive discussion of the subject.

XXII. A Thousand Articles and Books Lack the Authority to Invalidate the Precept of Building the Temple.

Contrary to the tendency discernible among recent authors to offer alternate ways of the Temple descending from Heaven, thus indicating their belief that the precept of building the Temple is no longer valid, we have the words of our Sages concerning King Solomon who said: "The Torah said: He must not keep many women lest his heart veer aside -- I shall keep many and I shall not veer aside" (Sanhedrin 21b). The Sages add: "The Book of Deuteronomy rose up and prostrated itself before the Almighty, saying: Solomon is trying to uproot the letter yod from me. The Almighty replied: Solomon and a thousand like him are powerless, while nothing will be uprooted from you!" It would seem that, contrary to the midrashim and the commentaries concerning a Temple descending from Heaven, and the logical conclusion that the precept of building the Temple is no longer valid, we can say: Midrashim can come and go, but nothing of all this has the power to invalidate the commandment of building the Temple.

Rabbi Yisrael Ariel is director of The Temple Institute in Jerusalem and editor of the halakhic journal, Tzefia.