R. Abba said: ‘I remember a certain thing which I heard from the Sacred Lamp, and which he said in the name of R. Eleazar. One day a certain clever non-Jew came to him and said: Old man, old man, I want to ask three questions of you. One is, how can you maintain that another Temple will be built for you, whereas only two were destined to be built, the first and the second. A third and a fourth you will not find mentioned in the Scripture, but it is written, “Greater shall be the glory of this latter house than of the first” (Haggai 2, 9).
Again, you maintain that you are near to the King than all other peoples. Now, one who is near to the King is ever in joy and free from sorrow and oppression, but you are ever in sorrow and oppression and anguish, more than all the rest of mankind, whereas we never suffer sorrow or oppression or anguish at all. This shows that we are near to the King and you are far away.
Again, you do not eat nebelah and terefah,1Flesh of animals not killed according to Jewish rites. in order to protect your health, but we eat whatever we like and we are healthy and strong, whereas you who do not eat are all weak and sickly beyond other peoples. You are a people who are wholly hated of your God. Old man, old man, don’t say anything to me, for I will not listen to you. R. Eleazar raised his eyes and looked at him, and he became a heap of bones.
When his wrath subsided he turned his head and wept, saying: “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth” (Ps. 8, 2). How mighty is the power of the Holy Name, and how beloved are the words of the Torah, since there is nothing at all which cannot be found in the Torah, and there is not a single word of the Torah which does not issue from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He. These questions which that wretch put to me I also one day asked Elijah, and he told me that they had been raised in the celestial Academy before the Holy One, blessed be He. The answer given was as follows.
When Israel left Egypt, God desired to make them on earth like ministering angels above, and to build for them a holy house which was to be brought down from the heaven of the firmaments, and to plant Israel as a holy shoot after the pattern of the celestial prototype. Thus it is written, “Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in”- this is the first Temple-“the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established” (Ex. 15, 17)-this is the second Temple; and both were to have been the work of the Almighty.
But as they provoked God in the wilderness they died there and God brought their children into the land, and the house was built by human hands, and therefore it did not endure. In the days of Ezra also on account of their sins they were forced to build it themselves and therefore it did not endure. All this time the first building planned by God had not yet been set up. Now of the future time it is written, “The Lord buildeth Jerusalem” (Ps. 147, 2)-He and no other. It is for this building that we are waiting, not a human structure which cannot endure.
The Holy One, blessed be He, will send down to us the first House and the second House together, the first in concealment and the second openly. The second will be revealed to show all the world the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He, in perfect joy and gladness.
The first, which will be concealed, will ascend high over that which is revealed, and all the world will see the clouds of glory surrounding the one which is revealed and enveloping the first one which ascends to the height of the glorious heavens. It is for that building that we are waiting.
Even the future city of Jerusalem will not be the work of human hands, all the more so then the Temple, God’s habitation. This work should have been completed when Israel first went forth from Egypt, but it has been deferred to the end of days in the last deliverance.
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, אִדְכַּרְנָא מִלָּה חֲדָא, דְּשָׁמַעְנָא מִבּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּשָׁמַע מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. יוֹמָא חַד, אָתָא לְקַמֵּיהּ חַד חַכִּים גּוֹי, אָמַר לֵיהּ סָבָא סָבָא, תְּלַת בַּעְיָין בָּעֵינָא לְמִתְבַּע מִנָךְ. חַד, דְּאַתּוּן אַמְרִין דְּיִתְבְּנֵי לְכוּ בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא אָחֳרָא, וְהָא לָא הֲווֹ לְמִבְנֵי אֶלָּא תְּרֵי זִמְנִין, בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן וּבַיִת שֵׁנִי, בַּיִת שְׁלִישִׁי (ובית רביעי) לָא תִּשְׁכַּח בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְהָא מַה דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמִבְנֵי, כְּבַר אִתְבָּנוּן, וּלְעוֹלָם לֵית בֵּיהּ יַתִּיר, דְּהָא תְּרֵי בָּתֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל קָרָא לוֹן קְרָא. וּכְתִיב, (חגי ב׳:ט׳) גָּדוֹל יִהְיֶה כְּבוֹד הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה הָאַחֲרוֹן מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן.
R. Abba said: ‘I remember a certain thing which I heard from the Sacred Lamp, and which he said in the name of R. Eleazar. One day a certain clever non-Jew came to him and said: Old man, old man, I want to ask three questions of you. One is, how can you maintain that another Temple will be built for you, whereas only two were destined to be built, the first and the second. A third and a fourth you will not find mentioned in the Scripture, but it is written, “Greater shall be the glory of this latter house than of the first” (Haggai 2, 9).
וְתוּ, דְּאַתּוּן אַמְרִין, דְּאַתּוּן קְרֵבִין לְמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, יַתִּיר מִכָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין, מַאן דְּמִתְקְרִיב לְמַלְכָּא, אִיהוּ חַדֵּי (יתיר) תָּדִיר, בְּלָא צַעֲרָא, בְּלָא דְּחִילוּ, וּבְלָא דְּחִיקוּ. וְהָא אַתּוּן בְּצַעֲרָא וּבְדֹחֲקָא וּבִיגוֹנָא תָּדִיר, יַתִּיר מִכָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא. וַאֲנָן לָא אִתְקְרִיב לָן צַעֲרָא וְדֹחֲקָא וִיגוֹנָא כְּלָל. אֲנָן קְרִיבִין לְמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, וְאַתּוּן רְחִיקִין מִנֵּיהּ, וְעַל דָּא אִית לְכוּ צַעֲרָא וְדֹחֲקָא אֶבְלָא וִיגוֹנָא, מַה דְּלָא אִית לָן.
Again, you maintain that you are near to the King than all other peoples. Now, one who is near to the King is ever in joy and free from sorrow and oppression, but you are ever in sorrow and oppression and anguish, more than all the rest of mankind, whereas we never suffer sorrow or oppression or anguish at all. This shows that we are near to the King and you are far away.
וְתוּ, דְּאַתּוּן לָא אָכְלֵי נְבֵלָה וּטְרֵפָה, בְּגִין דִּתְּהֱווֹן בְּרִיאִין, וְגוּפָא דִּלְכוֹן לִהֱוִי בִּבְרִיאוּתָא. אֲנָן אָכְלֵינָן כָּל מַה דְּבָעֵינָן, וַאֲנָן תַּקִּיפִין בְּחֵילָא בִּבְרִיאוּתָא, וְכָל שַׁיְיפוֹן דִּילָן בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ. וְאַתּוּן דְּלָא אַכְלִין, חַלָּשִׁין כֻּלְכוּ בְּמַרְעִין בִּישִׁין, וּבִתְבִירוּ יַתִּיר מִכָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין. עַמָּא דְּסָנֵי לְכוֹן אֱלָהֲכוֹן בְּכֹלָּא. סָבָא סָבָא, לָא תֵּימָא לִי מִדִּי, דְּלָא אַשְׁמְעִינָךְ, וְלָא אֲקַבֵּל מִנָךְ. זָקִיף עֵינוֹי רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, וְאַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ, וְאִתְעָבִיד תִּלָּא דְּגַרְמֵי.
Again, you do not eat nebelah and terefah,1Flesh of animals not killed according to Jewish rites. in order to protect your health, but we eat whatever we like and we are healthy and strong, whereas you who do not eat are all weak and sickly beyond other peoples. You are a people who are wholly hated of your God. Old man, old man, don’t say anything to me, for I will not listen to you. R. Eleazar raised his eyes and looked at him, and he became a heap of bones.
כֵּיוָן דְּנָח רוּגְזֵיהּ, אַהְדָּר רֵישֵׁיהּ וּבָכָה, וְאָמַר, (תהילים ח׳:ב׳) יְיָ אֲדוֹנֵנוּ מָה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ. כַּמָה תַּקִּיף חֵילָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, תַּקִּיפָא בְּכָל אַרְעָא, וְכַמָּה חֲבִיבִין מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּלֵית לָךְ מִלָּה זְעֵירָא דְּלָא תִּשְׁכַּח לָהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלֵית מִלָּה זְעֵירָא דְּאַתְיָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּלָא נַפְקַת מִפּוּמֵיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. מִלִּין אִלֵּין דְּשָׁאַל הַהוּא רָשָׁע, אֲנָא שָׁאַלְנָא יוֹמָא חַד לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, וְאָמַר דְּהָא בִּמְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, אִתְסְדָּרוּ קַמֵּיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהָכִי הוּא.
When his wrath subsided he turned his head and wept, saying: “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth” (Ps. 8, 2). How mighty is the power of the Holy Name, and how beloved are the words of the Torah, since there is nothing at all which cannot be found in the Torah, and there is not a single word of the Torah which does not issue from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He. These questions which that wretch put to me I also one day asked Elijah, and he told me that they had been raised in the celestial Academy before the Holy One, blessed be He. The answer given was as follows.
דְּכַד נַפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן בְּאַרְעָא, כְּמַלְאָכִין קַדִּישִׁין לְעֵילָּא, וּבָעָא לְמִבְנֵי לוֹן בֵּיתָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְנַחְתָּא לֵיהּ מִגּוֹ שְׁמֵי רְקִיעִין, וּלְנַטְּעָא לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, נְצִיבָא קַדִּישָׁא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּדִיּוּקְנָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמות ט״ו:י״ז) תְּבִיאֵמוֹ וְתִטָּעֵמוֹ בְּהַר נַחֲלָתְךָ. בְּאָן אֲתָר בְּמָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ יְיָ. בְּהַהוּא דְּפָעַלְתָּ אַנְתְּ יְיָ, וְלָא אַחֲרָא. מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ יְיָ, דָּא בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן. מִקְּדָּשׁ יְיָ כּוֹנְנוּ יָדֶיךָ, דָּא בַּיִת שֵׁנִי. וְתַרְוַויְיהוּ, אוּמָנוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִינּוּן.
When Israel left Egypt, God desired to make them on earth like ministering angels above, and to build for them a holy house which was to be brought down from the heaven of the firmaments, and to plant Israel as a holy shoot after the pattern of the celestial prototype. Thus it is written, “Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in”- this is the first Temple-“the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established” (Ex. 15, 17)-this is the second Temple; and both were to have been the work of the Almighty.
וּמִדְּאַרְגִּיזוּ קַמֵּיהּ בְּמַדְבְּרָא, מִיתוּ, וְאַכְנָס לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִבְנַיְיהוּ בְּאַרְעָא. (אוליפו עובדיהון) וּבֵיתָא אִתְבְּנֵי עַל יְדָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, וּבְגִין כַּךְ לָא אִתְקְיָּים. וּשְׁלֹמֹה הֲוָה יָדַע, דִּבְגִין דְּהַאי עוֹבָדָא דְּבַר נָשׁ לָא יִתְקָיָּים, וְעַל דָּא אָמַר, (תהילים קכ״ז:א׳) אִם יְיָ לֹא יִבְנֶה בַיִת שָׁוְא עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ, דְּהָא לֵית לֵיהּ בֵּיהּ קִיוּמָא. בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּעֶזְרָא, גָּרַם חֲטָּאָה, וְאִצְטָרְכוּן אִינּוּן לְמִבְנֵי, וְלָא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ קִיוּמָא. וְעַד כְּעַן, בִּנְיָינָא קַדְמָאָה דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לָא הֲוָה בְּעָלְמָא, וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי כְּתִיב, (תהילים קמ״ז:ב׳) בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַ ם יְיָ, אִיהוּ וְלָא אָחֳרָא. וּבִנְיָינָא דָּא אֲנָן מְחַכָּאן, וְלָא בִּנְיָינָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ קִיּוּמָא כְּלַל.
But as they provoked God in the wilderness they died there and God brought their children into the land, and the house was built by human hands, and therefore it did not endure. In the days of Ezra also on account of their sins they were forced to build it themselves and therefore it did not endure. All this time the first building planned by God had not yet been set up. Now of the future time it is written, “The Lord buildeth Jerusalem” (Ps. 147, 2)-He and no other. It is for this building that we are waiting, not a human structure which cannot endure.
בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן, וּבַיִת שֵׁנִי, יָחִית לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּחֲדָא מִלְּעֵילָּא. בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן בְּאִתְכַּסְיָא, וּבַיִת שֵׁנִי בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא. הַהוּא בַּיִת לֶהֱוִי בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא, דְּאִתְקְרֵי בַּיִת שֵׁנִי, דְּיִתְחֲזֵי לְכָל עָלְמָא אוּמָנוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. חֶדְוָה שְׁלִים, וּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא בְּכָל קִיּוּמָא.
The Holy One, blessed be He, will send down to us the first House and the second House together, the first in concealment and the second openly. The second will be revealed to show all the world the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He, in perfect joy and gladness.
הַהוּא בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן בְּאִתְכַּסְיָא, אִסְתְּלַּק לְעֵילָּא, עַל גַּבּוֹי דְּהַהוּא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא. וְכָל עָלְמָא יֶחמוּן, עֲנָנֵי יְקָר דְּסָחֲרָן עַל גַּבֵּי דְּהַהוּא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, וּבְגוֹ דְּאִינּוּן עֲנָנִין, הֲוִי בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן, בְּעוֹבָדָא טְמִירָא, דְּסָלִיק עַד רוּם יְקַר שְׁמַיָּיא, וּבִנְיָינָא דָּא אֲנָן מְחַכָּאן.
The first, which will be concealed, will ascend high over that which is revealed, and all the world will see the clouds of glory surrounding the one which is revealed and enveloping the first one which ascends to the height of the glorious heavens. It is for that building that we are waiting.
וְעַד כְּעַן, לָא הֲוָה בְּעָלְמָא, דְּאֲפִילּוּ קַרְתָּא דִּיְרוּשָׁלַם לָא לִיהֱוִי אוּמָנוּתָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, דְּהָא כְּתִיב, (זכריה ב׳:ט׳) ואֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָהּ נְאֻם יְיָ חוֹמַת אֵשׁ סָבִיב וְגוֹ'. אִי לְקַרְתָּא כְּתִיב הָכִי, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בֵּיתָא, דְּאִיהוּ דִּיּוּרָא דִּילֵיהּ. וְעוֹבָדָא דָּא, הֲוִי אִתְחֲזֵי לְמֶהֱוִי בְּרֵישָׁא, כַּד נַפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְאִסְתְּלַּק עַד לְסוֹף יוֹמִין, בְּפוּרְקָנָא בַּתְרָאָה.
Even the future city of Jerusalem will not be the work of human hands, all the more so then the Temple, God’s habitation. This work should have been completed when Israel first went forth from Egypt, but it has been deferred to the end of days in the last deliverance.