The Loss of the Temple

In order to fully appreciate the gravity of this period of mourning, one must realize the great loss of not having a Beit Hamikdash, Holy Temple.

All of the symbolic acts of not listening to music, no haircuts and shaving, no celebrations, etc., lose their significance if we don’t fully understand why we are so sad at this time.

The Jewish people have strayed so far away from the glorious days of having all of the Jews in Israel. If we focus on the First Temple of King Solomon, we will get a glimpse of what once was.

The structure itself contained unparalleled beauty and splendor. People came from all over the world just to see the magnificence of the gold laden building, that took seven years for Shlomo Hamelech to build.

There was a period of peace and prosperity throughout the land. The pilgrimage to the Temple three times a year, gave the nation a sense of purpose and contentment.

They could absolutely feel the Presence of Hashem. It was a time of, “You will be My people, and I will be your G-d. The Torah represented the law of the land. The laws of the Torah were enforced by saintly judges, that executed true justice. The great Sanhedrin was the one ruling body, that were respected and accepted by all.
Israel was the envy of the world for its unity and holiness. This is the point that is the most significant of all. We were a holy nation whose main concern was doing that which was right in the eyes of G-d.
Because of the destruction of the two Temples, Jews have substituted this holiness for so much nonsense that is far from holiness. This is why we mourn. We must long for that special connection with Hashem when we truly were, “A nation of priests, and a holy nation.”