From Temple Destruction to Redemption: Rabbi Singer Reveals What Comes Next

There's no temple yet. This is very very critical. Please read it for yourself. This it says explicitly despite there was no temple and despite they were terrified of how the nations around them would respond, they built an altar and they started bringing offerings immediately. >> Rabbi Singer, welcome to the program. >> Great being with you. Thank you for joining us. Tonight starts the three weeks. This is a morning period over the temple. It's also a time of redemption. Zechariah 8:19 says that this one day will be a like I think your grandfather Aron Cohen might have said and this will one day will be a holiday. And I wanted to know if you could expand on the significance of the 17th of Thomas and what this period actually means as far as the gula unfolding. It's very very striking because as you mentioned this comes up this and the other three fasts aside from Yipper comes at the book of Zachchariah the context really begins in the chapter prior chapter 7 where Zachchariah who was the most fine scene of his generation in that people came to him many many questions and the question imagine this question did the Jews have to still fast on the ninth day of given the second temple's being built and he he's not happy with the question. He says God doesn't care if your stomach is empty is full and in fact there he explodes into a an extraordinary prophecy of gula redemption. Chapter 8 begins with that the streets will one day old men and old women will walk on the streets. Children will play on the streets of Islam. And then further on the chapter as you said uh these days that are days of mourning we turn into days of festivity in verse 23 that caps off the chapter is probably the most famous messianic verse in Tanakh and that is 10 Gentiles of different languages will grab the shirt of a Jew and say Manuhim, let us go with you because we've heard that God is with you. This day, the 17th of Thomas, the 17th day of the fourth month, is the day in which the walls of Jerusalem of the second temple were breached. It's a very we can touch on it but as it turns out the first temple the w the walls of Jerusalem were breached on the ninth day of the fourth month which is very striking but the catastrophe of destruction of the second temple far exceeds what happened in the first temple. Just as a a point in the war with Rome and the war went on for three and a half years from essentially from 66 to 70 and it was just something absolutely catastrophic. Moreover, if you asked a secular historian who destroyed the temple, the Slur second temple, he would say to you that it was the Roman Empire. But if you ask the religious Jew, he would say it's because of our own sins that our temple was destroyed and we were expelled from our land. And as it turns out, the entire period from 66 all the way to the ninth day of the fifth month, Tishabov, which is in 3 weeks from now, there was a civil war between Jews. An explosive where Jews were killing each other in Jerusalem and it went on until the destruction of the temple. But the walls are breached on the seventh day 17th day of Thomas. Talmet also provides other events that occurred on this auspicious day, but this is the one we're focusing in on. And we're told explicitly that it's this baseless hatred between the Jews that brought this about. And something very striking happened last year. And that is one of the world's leading historians, Barry Strauss, a professor at at Cornell University. And he specifically studies this area of history, military history, the Roman Empire, I don't know how many books he's written. He actually posits that if the Jews had not been fighting among themselves or many different groups, by towards the end, there are three different factions of Jewish groups that are fighting each other. Not doing fighting where people are pushing each other on the streets. I don't I'm not talking about that. People act killing Jews killing each other. Jews slaughtering each other. Oh, hot war all the way to the end. Never stopped. The civil war among Jews never stopped. Professor Strauss posits in his book that in fact if the Jews had been unified they could have either in his view could have defeated the Roman Empire and we took out the Roman Empire. That was the golden age of the Roman Empire. That was the ter that was the term they use the Rome was at peace. It was 3,000 miles stretched apart from east to west. It was massive. Or at the very least uh the Jews could have forced the Roman Empire into some sort of concession negotiated settlement in which the temple would not have been destroyed. The seventh day of Tom was when the wall was breached. That part of the war meaning we which started in ' 66 actually began on Passover of that year which means it began months earlier from basically let's say from April of the year 70 until August of the year 70. The Romans were trying to figure out how to breach the wall when the Roman Empire unbelievable. What titus did was he actually built a wall around the walls of Islam in order to breach. It was very very complicated. It cost the empire tremendous amount in manpower and and materialist mindblowing. But when they breached the wall, the key point occurred that essentially until that moment there was hope. And the moment the walls were breached, all hope was dashed. And then it was just a matter of the empire going in just slaughtering everyone. It was an absolute it was a complete everything destroyed. And the Jews unlike the first temple, I don't want to tell you that the first temple's destruction was a cake. It was not. But there was no mass slaughter with thousand thousand Jews were slaughtered. did not happen. Happens to be Ezra's father was a kayan. He got killed in the process. The Jews went as a unit to Babylon, meaning to southern Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq. Almost all of them did. When they left, just to compare the two, when they were exiled in the first temple, they knew they had a prophecy that it would only be 70 years. They knew that when they came to BL there were institutions of great yeshivot that were already established by prophets who were exiled earlier like that mean they went to a place where Torah flourished when the Taka temple was when Jerusalem was breached and then destroyed the Jews were slaughtered. It was a bloodbath and the Jews were exiled to lands unknown and they were sent as slaves on. It was just something it was a I don't want to ever use the word holocaust but it was something of un one one of the most catastrophic moments in Jewish history. >> We got to the point where the the walls are breached and it it's starting a process which uh will go for three weeks and and end up on Tishov, right? And you've described how how this process began with the Jews losing hope. When once the walls of Jerusalem come down, the hope all hope is lost. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> But um addressing going back to what we originally started the conversing and I maybe maybe you hinted at it was how the redemption unfolds specifically through this period of time or does it because it does seem like there's going to be a switch. uh and I wanted to know if you could expand on that. >> If the second temple was destroyed because of sinum basis hatred and again I think people are under the impression that there was a civil war but then the Jews at the end sort of fought in united that's not true at all. They were Jews were killing each other while the Romans were killing Jews. It's something so horrible it's really hard to wrap your mind around it. But if that's the case, so what would solve the problem of bring the redemption is a unity among the children of Israel. First, we're told in the Talmud, I should lay this out in trackape McGill right in the beginning. Whereas there was a Tarum, a Aramaic translation done for the Torah and for the Naveim, for the prophets, the Kuim, the writings, the last section, there was no commentary/tarum allowed because it would give away the time of the end, which is counterintuitive. You would think the time of the end is somehow in Jeremiah and Isaiah, which have these soaring prophecies, but we're told actually it is the Kuim where you should be looking at. you should be looking very carefully at. And what we find is very striking in the book of Ezra. Although the book of Ezra is called this, we actually are not introduced to Ezra until the seventh chapter. But I want to like focus on chapter 3. What happens that the Jewish people were told immediately that the children of Israel come to the land of Israel and they come as one people together. That's how it opens. That's under the leadership of two people. Yahushua Ben Yehud Saddak who was the high priest. He was a nephew of Ezra. His father was the younger brother of Ezra and Zuru who was Malos David from the house of David. And it tells us explicitly that despite the fears there's no temple yet. This is very very critical. Please read it for yourself. It says explicitly despite there was no temple and despite they were terrified of how the nations around them would respond they built an altar and they started bringing offerings immediately. We do not have the building of the temple or its even foundation until verse 10 9 and 10. And then verse 6 it says explicitly they will bring offerings even though the foundations of the temple was not even laid yet. So the text goes out of its way to tell us that the Jewish people must be united. This is not like us waxing poetic and saying we have to be united in some sort of this is very much in text. And this then works perfectly with like what we need to do next given that in order to as an example bring a a carbon pesh a Passover offering. So this question has been addressed by people like theam in the 19th century. It would require a misbeh which we have but it would require most importantly and the most difficult part of it is not the priests not the paraduma not the temple the issue really is a complete unity and consensus of the Jewish people which very much then everything it's like solve for why if the second temple destroyed because of basis hatred so what is required to initiate that process is the restoration of the offerings which has to be on the misb on the altar. The altar must be in the place of the altar. We have an altar built. They're ready to go. There are people who study this. We have we have of course we have we have their clo we have that all set up. So then we actually this solves everything. We have to undo the sin of the past. When you mention restoring the the sacrifice and the service, these we have 10 weeks coming up until Rashashana, which will be entirely devoted to the destruction and the rebirth of of the Jewish people. And one of the five things that you mentioned, I think, was we stopped having the carbon tummed. The walls were were broken down. Today, the walls have been rebuilt and we have the possibility of bringing the carbon to the carbon pes perhaps. Uh I'm not uh not suggesting the carbon tummit but I think that uh we are in a in a moment in history where these things are beginning to look more and more real. So maybe you can talk about what we can do today on people probably be watching this during during the month of Tamuz and um you mentioned uh or he said of getting along. Um I historically I think this division in the Jewish people is probably the most ancient uh sin since the the sale of Joseph and the reunification of the Jewish people in the land will be the fulfillment of of that of that uh you know the rectification of that sin. So maybe you can speak on on how how this looks what's next >> for people who have not studied Ezra chapter one. Cyrus says, "I have a nu a prophecy hath fulfilled." A non-Jew, an idol worshipper. Says, "Go, go build." It's really mindblowing. Chapter two, we're told about who the Jews were who left Babylon, their families. That's what chapter 2 is. Chapter 3 begins this way. On the seventh month, the children of Israel came. It says that explicitly that the nation came like one person to Jerusalem. Period. Full stop. Why is that there? And I would encourage the viewers to ask the question, why is this of interest to us today? That means it's very important that Tanakh is not a history book. It is in fact uh it's for all future generations. So how is this na how is this relevant to me today? Well, the answer is that this is a road map for the future. And look at verse three. It says, "Despite the terror, the fear that they had." You have to read Ezra about the problems they would encounter with tremendous problems. I mean, you had a group in Israel. I'll tell you straight away in the land of Israel, they they were not authentic to the land. They were rather brought there by the Assyrian Empire years and years earlier. They're called the the Samaritans. See 2 Kings chapter 17 and they claim they were the authentic people and they wanted to No, you can't be. It all comes up here. So in case you think there's anything, it all matches perfectly. And then when you get to verse 9 and 10, so then they're going to start building the B. So why is this in there? Now some of you saying we need a um a red heer. We would like we would want a red heer and maybe we'll have it. But as it turns out if the whole for those of you who are not aware of this if the whole seabboard the whole congregation we all are in a status of impurity then we can bring a Passover offering as an example without the parad without the red heer. Normally in the time of the Bid if a kahhanim were selected they had to have they had to be kohan they had to have certain documents demonstrating they really were direct descendants of the proper lineage but in a time such as this we have families that we really do know but that would all be fine people who say we can't go onto the muk migr the place where the temple was but to bring a compass can I mean we need the big day the garments of the priest say we have them. Altar stones have been cut by lasers. They're sitting here in Jerusalem. We haven't all It's all done. The only thing we really don't have, we really don't have is a consensus. And you're going to ask me who are these people? So even my monities in his laws of courts says it appears to me. So he's how could this happen? But it's very clear that we would need a consensus of the sages of Israel to go ahead with this project and that's it. So therefore in materially we have everything. If someone would say here's the Harabites, the state of Israel say here's the the Israeli police don't care. The reason why the Israeli police are concerned about anything is they don't want a war exploding on the Temple Mount and they say it openly. We're just concerned about security. even though the high court has said that Jews can go on temple mount. So clearly the police don't care. So if there was a consensus among the children of Israel, I mean it's all here. Oh, we could then we could move ahead. >> You know, you mentioned uh in the introduction you mentioned the 10 10 Gentiles uh hanging on the hem of the shirt of the Jew. And uh you know, one of the parts of bringing the Jews together is bringing back and I'm really taking a really sharp left turn now. And if that's okay, um the 10 tribes, the 10 lost tribes. Uh we we started with the the Ethiopian Jews and there's even Pakistani Jews. Um there's a book uh Dan Hadadani who um is mentioned uh and and these people and the Noahide movement. So there's and I'm sure they would all be for building the base of Mikdash meaning when they come and and doing carbonos they would be for um making a carbon pesak meaning we and we have these people coming uh and there's uh a lot of tribes I I looked up recently and maybe you can tell us about this and I even saw in Afghanistan um the the Pton uh tribe um which would seem like secretly They all say they're ben Israel. So, um maybe you could tell the listen. I think this is quite interesting, especially now in the time of redemption and seeing uh getting back connecting the two halves of the Jewish people back into unity. >> Ezekiel 37, take two rods in your hand. God instructs his prophet on one of them write for Judah and his companion and fry who is the Lee tribe of the northern kingdom um and his companions. put the two rods in your hand and they will become one. One thing I say to the leaders of the children of Israel, it's vital to now to the in your yeshivas to be studying uh Ezekiel 34 through 48. Uh because there you have very explicitly this is the restoration of the children of Israel. If you read these chapters, incidentally, you have the Passover being celebrated during the time of Messiah. It's in Ezekiel and Heavka, he very specifically mentions Passover in Isaiah 45:21. This is not and the end of Ezekiel like from 46 47. It's the division of the land, the redivision of the land according to all the tribes that are present. That's why the people who claim that Ezekiel's vision is the second time. They're way well for a thousand reasons. One of them is that the presence of all the tribes and just like all our our redemption occurred. It's something that you and I have talked about repeatedly. Just like the um Musra, the Exodus of Egypt happened in stages. Did Hashem need really 10 plagues? Like one wasn't enough. Did he need Pharaoh's permission? So all this is in Tanakh where there's an order of events. Why is there an order? So this we don't have to guess. We don't we can guess why fish need fins and scales. That's fine. That's that's reasonable. Why sharks are not but this is not a guess. We are told explicitly. So this order of events wakes up the world and everyone realize what's going on that Hashem is Lord. And therefore we would expect and anticipate that that we would discover that the nation of Israel would rise up like a valley imagine of bones bleached out. And what's very intriguing is that when Ezekiel witnesses this valley of dead, it's not dead bodies, just bones that are bleached by the blazing sun. when he when the Almighty blessed be his holy name asked Ezekiel can these bones live. So if if it was you or I, we would say you're God, you could do anything, right? Ezekiel does not answer in an intuitive way. He says only you know. And this is a very important theme that binds all of Ezekiel. That's essentially three sections, but all of it is the resurrection of the nation of Israel that happens in stages is the sign that God of Israel is the only true God. the whether they're traveling in a chariot from chapter one all the way to the end when they restored look at Ezekiel 48 last verse the the God's name is restored back it's all about the restoration of the children of Israel the 10 tribes and we would expect to see it in stages and there's no guessing it says explicitly and interesting I wonder just a verse if I may Ezekiel 39 21 says says that the reason why this war occurs at the end of days is so that the nations will know the truth. And look at verse 22. I'm not kidding cuz people go, "Ah, the gym, they don't know anything." We know, right? I beg you, my holy brothers and sisters, children who are born from above, not from below. Look at Ezekiel 39:22. Please, it says there, so that the Jews will know that I am God. That means the Jews need to be convincing. convinced that means the Jews need to see these monumental events. Please look it up for yourself so they will understand this is a messianic time. I didn't write it. It's in your book. It's in your safer Ezekiel. It says it explicitly because we it is true that in Tanakh the me messianic age is about the redemption of the world not just Israel in contrast to the Exodus which was really about the redemption of the children of Israel alone. The messianic age is about the redemption of the world. So therefore like we said in Zechariah 8:23 the 10 Gentiles will grab the shirt of a Jew. We're reluctant. We've been 2,000 years. They've been not treating us very well. Like, what do you want from me? No. Tell us. It's really mind-blowing. That's why they grab our shirt. What did they grab a shirt for? They're grabbing sitsus. They recognize that we're the true Jews. Really blowing because sitsus is only mitsuva is only commanded upon Jews, not upon non-Jews. Really, that's what Rashi says there. It's really brilliant. But the tricky point is, my holy brothers and sisters, look at Ezekiel 39:22. It says as of the so the Israel will know that I am. That means they will the Jews have to understand what's going on or else they're stuck in a completely different gullless mentality. They don't understand what's happening to them. This incidentally echoes perfectly with your permission of Isaiah 42. Isaiah 42 is is an outstanding chapter. I don't know if we discussed it about the servant Israel that's really blind and deaf. And it does not mean there that blind deaf like they're spiritually blind deaf that they're sinful. No, they just don't. Where do I go? How do I go? Hashem says, "I'll grab you by the hand. I was silent for a long time, but now like a woman on the birthing stool giving birth. I'm going to scream out." And that's what Ezekiel 42, Isaiah 42 is about. It's about a people that just don't know where to walk. What What What do we do now, Lord? Like we know something's out. What? I'm going to grab you. And 43 continues. verse four, five, six. That the waters will not harm you, the flames will not harm you, the survi, listen up, children of the most high. It is the survival of the children of Israel throughout history, despite the necessitudes that alone demonstrate that Hashem is God. Full stop. If you enjoyed this program, please like and subscribe. I share my love.