Our mission from God regarding the TEMPLE

The Sanctuary stood in the middle of the Jewish encampment in the desert, and the tribes were arranged around it. Maimonides connects this with the verse, “They shall build me a Temple, and I will dwell within them.” “Within <em>them</em>”, plural, refers to every Jewish heart. But in the literal sense, the verse is referring to the Sanctuary, which we read about in this week’s Torah portion to teach each and every single one of us, and the entire Jewish people, that we all share the mission of bringing other Jews into the Jewish camp which surrounds, and is illuminated by the Sanctuary, which contains the Ark with the Ten Commandments, from which light goes out to the entire world; illuminating the Jew’s life, and through him, the whole world. This year, a campaign was launched to study Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah daily. Today’s portion deals with the laws concerning the Holy Temple, which describe the building of the Sanctuary and the Temple. The three chapters which are studied today begin with the fifth chapter, which tells us that the Temple was built on the Temple Mount. This teaches us that Godliness and the Jew’s inner Temple must likewise stand on a mountain: He is not embarrassed of his Judaism, God forbid, trying to hide it – rather, he makes it the highest priority in his life. Then, in the next chapter, we read that the Temple was not built on a plateau, on flat terrain, but on the incline of the mountain, with steps ascending from one courtyard to the next. This serves as a lesson, that just as one climbed the Temple steps, one must not remain on the same level from day to day. When a new day arrives, and the Jew, man or woman, recites the <em>Modeh Ani </em>prayer upon awaking he or she should not suffice with yesterday’s accomplishments, the step they stood on the previous day, but to continue to climb from one level to the next, as described regarding the courtyards of the Temple. Then, in the next chapter of today’s portion, comes the commandment to hold the Temple in awe. A Jew might be inclined to think that because God chose him as a partner in creation, entrusting him to build Him a dwelling, the Temple, he can make compromises; he might want to take it easy when it’s time to do a commandment – he’s on equal terms with God, he can put it off until a little later. The third chapter informs us that there is the commandment to revere and give honor to the Temple. Maimonides states the reason that the Temple must be honored and revered; out of reverence for God Who instructs us to hold His Temple in awe. When one fulfills Torah with true reverence, without making his own inferences, – as mentioned earlier on, when one starts the day with <em>Modeh Ani; </em>“I thank you, Eternal King,” and accepts a king over himself, of whom Torah instructs: “Set a king over yourself that you may fear him,” for the crowning of a king is associated with reverence and awe – this, in turn, elicits a response from the Living King, and he blesses all the subjects of his kingdom with his “full, open, holy and abundant hand.”