Q: How can I mourn for the Beis Hamikdash properly?

A: How can you mourn for the Beis Hamikdash? First of all, you have to think about the Beis Hamikdash. Most people don’t even think about it. You can’t mourn for something you don’t even know. When you finish shemoneh esrei, say the last few words, יהי רצון מלפניך ה’ אלוקינו ואלוקי אבותינו שיבנה בית המקדש במהרה בימינו, with kavana; at least these last few words of davening say with kavana. ותן חלקנו בתורתך ושם נעבדך ביראה כימי עולם וכשנים קדמוניות. “Please Hashem, give us back the Beis Hamikdash where we’ll have the opportunity to serve You; to fear You” – it means to become more and more aware of You. Say these words slowly and think about them; show that you understand it’s a loss. If you don’t understand it’s a loss, then there’s no use talking. So every day, when you finish shemoneh esrei, say these words and think what you’re saying. That’s number one.

Also, if you can think about how great was the opportunity when the Beis Hamikdash existed and you would come there and you would learn yiras shomayim just from looking at it. למען תלמד ליראה את ה’ אלקיך כל הימים. Merely by coming there and seeing כהנים בעבודתם ולוים בשירם ובזמרם – the kohanim doing their avodah and the levi’im singing, you would become so inspired.

You know, Yonah Hanavi became a navi because he was at the Simchas Beis Hashoeiva in the Beis Hamikdash. And He was so inspired that the ruach hakodesh came upon him finally and he became a navi. And therefore we say, “Ribono Shel Olam, restore the Beis Hamikdash. We want Moshiach to come and build the Beis Hamikdash again, and we should all come together and we’ll get ruach hakodesh from being there.” That’s why we want the Beis Hamikdash.

Little by little, that’s the way to mourn for the Beis Hamikdash. You’ll never mourn for it if you don’t feel the loss; so first you have to train yourself to feel how great was the opportunity when we did have it, and then you’ll know what it means that you don’t have it. That’s how you train yourself to mourn for the loss.
TAPE # E-239