Bleeding Curtain Miracle
Part III. First Temple
Babylonian
Avengers
During the First Temple Era, the majority of Jews
were guilty of idolatry, adultery, murder or other major crimes. G-d punished
them by allowing the Babylonians to conquer Israel. The Temple was razed, Israel's
inhabitants were killed and their remnant was taken into captivity. Seventy years
later G-d relented. The Second Temple was erected and the exiled returned to Israel.
Four hundred and twenty years later, it, too, was destroyed.
A
distressing question arises. It's known that Second Temple Jews lived more or
less exemplary lives. They didn't practice idol worship or other severe sins.
Yet, the Temple still hasn't been rebuilt. How is it that the First Temple, destroyed
on account of vile sins, lay in ruins for a scant seventy years, yet the Second
Temple, whose Jews were virtuous, hasn't been reconstructed for two thousand years?!
Scholarly
Sinners
First Temple Jews may have been sinners, but they
studied Torah. In that merit, G-d overlooked their nasty deeds and had the Temple
rebuilt. On the other hand, Second Temple Jews were scrupulous in observing G-d's
commandments, with two exceptions: gratuitous hatred and neglect of Torah study.
And as mentioned earlier, "G-d forgives cardinal sins, but not neglect of
Torah." Jeremiah prophesied both Temples' destruction, and regarding the
later Roman Exile he asked, "Why does the land perish? And G-d says, 'Because
they have forsaken my Torah.'"
This is difficult to grasp.
Recall that the cause of the Temple's downfall was the desolation of Emanation's
vessels, brought about by transgression. As the Jews of the First Temple were
idolatrous, murderous, and licentious, surely their crimes caused far greater
spiritual calamity than the neglect of Torah by the Jews of the Second Temple.
Not opening a text can't be compared to cardinal sins; study is a positive commandment,
whose lack of performance is a mere non-accomplishment. It would appear that First
Temple Jews harmed Emanation more than did Second Temple ones.
Restorative Light
First Temple Jews studied the Torah,
and Torah possesses remarkable life-resurrecting powers. King Solomon informs
that, "Torah is Light." (Proverbs 6:23) Analogized to a bleeding limb,
Emanation's ruptured vessels had lost Light and life-force. Torah's Light, though,
shone down into the injured vessel and Emanation's lost Light was replenished.
An
example from medicine elucidates this concept. A person is stricken with an injured
outer limb. His internal organs, though, are healthy, By taking medication, his
inner powers return the outer limb to its former strength and restore the blood
to its proper composition. Now that his blood is in order, new abundant life-force
and light shines out of his soul into his blood. Automatically, his earlier deficiency
is corrected.
Solomon reveals Torah's healing power, "It
will be a cure for your navel and marrow for bones." (Proverbs 3:8) Torah
study also cures the physical world, in dire need of a remedy. The verse tells
us that Elijah "healed G-d's destroyed altar." (Kings I 18:30)
In
like manner, Torah study cures the supernal vessels of Emanation. Torah study
invokes G-d to emanate abundant, fresh Light into Emanation's stricken vessels
and restore the vessels' Light to its former robust state. And since it is healing
Light, the damaged vessels are repaired.
IV. Second
Temple
Millennium Malady
This
accounts for the prompt reconstruction of the First Temple. But what happened
during Second Temple Times? Although its Jews weren't guilty of cardinal sins,
nevertheless, they did commit lesser infractions, which poked smaller holes into
Emanation's vessels. The problem was Jews didn't learn Torah. Consequently, Torah's
healing Light failed to descend into Emanation. Bereft of replenished rejuvenating
Light, the vessels couldn't heal.
Conclusion
This
then explains the Sages' astonishing assertion, "G-d pardons idol worship,
incest and murder but not neglect of Torah." This also explains why G-d chose
the miraculous emission of blood from Titus's curtain slash to drive home this
point. The absence of Torah's Light causes Emanation's Inner Light to spill into
evil realms. Conversely, had Torah's Light shined in Emanation, then blood wouldn't
have spurted from the Temple's curtain, as Torah's healing Light would have cured
the vessels. Only Torah has this power, as the verse says, "G-d shines His
Face on you." G-d's Inwardness is in the Torah and shines exclusively "on
you" - those who study Torah.
[Rabbi
David Rothschild, a resident of Safed, is the founder and editor of Nefesh Magazine.]
