Rebuild the Bais HaMikdash by Learning about Its Beauty

By Yehudit Garmaise

Every fact we learn about The Beis Hamikidash is considered as another brick that we are using to rebuild it.

Hashem chose the site of the first two Temples for His home for many interesting reasons. The Temple Mount is the site on which:

1. Creation began.

2. Avrahom bound Yitzchak for the Akeidah.

3. Yaakov slept and dreamt of angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven.

4. Yitzchak and Rivkah simultaneously prayed for a child from different corners of a room.

Before the Romans destroyed the Second Temple nearly 2,000 years ago, Yidden travelled for months to walk through the large, ornate Chulda entrances, as the Mishna refers to them, which led through tunnels that led to the Temple.

Yidden would then walk near the women’s courtyard, which was not only where women gathered and prayed, but was also where the dancing and celebrations during the simchas beis hashoeva on Sukkos took place.

Men, women, and children would gather in the women’s courtyard during Hakhel, when the king would read the Torah and inspire the crowds.

Also, in the women’s courtyard stood chambers in which wood was inspected for use the altar and flour was stored that was used for sacrifices. After also noticing a courthouse and a mikvah in the women’s courtyard, Yidden would then see an wide, circular staircase on which musicians played, Leviim sang, and Kohanim recited birchas Kohanim.

After ascending the elegant staircase, Yidden would then see the huge brass, meticulously crafted doors that were sent from Alexandria, Egypt by Nikador, the famous philanthropist who wanted to donate to the Holy Temple.

The Talmud tells us that during the doors’ journey to Eretz Yisroel, a great storm caused the sailors to throw one of the doors overboard, but the when the boat arrived in Israel, the sailors were shocked to see that the second door had miraculously floated alongside the ship.

The story of the Nikador doors inspired all visitors to remember that all their sincere efforts are considerably helped by Hashem.

Yidden of the tribe Yisroel would then head to daven their designated area, which was a relatively small space that merited an ongoing miracle that the space would expand when necessary.

“People would stand close together, it was crowded, but when it was time to bow, everyone miraculously had space,” Rabbi Levi Jacobson said. “Often in life, we stand upright. We feel the need to defend ourselves, and we need to express our ego, our arrogance, but we don’t have space for others.

“Yet, when we surrender to Hashem, we suddenly discover, that that there is more than enough space for all of us.”