Parshas Pinchas is always read in conjunction with the fast of Shiva Asar B'Taamuz. This year being a leap year, the fast occurs this forthcoming Tuesday. At first glance the beginning of the parsha focuses on the goal of the three weeks, i.e. to restore shalom - true peace - between Hashem and the Jewish people. Pinchas takes action, indeed what is referred to as an act of zealotry, and this restores the peace. In our day as well, we yearn for the redemption, the restoration of the Beis Hamikdash, and the unification of the Jewish people.
Moshe teaches (Devarim 32:7) "zechor yemos olam, binu shenos dor vador - remember the days of old, understand the years of generation after generation", study history and learn well its lessons. I'd like to analyze one aspect of the cause of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. As we know there is a gradual build- up of intensity of mourning, and restrictions that reflect this mourning, in the period between the Shiva Asar B'Taamuz and Tisha B'av. Starting on Shiva Asar B'Taamuz we abstain from haircuts and weddings; once the month of Av arrives, we intensify the mourning and the refrain from eating meat, drinking wine, and laundering clothes; on the night and morning of Tisha B'av we sit on the ground as mourners. However, on Tisha B'av at chatzos hayom (1:01 PM this year) something very strange occurs. At that moment we arise off the floor and the intensity of the mourning subsides. Why? It is at that moment namely in the afternoon, that the Romans set the Temple ablaze! As such, one would have expected an intensification, not a reduction, of the mourning, since this corresponds to the actual moment of destruction!?
The Gemara (Kiddushin 31b) explains this with the teaching of Avimai. The Psalmist (79:1) begins his psalm depicting the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem with the words "Mizmor l'Assaf - a song to A'ssaf." One would have expected the psalm to begin with the word "kina - a lamentation"! A'ssaf answers that Hashem directed his anger and vengeance towards "wood and stones", the physical temple, and by destroying the temple He spared the people and stopped the human destruction. Hence the lessening of mourning at this time, in recognition of our losing the eitzim and avanim - sticks and stones - but our people live on.
The sticks and stones of the Beis Hamikdash were no ordinary edifice. The Rama, Rav Moshe Isserles, in his Toras Haolah writes that Plato the Greek philosopher accompanied Nevuchadnetzer to destroy the first Beis Hamikdash. After the destruction, Plato met the prophet Jeremiah crying over the Temple ruins. The philosopher asked the prophet, why are you mourning over a building, over sticks and stones? Jeremiah then asked Plato if he had any unresolved philosophical issues. Plato responded with a list of complex problems. The prophet addressed each one and precisely and methodically resolved all his questions. Plato was astonished and could not believe that any man could be so wise. Jeremiah pointed to the Temple ruins and said "all of my knowledge I derived from these stick and stones".
The late Rav Shimshon Pincus z"l explained in a most poignant way why we lost the Beis Hamikdash. The Mishnah (Avos 3:22) teaches in the name of Rebi Elazar ben Azariah "one whose wisdom exceeds his good deeds is compared to a tree with many branches but with few roots; such a tree is easily uprooted by the wind. But one whose good deeds exceed his wisdom is likened to a tree with few branches but with many roots that all the winds cannot uproot." At the time of the destruction of the Temple, the Beis Hamikdash had not changed - it was still the great repository of wisdom. The very existence of a residence for the Almighty is most difficult to comprehend, as King Solomon expressed (Melachim I 8:27), "behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain you, much less this Temple that I have erected". Our rabbis therefore utilize the concept of tzimtzum meaning while "the whole world is filled with his glory" (Yeshaya 6:3), there is a greater concentration of His essence and presence in the Mikdash. A further proof that the Mikdash was the storehouse of wisdom is that we conclude every shemoneh esrei with the prayer that the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt, speedily in our days, and grant us our share in Torah. Why do we connect the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash with our being granted our share in Torah? Surely Torah study is independent of the Beis Hamikdash service! By making this connection we are reaffirming our belief that when the Beis Hamikdash is rebuilt, there will not only be the resumption of the avodah - service, but also that special heavenly enlightenment will again emanate from the Beis Hamikdash.
What changed at the time of the churban was the people. The breakdown of man to man relations, characterized by sinas chinum - gratuitous hatred, as portrayed in the Talmud (Yoma 9b), coupled with the idolatrous practices of the people as portrayed by the prophets Yeshaya, Jeremiah, and Yechezkel, diminished the quantitative and qualitative nature of their good deeds. They were no longer a worthy beis kibul - receptacle - for this special wisdom. They became that tree with many branches and few roots. Hashem had two choices. He could destroy the people or diminish the light and wisdom that emanated from the Beis Hamikdash. Fortunately, He chose the latter. This is what we mourn on Tisha B'av, the loss of the close relationship between the Jewish nation and Hashem. However, we rise at chatzos to breathe that sigh of relief that we survived though impaired, and we yearn and commit ourselves for the restoration Beis Hamikdash.
It is somewhat frightening to see the parallel in our contemporary society. Someday we will understand why our generation was endowed with exceptional wisdom and capabilities. The automobile, airplane, cellphone, incredible advances in medicine, laser surgery, in-utero surgery, and space exploration all reflect the technological explosions of our time. The hard question that we must ask ourselves is: are our deeds commensurate with this wisdom? Are we using these blessings to become more benevolent and magnanimous, more humble and moral, recognizing that they are a divine gift meant to enhance society if utilized properly? Are our deeds-roots more numerous than our knowledge? Or are we primarily channeling these gifts to satisfy our personal passions of greed and lust? The question must be addressed by society at large, but especially the Jewish community has to wrestle with the above.
The Talmud (Taanis 30b) teaches, "all who mourn for Jerusalem will merit witnessing her joy, and all those who do no mourn for Jerusalem will not merit to witness her joy". Mourning for Jerusalem means revisiting the causes for her destruction. The generation that lost the Beis Hamikdash had much wisdom but simply could not utilize it properly and contain it. May we learn from the mistakes of yesteryear and prove our actions worthy of supporting and maintaining the third Beis Hamikdash speedily in our days.