His Eyes are On it Continually....

Nightfall is descending upon the day...the 10th of Tevet.  The anniversary of the day Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem...leading to the destruction of the Temple(9th of Av) and the 70 years of captivity in Babylon.

The Sages explain:

  “Every generation for which the Temple is not rebuilt, is as though the Temple was destroyed for that generation.”

That make's you think.

Close your eyes and imagine the whole story for a moment*. Imagine being there...perhaps you have been pricked by the words of the prophet who has foretold HaShem's punishment if Israel didn't mend her ways and have finally seen the corruption. Perhaps you have fasted and prayed, repented from your own misdeeds and have desperately taken the message to other's as well, hoping and praying that they will repent and HaShem will turn from His plan and spare you all. There are a handful that do perhaps...but most mock you and slam the proverbial "door in your face". Then one fateful day you are awakened by a great trembling! Thousands of Babylonian soldiers are marching up to Jerusalem...you know this is just the beginning...and your heart sinks to your feet.

Now that entire exercise is actually quite pointless if we don't use it as a reminder. We are not above the folks of the past...in fact you might almost say we are more responsible having had their example to learn from...it makes me think of these words to the Hebrews:

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." Hebrews 2:1

and again

 "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children..." -Deut. 4:9

I am only giving you a smidge here...but the point is we need to be diligent to guard(shamar - 8104) the way of the L-rd, hastening the day when Mashiach will return and set up the Sanctuary once again.

The days we mourn for the Temple(or rather lack there of) and it's destruction are sad days yes. However they are also seen as opportune times as well. Times to repent, to do what we can to align ourselves again with the Holy One and hasten that joyous day when Mashiach, the Son of David will be Leader over all Israel! May it be soon and in our days!


Shavua Tov

..."They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

"My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. 

They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever.  

I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  

Then the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." Ezekiel 37:23-28

*figure of speech...you probably found out it's hard to read with your eyes closed :P

Enjoy the music...it's a little different.