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Translated by Avraham Greenbaum in Secrets of the Future Temple from Mishkeney Elyon
Now I will explain to you why the Future Temple will be
different from the First and Second. This is no empty matter. Pay careful
attention and make every effort to follow. There are certain important points
that you must understand first.
Two roots of creation  | | " The word 'bereishit' thus indicates two beginnings...." | | |
It is written: "In the beginning [in Hebrew, "bereishit"],
G-d created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). The Sages commented that the
letter beit [the second letter of the alef-beit] in the
word bereishit also has the connotation of "two", this being the
numerical value of the letter beit. The word "bereishit" thus
indicates two beginnings. You must grasp this great fundamental in order to
understand things clearly and know the meaning of the idea of the rectification
[tikun] of the world.
When the Creator blessed-be-He decided to create this
world, He set the lights in their proper places and the guards at their posts,
arranging all the different orders of Creation in His Wisdom ( chochma).
This chochma was exalted above all His other works, and upon this
chochma everything depends. This chochma is signified by the yud
of His glorious, awesome Name.
But above chochma is found another beginning ( keter),
which is wholly concealed: "Deep, deep, who can find it?" (Ecclesiastes 7:24).
This is what gives chochma its power and strength. Because of its intense
holiness, this higher beginning is totally hidden within chochma and
completely invisible from outside. When all the ministers and officers who
receive from the King see that they all receive from chochma, they say,
"Surely this is the beginning [in Hebrew, 'reishit'] of
everything, this is the source that never ceases." For this reason chochma
is called "the beginning". | | " Everything brought about by chochma derives from this higher beginning...." | | |
But included within chochma is this other, higher
"beginning" [keter]. There is no separation between the two. Everything
brought about by chochma derives from this higher beginning, and it is
from here that chochma receives its orders. There is nothing in the world
that chochma brings about that does not derive from this other beginning,
signified by the cusp of the yud. You will find that the cusp is never
separated from the yud nor the yud from the cusp. Thus all things
have a beginning, and, in addition, there is the beginning of the beginning.
This is the concept of the two beginnings (beit [the letter] -reishit)
of which I spoke above. | | " When...keter is revealed in all its power and glory, all the lights will come to a far greater, higher level...." | | |
Why did scripture use an expression that bears two
meanings? The reason is that since the day the world was created until the
present time the world has not attained perfection. Everything depends on man's
deeds. Had man not sinned, the universe would have come to perfection. Because
of his sin, it was not perfected. So far the Creation has only come to the level
of rectification corresponding to chochma. But there is a far greater,
higher level that is still to be attained. For when the hidden beginning (keter)
is revealed in all its power and glory, all the lights will come to a far
greater, higher level, after which there will be no more decline.
The lights have not yet attained this level, but in times
to come they will indeed attain it. And then abundant good will come into the
world, peace and tranquility will reign everywhere, and sadness and sighing will
be banished. Of those days it is said: "On that day G-d will be one and His Name
one.
If I were to expand on this matter, it would lead into very
extensive discussions that would take me way beyond the bounds of my subject. It
is humanly impossible to grasp every single detail to the very end. Accordingly,
I will not stray far from the path. I will simply set before you a number of
introductory explanations. Examine them carefully and you will gain an
understanding of hidden secrets that are sealed up and reserved for the remnants
whom G-d calls, secrets that serve as the garb of the Ancient One (cf. Isaiah
23:18 as explained in Pesachim 118a).
The First Temple: Chochma
What you must know is that until now all the lights and all
the levels have been based only on chochma, whereas in the future the
concealed beginning [keter] will be revealed and all things will ascend
to the greatest, most precious levels.
Know too that the sin of Adam spoiled everything and caused
all perfection to become concealed, with the result that the world was not even
able to return to its previous state [i.e. the level of chochma] except
in the days of Solomon, when the Temple was first built. Thus it is written,
"And G-d gave chochma to Solomon" (I Kings 5:26). For then chochma
was revealed in all its beauty and radiant glory, enabling all the lights to
shine with great strength and joy. In those days, on every level in all the
worlds there was only holy power and delight the like of which had never been
seen. Even so, because everything was based only on chochma and did not
reach the ultimate goal [of keter], this peace and tranquility came to an
end and the Temple was destroyed.
The Future Temple
But it times to come, when the hidden beginning I mentioned
[keter] is revealed, the happiness will be far, far greater, and it will
never cease. All things emanate from their source. Likewise, all the rules
governing the lights and their functioning, whether in motion or at rest, follow
their source. Any change in the source from which the lights receive affects the
whole world. For this reason, in times to come the world will undergo many
changes, and the Holy Temple will certainly be different since this is the place
from which life is channeled to all the creatures in all the worlds. | | " When the boundaries of chochma are surpassed, the world will enter a new state of joy...." | | |
The First Temple, then, corresponds to chochma, the
chochma that was given to Solomon and with which he built the Temple, as
I have explained, while the Future Temple corresponds to the hidden beginning [keter]
that has yet to be revealed.
Nevertheless, there is certainly nothing new under the sun.
All the changes and developments that have taken place and continue to take
place every single day for the six thousand years of Creation were decreed at
the very outset. Even so, in times to come, when the boundaries of chochma
are surpassed, the world will enter a new state of joy. This is a great
fundamental, though I will not discuss it at length now. Let me just say briefly
that, initially, G-d made all things the way they are now on the basis of
chochma alone, yet they contain within them the power to be ordered
according to the supreme beginning [keter]. And when this beginning is
revealed, everything will be drawn after it through the original power already
planted within them at the outset. The entire creation will then be renewed as
if it was born at that moment. That is why Isaiah spoke of: "The new heavens and
the new earth" (Isaiah 66:22).
The Third Temple Above | | " The Temple above never ceased to exist, even though the Temple below was destroyed...." | | |
And now I will reveal a very great secret, so apply your
intelligence resolutely in order to descend to the depths of the matter. Know
that this future Temple is the one that Ezekiel the Prophet saw immediately
after the destruction of the First Temple. You have already heard that the
Temple above never ceased to exist, even though the Temple below was destroyed.
For the Temple in This World could only be built through the great power of the
lights [the sefirot], which radiated from level to level until they
reached this world, producing the Temple. In the absence of this power the
Temple could not remain in this world. But this did not mean that the Heavenly
Temple had to be destroyed. It simple became darkened and did not shine as at
first.
However, those familiar with the paths of wisdom know a
great secret: had those who lived when Solomon built the First Temple not fallen
into sin but held firm to the path of purity, they would have ascended from
level to level until everything was perfected. The world would then simply have
changed directly from one state to another, and what was to have been revealed
would have been revealed.
But the influence of evil and the proliferation of sinners
caused the destruction of the First Temple that was built according to the
initial design. When this happened, the Heavenly Temple no longer stood in its
original form. In a single moment it disappeared and was rebuilt in a different
form and structure: that of the Future Temple. One building disappeared and the
other appeared without so much as a hairsbreadth between them. However the new
structure was not revealed in the lower world. Only in the future will it be
revealed. But in the Upper World, from that day on, so it was and so it is.
That is why Ezekiel saw it, for it was already built and
standing. Had the Jewish People only been worthy, the redemption in the time of
Ezra should have been like the redemption from Egypt, and their entry into the
Land should have been like Joshua's entry. Then they would have built the Temple
according to the plan seen by Ezekiel, and the two Temples, above and below,
would have been perfectly aligned.
The Shechina in the First and Second Temples
Since the people failed to improve their ways, the
redemption in the time of Ezra was a quiet affair and they did not have the
strength to build the Temple according to the plan of the future Temple. On the
instructions of the prophets among them they built it partly like the First
Temple and partly like the future Temple which already existed above. But the
time was not ripe for them to build it entirely like the future Temple.
Thus in the time of Solomon the two Temples - in this world
and the higher world - were in perfect alignment, and accordingly the
Shechina found a resting-place and dwelled in the earthly Temple. But the
Second Temple was not similar to the Heavenly Temple and the Shechina did
not dwell in it.
The Shechina in the Future Temple
However, in times to come, not only will the two Temples be
similar, but the Upper House will extend until it reaches the Lower World. This
is the meaning of the saying of our Rabbis that the Third Temple will be the
work of the hands of G-d. For the Heavenly Temple will not be uprooted from its
place. Rather, it will extend until it reaches the lower world, and then around
it will be built a physical structure at fitting in this material world, and the
two structures will be joined and become one and will never again separate.
G-d's glory will be fully revealed there, as it is written, "And the glory of
G-d will be revealed, and all flesh will see" (Isaiah 40:5). Then there will be
complete peace and happiness forever.
There is an allusion to this secret in the verse: "...the
Sanctuary, Ado-nai, that Your hands established [in Hebrew, 'konenu']"
(Ex. 15:17). The beauty of the limbs and ornaments of the Shechina is
revealed according to the way she receives. When the light of this beginning
will shine, the glory of Her crown [keter] will be greatly exalted. Thus
the Sanctuary will be built on the foundation of keter, and the numerical
value of the letters of the word "konenu" [spelled kaf, nun,
nun, vav = 126] is equivalent to the sum of [the rebua value of the
divine name Ado-nai cited in the verse:] alef plus alef-dalet
plus alef-dalet-nun plus alef-dalet-nun-yud,
which shines in this crown [keter].
All these matters are very deep and far more rooted in
wisdom than might appear.
(Published by the Temple Institute and Azamra Institute)
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