Welcome back to another episode of NachDaily with Ezra, perek 3. The main theme in this chapter is about how the Jews in Yerushalayim at that time began to build the 2nd Beis Hamikdash.

[May this segment be a merit for the aliyas neshamos of Raizel bas Moshe, Avraham Aharon ben Yisroel Yitzchok, and Refael ben Yehoshua Falek.]

The chapter opens by telling us that in the beginning of the month of Tishrei, on Rosh Hashana, the Jews in Yerushalayim began to unite as one people. Rab Shwab points out that this was done intuitively; the nation had a desire to bring korbanos for Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkos.

The Ramad Walli notes that this was no coincidence. The month of Tishrei is when Hashem’s 13 attributes of rachamim shine down and illuminate the world. That awesome light brought about the desire to connect to God on a deeper level to build the Mizbeach for Hashem.

The pessukim also mention that one of the reasons they built the Mizbeach is because they feared that the other nations alongside whom they were living in Eretz Yisrael would object to their resettling the land. They felt a sense of urgency to bring korbanos as a prayer that they not be harmed while rebuilding the 2nd Beis Hamikdash.

The Jews led by Yehoshua Ben Yehotzedek, also known as Yehoshua Kohen Gadol, and Zerubavel ben Shalti’el began to rebuild the Mizbeach to offer korbanos on a regular basis to Hashem. Indeed, the daily korbanos now became reestablished.

The Ramad Walli points out that the concept of korbanos is to be “m’kasher the elyona with the tachtona – to connect the upper world with the lower.” The entire idea of the Beis Hamikdash was to bring Heaven down to earth, as a House for God.

Klal Yisrael now celebrated Sukkos properly with all the korbanos for the first time since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. This was a truly momentous occasion for the nation. 70 years prior they had

been sent to galus and now their holiest site was being restored. It represented the Shechina coming back into the midst of the nation. Knowing that Hashem hadn’t left them gave Am Yisrael tremendous hope.

That Hashem has returned us to Eretz Yisrael after 2,000 years of exile should also give each and every one of us hope and faith that the full redemption will eventually take place.

The construction of the 2nd Beis Hamikdash was underway. The foundations were put in place and money was given for stones, food, water, and oil. Sidonians and Tyrians were hired to bring cedar trees from Lebanon.

Zerubavel ben Shaltiel and Yehoshua ben Yehotzaddak appointed Leviim 20 years old and up to work at the new Beis Hamikdash.

When the foundations were completed, the Kohanim and Leviim broke out their trumpets and special clothing, and began to sing words of Tehilim to Hashem for all the good He had done for them.

“Hodu L’Hashem ki tov, ki le’olam chassdo!

Mixed emotions filled the crowed at the inauguration ceremony. The older Kohanim and Leviim who had seen the 1st Beis Hamikdash cried. Although they were overwhelmed with happiness, the 2nd Beis Hamikdash wasn’t as magnificent as the 1st. The mixture of joy and tears was heard from afar.

Rav Shwab notes that this mixture characterized the 420 years during which the 2nd Beis Hamikdash stood. To have a house for God again was a dream come true, but for most of its existence it was ruled by Persia, Greece, and finally Rome. It was only for a short period of time, when the Chashmonaim ruled, that the Beis Hamikdash was seemingly independent from foreign powers.

Ramchal in sefer Mishkenei Elyon explains that the design of the 2nd Beis Hamidash was a hybrid of the 1st and the 3rd one about which Yechezkel Hanavi spoke. The nation understood that it was only a

respite until it would eventually be destroyed and we would have to wait for the 3rd Beis Hamikdash to be built.

Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily.

May we merit seeing the 3rd Beis Hamikdash built before our eyes. Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.