לקוטי שיחות חלק ט - דברים - שבת חזון

Because on Shabbos Chazon every person is shown the Third Beis HaMikdash, whose unique quality is the union of above and below, this vision has the power—even though it comes from above—to change a person’s nature.

It is well known that the holy Rabbi of Berditchev said that on Shabbos Chazon every person is shown the future Beis HaMikdash. He illustrates this with a parable about a father who sewed a garment for his son. The son tore it, so the father made him another garment, which he also tore. The father then made a third garment, but did not give it to his son. Instead, he would only show it to him from time to time, until proper conduct became natural to the son. At that point, he gave him the third garment.

This requires explanation. The inspiration produced by this vision comes from above, and an awakening from above does not endure unless the person also arouses himself through an awakening from below. How, then, can the vision itself change the son’s nature?

The explanation can be understood by first noting that it is specifically the Third Beis HaMikdash that is not given to the Jewish people until Hashem is certain that their nature has changed.

The First and Second Batei Mikdash were “buildings of man,” and therefore did not possess eternal permanence. The Third Beis HaMikdash, however, is “the building of Hashem” and will endure forever. Therefore, in order for the Jewish people to merit it, their proper conduct must likewise become permanent, through a transformation of their very nature.

More specifically, the First Beis HaMikdash corresponds to Avraham: a drawing down from above and the avodah of tzaddikim.

The Second Beis HaMikdash corresponds to Yitzchak: an elevation from below and the avodah of teshuvah.

The Third Beis HaMikdash corresponds to Yaakov, the attribute of truth. It represents the union of above and below through the Essence of the Infinite Light, which is not limited by the definitions of above and below. It therefore possesses eternal permanence.

Accordingly, the eternal nature of the future Beis HaMikdash does not result only from the Divine level above. Through the revelation of the Essence, time itself—whose very nature is change—becomes eternal and unlimited.

Since the Third Beis HaMikdash is eternal also from the perspective of the lower realm, the vision of it brings about the absence of change within human nature as well. It has the power to transform a person’s conduct into something fixed and enduring.

This is also why Shabbos Chazon occurs during Parshas Devarim. The unique quality of Sefer Devarim is expressed in the statement, “Moshe said it on his own.”

The first four books of the Torah primarily represent a drawing down from above. That alone is not sufficient. There must also be an elevation from below—“Moshe said it on his own”—meaning that the Torah became united with Moshe’s own intellect.