לקוטי שיחות חלק לט - שבת חזון

In the deeper explanation of the name "Shabbos Chazon" (which, simply put, is named after the haftarah), it is known what the renowned chassid Reb Hillel of Paritch brought in the name of the holy Rabbi of Berdichev, of blessed memory. He explained that "Shabbos Chazon" is derived from the word "chazon" (vision), meaning that on this Shabbos, every Jew is shown the future Beis HaMikdash from afar (as will be explained later in section 2).

It can be said that when Shabbos Chazon falls on Tisha B'Av itself (as it does this year), this aspect of Shabbos Chazon — the vision of the future Beis HaMikdash — is emphasized with even greater intensity and strength.

It is known that the purpose of the fasts (and therefore, their inner intention even now) is that they will be transformed into days of joy, as the Rambam states, "they are destined to become days of joy and gladness." This is particularly emphasized in the fast of Tisha B'Av, where "we do not say Tachanun or Selichos on Tisha B'Av, nor do we fall on our faces, because it is called a 'moed' (festival)." Furthermore, it is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud that on the day the Temple was destroyed (Tisha B'Av), "the Messiah was born." Especially according to what is known, that on a person's birthday, their mazal (fortune) is strong, it follows that on Tisha B'Av, the mazal of our righteous Messiah is strong, and it is a day conducive to salvation and redemption. This has practical halachic implications, as Rabbi Chaim Vital writes in the name of the Arizal that this is one of the reasons we recite "verses of consolation" on Tisha B'Av during Mincha, "because at Mincha on Tisha B'Av, the Messiah, called Menachem, is born." It can be said that this is the inner reason why Tisha B'Av is called a "moed."

Based on this, it can be said that when the fast of Tisha B'Av falls on Shabbos, and the fast is postponed to Sunday, this only pertains to the aspects of fasting and mourning. However, the aspect of "moed" on this day, because it is the day the savior of Israel is born and it is a day conducive to consolation and redemption, is not postponed by Shabbos. On the contrary, these aspects are primarily on Shabbos.

This is similar to what is explained elsewhere regarding all fasts, that when they fall on Shabbos, only the fasting aspect is postponed. However, the fact that a fast day is called "a day of favor to G‑d" is not postponed from Shabbos. On the contrary, it is a time of favor with even greater intensity and strength, because "You called it the most desirable of days," and we are commanded to delight in it with the pleasure of eating and drinking, etc. Thus, when the fast falls on Shabbos, it is like a "Yom Tov" and a day of "joy and gladness."

From this, it is also understood in our case that since when Tisha B'Av falls on Shabbos, its inner aspect is openly emphasized, which is a "moed" and a day conducive to matters of salvation, redemption, and consolation, the vision of the future Beis HaMikdash on this day (being Shabbos Chazon) is with even greater intensity and strength.

We can further explain the special advantage of the vision of the future Beis HaMikdash when Shabbos Chazon falls on Tisha B'Av itself, by first explaining the continuation of the words of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, who brings a parable to explain why the future Beis HaMikdash is shown to each Jew from afar:

"A parable: A father had a precious son and made him a valuable garment to wear. Because the son did not take care of the garment and did things that should not be done, he tore it into many pieces. The father made him a second valuable garment, and he tore it as well. What did the father do? He made him a third garment but did not give it to him to wear; instead, he stored it away. At certain times, he shows him the garment and says, 'See, if you behave properly, this garment will be given to you to wear.' This encourages the son to behave properly until it becomes second nature to him, and then the father gives him the garment to wear, as he is no longer afraid that the son will revert to his old ways, since it has become like second nature to him. This is the concept of Shabbos Chazon, from the word 'chazon' (vision), where each Jew is shown the future Beis HaMikdash from afar, etc."

The purpose of showing the "future Beis HaMikdash" is to accustom the Jewish people to walk in the right path until this behavior becomes "like second nature" to them, and then the Beis HaMikdash will be given to them below.

However, there is a need to understand how the parable aligns with the content of the analogy. At first glance, in the parable, the garment itself is merely an external reward and does not inherently cause the son to behave properly. Therefore, only by the father not giving him the garment and merely showing it to him, saying, "See, if you behave properly, this garment will be given to you," does it accustom him to walk in the right path. But in the analogy, the very existence of the Beis HaMikdash brings about improvement and betterment in the state of the Jewish people because it is a place of Divine revelation and the vision of G‑dliness. According to this, it is puzzling how it is possible that the vision of G‑dliness during the time of the Beis HaMikdash, when the Temple stood in its place and the Jewish people ascended for the pilgrimage and saw with their own eyes the ten miracles that occurred for our ancestors in the Beis HaMikdash, and over many years, did not influence them to improve their ways, even though at the time there were prophets who admonished Israel and warned them that through their evil deeds they would cause exile and the destruction of the Temple. Yet, the fact that they are only shown the future Beis HaMikdash from afar, and this itself only "at certain times," has the power to influence the Jewish people to accustom themselves to walk in the right path until it becomes "like second nature" in their souls?

It can be said that the explanation for this is hinted at in what Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev writes, "that each Jew is shown the future Beis HaMikdash from afar." At first glance, this requires explanation, for vision and distance are two different concepts, and furthermore — vision 1) indicates that the thing is close, 2) "brings closer" and informs the viewer of the details of the matter.

As is known, the distinction between seeing and hearing is that seeing is from close and hearing is from afar. In other words, vision reaches the soul and penetrates a person with a certainty and clarity that hearing does not. When a person sees something, no proofs or evidence can contradict his vision, because since he himself saw the thing, it is confirmed and clarified for him more than any intellectual clarification.

This is emphasized in the law that "a witness cannot become a judge," as stated in the Gemara, the reason being "since they saw it, they cannot find merit for him," whereas when the judges hear from the witnesses, even if it is clear to them that the witnesses are telling the truth, they can find merit for him, because the certainty and impression from seeing is greater than the certainty and impression from hearing.

Therefore, what does it mean when it says that "each Jew is shown the future Beis HaMikdash from afar"? If it is in the manner of seeing, it emphasizes that it is not "from afar" but "from close."

It can be said that the intention here is to teach us two opposite aspects necessary for the walking in the right path to become "like second nature" in a way that will bring about the giving of the future Beis HaMikdash.

The explanation of the matter:

It is known from the Zohar that the third Beis HaMikdash will be built by the Holy One, blessed be He, "a building of the Holy One." As Rashi writes, "The future Temple that we anticipate is built and complete, and it will be revealed and come from the heavens, as it is said, 'The sanctuary, O L‑rd, that Your hands have established.'" However, on the other hand, we find in the words of our Sages that the Temple will be built by the Jewish people, and so rules the Rambam that Mashiach will build the Temple. At first glance, his reasoning is simple, for the building of the Beis HaMikdash is a positive commandment, as it is written, "And they shall make Me a sanctuary," and a commandment is something incumbent upon the Jewish people.

It has already been explained many times that several reconciliations can be offered between the two opinions, that both are present within it [that the building of the Temple below will be by human hands, and in this earthly Temple, the spiritual Temple from above will descend and dwell, or that a physical Temple will descend from the heavens but the doors or gates that were sunk into the ground, which were made by human hands, will rise and be revealed and placed in their place, and the one who sets up the doors is considered as if he built it]. According to this, it turns out that in the future building, there is a need for both aspects — both the aspect of "a building of the Holy One," and that it should be done by human beings, the king Mashiach.

The core explanation here is that the primary innovation of the Third Temple is that it will be an eternal structure, unlike the First and Second Temples. Therefore, it must be "a building of the Holy One," rather than a building of human beings, which lacks permanence. However, on the other hand, the eternality of the Temple must also be within the framework of the earthly realm. Thus, this eternal establishment below is achieved through the actions of human beings, so that the eternality, as it is from the perspective of "a building of the Holy One," is also established within the earthly framework.

We can say that just as this applies to the building of the Beis HaMikdash, it similarly applies to the vision of the future Temple shown to each Jew. This vision contains an aspect of both "a building of the Holy One" and human action (as hinted in the two expressions "shown... from afar," as will be explained):

When it is said "the language of vision shown to each Jew," it does not merely mean that on Shabbos Chazon, the future Temple is in a state of vision for each individual. Rather, "shown" implies that the vision does not come from the person themselves, but is the action of the one showing it, meaning the vision comes from above, similar to how the building is "a building of the Holy One."

This is the novelty of this vision compared to the vision of the Divine Presence in the First and Second Temples:

In the First and Second Temples, although the Jewish people ascended for the pilgrimage and offered sacrifices in the Temple and saw the revelation of the Divine Presence through the ten miracles performed for our ancestors, which certainly brought them to fear of Heaven [all the more so from the fact that the ascent itself to Jerusalem to eat the second tithe brought them to fear of Heaven, "for he would see great holiness and priests engaged in the service, he would direct his heart more towards fear of Heaven and learning Torah, as derived in the Sifrei, 'so that you may learn to fear, etc.' The greatness of the second tithe is that it leads to study because he would remain in Jerusalem until he consumed his second tithe and would see everyone engaged in the work of Heaven and service, he too would direct himself towards fear of Heaven and engage in Torah"] — this vision was what the Jewish people saw and were inspired to fear of Heaven; whereas in the Third Temple, it will be in a manner that "it is shown to each Jew," that G‑d shows it.

The difference between something a person sees on their own and something shown to them from above is both in quantity and quality: when a person sees on their own, they do not see all the details of the matter, only what they can perceive with their own power; however, when it is shown to them, they can see the entire matter. Furthermore, when the perception of the matter is through human power, the grasp of the matter is according to the manner of their vessels and senses, and they do not grasp the matter as it truly is; whereas when it is shown to them, it is not according to the measure of human perception, but according to the value of the matter being shown.

Similarly, regarding the Temples: in the First and Second Temples, the Jewish people "saw" the revelation on their own, and since it is the vision of a created being, it is not the revelation of G‑dliness of the Temple as it truly is, for a created being cannot see and comprehend G‑dliness except in a limited manner, according to the measure and limitations of a human being; however, the future Temple that is shown to each Jew is not according to the value and level of the created being, but it is the Temple itself, because G‑d shows it, and this matter is infinitely superior to what a created being can see and comprehend.

For this reason, the vision of the revelations in the First and Second Temples and the service then did not result in the conduct of the Jewish people being "like nature" in their souls, a matter of eternality. Only the vision of the future Temple has the power to cause their conduct to be in the straight path,

because the vision and service of Israel in the First and Second Temples is only the vision and service of a created being, and since it is measured, limited, and subject to change, their service is also limited and cannot have eternality; whereas the vision of the future Temple is an action from G‑d, and therefore it alone has the power to cause the conduct in the straight path to become like nature.

However, despite all this, since it is from the "showing" from above and not from the person below, it follows that from the perspective of the state of the Jewish people themselves, the vision of the Temple does not have an eternal effect.

This is why it is precise that "they show each Jew the future Temple from afar," for even though they show the future Temple, it must be felt by the person as "from afar." The person's service must be to contemplate this very fact, that they are shown the future Temple, and he is, from his own perspective, distant from it. This causes a movement of self-nullification within him, until through this he becomes a "vessel" so that the drawing from above is felt and absorbed in his reality.

Based on this, we can also explain the connection to the matter of Shabbos Chazon in its simple sense, which is named after the beginning of the haftarah "Chazon Yeshayahu," which openly is "the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem," matters that are the opposite of salvation and comfort. For the revelation of the vision of the future Temple comes through the feeling of distance, as explained in the haftarah of "Shabbos Chazon," which effects the closeness that "from the vision (it will be) and our eyes will see," that the vision of the future Temple will not be from afar, but from close.

According to all the above, we can explain the special advantage of the vision of the future Temple when Shabbos Chazon falls on the day of Tisha B'Av itself. Then, in addition to showing each Jew the future Temple, the advantage of the revelation from above, since on that very day our righteous Mashiach is born and stands ready to redeem Israel and build the Temple in its place, this adds to the empowerment of the person's service in connection with the future Temple, that it should not be in a manner of "from afar," but in a close manner, truly close, related to the person's reality.

Through this, the Temple descends and is revealed below in a truly manifest way to each one, and may it be G‑d's will that we merit this in this very Shabbos Chazon of this year, especially since the initials of this year are "It will be a year of wonders," that the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself shows — "I will show" — to each Jew wonders, of the true and complete redemption, "As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders," immediately and without delay.

In this context, it is noteworthy that the Midrash states that there is no joy except on Tisha B'Av. This is because the birth of Mashiach on Tisha B'Av signifies the potential for redemption and the ultimate joy that will follow. The Arizal explains in Shaar HaKavanot that the reason we recite the blessing on the new moon after Tisha B'Av is because Mashiach is born on this day. Similarly, in Mishnat Chassidim, it is stated that Menachem (another name for Mashiach) is born on Tisha B'Av, which is why the blessing is recited then.

Furthermore, it is explained in the writings of the Arizal and the Pri Etz Chaim that the sanctity of the Temple and Jerusalem is eternal because it is due to the Divine Presence, which never ceases. However, this sanctity is established through the act of consecration, as Rambam writes that the sanctity of the Temple and Jerusalem is due to the Divine Presence, and this sanctity is established through the act of consecration.

In conclusion, the unique occurrence of Tisha B'Av falling on Shabbos, which is then postponed, allows for the consumption of meat and wine during the Seudah Mafseket, the final meal before the fast, as if it were a feast of King Solomon in his time. This highlights the joy and anticipation of the future redemption, when the Temple will be rebuilt, and the sanctity of Jerusalem will be fully restored.

Therefore, there were differences in the level of revelation, as explained in Likutei Torah, Parshas Berachah 98b: Each and every Jew, according to their own measure, would receive this revelation when they ascended for the pilgrimage, as all are obligated to appear. Thus, it is stated "the face of the L‑rd" in the plural form, indicating that each one experienced the revelation according to their own capacity.