The Rebbe's Rambam | Marking the completion of the entire set

Hilchos Melachim | Ch 11

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424

to its former glory . [101] [102] He will rebuild the Holy Temple and gather the exiles of the Jewish

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 “his intent and aspiration should be to advance the true faith, to fill society with morality.” 329 Notably, there are several versions of the text here, with minor nuanced differences. 330 According to some versions, the words, “the laws will be restored to how they were originally” may be a general statement referring to the mitzvos which are enumerated further, and not an additional detail for itself. Likkutei Sichos vol. 18 pg. 277, margin note to fn. 49 101. “He will rebuild the Holy Temple and gather the exiles of the Jewish people” The Rambam states that the building of the Beis Hamikdash will precede the ingathering of exiles. However, numerous Midrashic sources state the oppo site: the ingathering of exiles will precede the building of the Beis Hamikdash; “Yerushalayim will not be rebuilt until the exiles are gathered.” 331 A similar implication is evident in Tehillim; Chapter 126 speaks about the ingathering of exiles, and it is followed by Chapter 127 which speaks about the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash. This was also the order followed with the Mishkan in the desert and with the first Beis Hamikdash — the gathering of the Jewish people (in the Exodus from Egypt and in settling the Holy Land) preceded the building of a Divine abode. Both approaches can teach us a lesson in our Divine service: The building of the Beis Hamikdash represents the sanctification of the material world. Therefore, the Midrashic approach says, it will be built after the ingathering of exiles. The first stage of the world’s redemption is when the Jewish people are redeemed, and then, afterwards, the world will reach yet a higher state in which even physical matter itself is elevated and redeemed. The lesson from this approach is that in general, before engaging in our role to elevate the world around us, we must first elevate ourselves and achieve our own spiritual potential. This gives us the ability to thereafter elevate our surroundings. 332 However, the Rambam’s approach teaches us that sometimes, the building of the Beis Hamikdash must .331 .(åôåñá) àé çð àîåçðú .332 äìôúä íãå÷ ìåëàì øåñà ïëìã" (à"òø ,ç) åö ú"å÷ìá øàåáîä ã"òå åîöò àåäå ìëàîä äìòé êéàå ìëàîäî úåöåöéðä øåøéá ò"åä äìôúäù éôì ."äèîì øùå÷î ïééãò



Pardes Hamelech

precede the ingathering of exiles: When an opportunity arises before you — by Divine providence — to accomplish a certain matter, it is an indication that it is a mission for you to fulfill, even if you have yet to achieve your full spiritual potential. In fact, elevating your surroundings and building this Beis Hamikdash will be a source of additional spiritual strength for your personal Divine service as well. Jewish law follows the Rambam’s approach, as no other Halachic authorities dissent with his opinion; the Beis Hamikdash will be built before the ingathering of exiles. On a similar note, in our generation, the correct approach is to engage in elevating one’s surroundings even before reaching one’s personal spiritual potential. The Rebbe [Rayatz] sent emissaries to the most distant locales without waiting for those individuals to achieve the pinnacle of their spiritual perfection, and he applied this approach to the masses, not only to specific individuals. However, a lesson should be remembered from the other approach as well: Whenever we bring a fellow Jew closer to Judaism, there are two aspects to our endeavor: (1) the goal of bringing this specific individual closer to Judaism (i.e., the ingathering of exiles), and (2) the effect this engagement will have on the world in general (i.e., building the Beis Hamikdash). The Midrashic approach reminds us that the pri mary role and focus of the Shliach is to influence the people of his specific location (Jews, and non-Jews through encouraging them to observe the Seven Noahide Laws). Although he must remember that the ultimate goal is to “build the Beis Hamikdash” and influence the world at large, and this knowledge will certainly be a source of encouragement and inspiration, he shouldn’t forget that his most important focus is “the ingathering of the exiles” — the people of his city. Chaye Sarah 5747. Sefer Hasichos vol. 1 pg. 99 102. “He will rebuild the Holy Temple and gather the exiles of the Jewish people” The Rambam states that the building of the Beis Hamikdash will precede the ingathering of exiles. However, as explained in the previous segment, numer- .329 .åôåñá .330 ùåøéôä ä"ë éìåàå ."ïéáéø÷î åéäù íãå÷î" (591 ãøåôñ÷åà) é"úëî 'àá 'ááå .(å"àå éìá) "úåðáø÷ ïéáéø÷î" é"úëä áåøå íéñåôãáù àñøéâä éôì íâ .ïàë øôñ úéø÷á ä"ëå ,(å"àåá) "ïéáéø÷îå" é"úë