The Enthusiasm is Growing

Just as the practical mitzvot in general, in their fullness, went with us in exile and preserved for us in exile our vitality and our inner, essential spirit, bringing us to these days, the beginning of the period of the resurrection of the desire of national renaissance in our Land, so the mitzvot dependent on the Land will bring us to the upliftment of life, as they (those mitzvot) were determined by life’s full dimension (Eretz Chefetz 3:5).

As the Jewish people in our day have returned to our Land more of the mitzvot dependent on the Land are being observed. Rav Kook envisioned the enthusiasm for these mitzvot growing and sensed that these mitzvot were drawing the nation of Israel closer to the day that we will observe them fully in the time of Redemption.

The laws of Maaser, Terumah, and Shemita are a few pronounced examples of laws being practiced once again, albeit not in their fullness, with the absence of the Beit Hamikdash.

However, it is noteworthy that expressing our anticipation of the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash by means of observing a certain set of laws has always been close to the heart of the Jewish nation. The institution of Zecher LeMikdash is a prime example of this.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai was one of the main architects of Zecher LeMikdash (see Talmud Rosh Hashanah 30a). He lived through the Churban and had the task of rebuilding and strengthening the Torah after the tragedy. Chazal learned the concept of Zecher LeMikdash from the book of Yirmiyahu, who laments that no one was seeking out - doresh - Zion during exile. Thus, Chazal, instituted that we must find ways in our daily life to seek out Zion.

Yirmiyahu was echoing a verse in the Torah that instructs us to actively seek outdrash - the Shechina in the Temple (Devarim 12:5)

Rav Kook explains that the purpose of Zecher LeMikdash is to keep alive and ever-vibrant a Jew’s longing for the mitzvot attached to the Mikdash, which in itself, says Rav Kook, is instrumental in our actual redemption.

Rav Kook himself observed a unique custom of Zecher LeChurban: Tikkun Chatzot. This is an ancient custom, put into practice, of course, following the destruction, to awake each night at midnight and mourn the destruction of the Temple. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, among others, advocated this practice (Likutei Moharan, no. 67).

Rav Moshe Tzvi Neriya, in his exquisite monograph about the life of Rav Kook cites

Rav Kook’s notes on the Tur, Orach Chaim, printed in Mitzvot Re’iya, where he discusses the legal aspects of rising at midnight. He concludes that while every Jew is obligated to mourn the destruction of the Temple, the God-fearing should punctiliously recite Tikkun Chatzot, and the most pious should be awake at the exact moment of midnight. It is known that during the first years Rav Kook lived in Jerusalem, he regularly recited Tikkun Chatzot at the Kotel.

Rav Neriya reports the following episode from Rav Kook’s youth: “The Rav’s childhood friend Avraham Sho’ar described how they would recite Tikkun Chatzot together during the Three Weeks: ‘Every night at midnight, Avraham Yitzchak would close the Talmud. We would descend the bima, where we learned at night, and stand near the large furnace, remove our shoes, and sit on the floor to recite Tikkun Chatzot - two small boys weeping over the destruction… He possessed an uncommon love for Eretz Yisrael and a longing for the rebuilding of the Temple and the coming of Mashiach.

“I once asked him in my childhood naivete, ‘why do you weep so intensely during the reciting of Tikkun Chatzot? I also love Eretz Yisrael and my soul, too, yearns to immigrate to the precious Land. His answer, spoken with natural innocence, startled me into silence. “You are not a descendant of kohanim…you aren’t a Kohen. But I am a kohen!” (Celebration of the Soul, Jaffe, pp. 250-251)

Rav Neriya reported another remarkable incident regarding Rav Kook reciting Tikkun Chatzot:

A student of Rav Kook, Rabbi Shimon Starlitz, wanted to witness first hand the Rav’s customs. He knew that the Rav regularly studied late at night in his small study. He hid behind a couch. Midnight came. The Rav entered. Lit a candle, sat on the floor, and began reciting the verses from Tikkun Chatzot. He began with quiet restraint, but after a few minutes the words spewed forth and hot tears poured down his cheeks. As time passed, the Rav’s weeping and lamenting became so intense that Rabbi Shimon could not stand the excruciating grief. His heart grew tight with sorrow, and he lacked the strength to remain until the end. In the darkness of the room, he was able to sneak out of his hiding place and escape unnoticed (Ibid., pp. 251-252).

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