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In this week's haftorah, the prophet Malachi complains bitterly about
the
people's disdainful attitude towawrd the Temple service. He describes
how
they would offer blind sacrifices, or animals that were lame or sick.
They
held the Altar of Hashem in contempt. And he cries in the name of
Hashem: Who
among you will close the doors, so that my Altar will not be kindled in
vain!
What is surprising about this is that in Malachi's time, the Temple
had
not been in continuous existence for centuries, when over time the
people
might have become disdainful of it. Rather, Malachi prophesied right
near the
beginning of the Second Temple. The Temple and its service were yet new
to
the Jews, and the excitement and the clamor of the Inauguration still
sounded
in their ears. How could they have tired of it so quickly?
To understand this, we must take note of a basic distinction between
the
First and Second Temples. Although the Jews, after a seventy-year period
of
exile, were able to return to their land and rebuild the Temple,
nevertheless
we are taught that the Second Temple was not a true replacement of the
First: it was in fact of a markedly lower spiritual quality. Whereas in the First Temple, the Divine Presence was openly perceived by all who entered, in the Second Temple the Divine Presence was in a state of concealment. It was there, to be sure. But those who served in the Temple were not able to sense it and be invigorated by it. At such a time, when the priests who serve in the Temple fail to see their efforts bear fruit, there is a grave danger. Gradually they, along with the people, may lose their excitement in the service of the Divine, until eventually the service is performed by rote in a mechanical fashion. And indeed, the prophet saw this happening before his very eyes. What might rekindle the enthusiasm of the people? And is there a lesson here for us? The solution is offered by the prophet Malachi himself. "Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant, which I commanded unto him at Horeb." (Malachi 3:22) If we put our efforts into studying the Law, in becoming fluent in it and learning its meaning, then we shall never be in danger of neglecting it and stooping to mere mechanical observance of its details. Copyright (c) 1996 by Rabbi Levi Langer
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For information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael
Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il
Shema Yisrael Torah Network
adam@shemayisrael.co.il
http://www.shemayisrael.co.il
Jerusalem, Israel
972-2-532-4191