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| Terumah: The Iron Wall |
The Torah describes in great detail the vehicle for bringing God's Presence into our
world: the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the forerunner of the holy Temple in Jerusalem.
This sanctuary was a
"house of prayer for all peoples," a focal point of Divine service,
prayer, and prophetic vision.
Our current situation, without the holy Temple, is one of
tragic estrangement from God.
The Sages described this woeful state with a striking metaphor.
From the day the Temple was destroyed, the gates of prayers have been
locked — and "a wall of iron
separates us from our Father in heaven" (Berachot 32b).
Why did they describe the spiritual divide separating us from God as
a "wall of iron"? Why not, for example, a wall of
stone?
The Rule of Iron
The metaphor of an iron wall, Rav Kook explained, is accurate for
several reasons.
A stone wall is built layer by layer, stone by stone. An iron
wall is more complex to construct; but when it is erected, it is
set up quickly. The destruction of the Temple and its disastrous
ramifications did not occur gradually, but was an abrupt, catastrophic setback
for the people of Israel and the entire world. This tragedy took place like
the sudden erection of an iron wall.
Furthermore, the essential nature of the Temple is the exact opposite of
iron. Iron represents war and destruction. Implements of death and
slaughter are wrought from metal and iron. Iron, the Sages wrote, is a material used
to shorten life.
The Temple, on the other hand, lengthens life. Its purpose is to
spread harmony, unity, and enlightenment. The dissonance between iron
and the Temple is so great, that the stones used to construct the Temple
could not be hewed with iron implements (Deut. 27:5, Midot 3:4).
With the Temple's destruction, the sweet music of prayer and song
ceased. It was replaced with the jarring clamor of iron and steel,
reaping destruction and cutting down life. The moral and spiritual
influence of the Temple was replaced by the merciless rule of iron.
Only when justice will be restored, when the world
will accept the authority of morality and truth, will the "wall of
iron" come down. And the Temple will once again take its place as a
universal center of prayer and peace.
(adapted from Ein Eyah vol. I, p. 149)
Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison
"They shall make Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among
them." (Ex. 25:3)