During the three weeks, as we mourn the loss of the Beis Hamikdash, we ask ourselves, what can we do to rectify the situation? What can we do to help bring about the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash? Can we simply begin to build the physical structure of the Beis Hamikdash or should we focus our energies on something else?

There is an apparent contradiction in Chazal as to whether the Beis Hamikdash can be built at night. The gemara in Shavuos (15b) proves from a passuk that it cannot be built at night, while the gemara in Sukkah (41a) writes that it can be. Is there any way to resolve this contradiction?

Rashi (Sukkah 41a) explains that the gemara in Shavuos that says that the Beis Hamikdash cannot be built at night is referring to the first two times the Beis Hamikdash was built. However, the gemara in Sukkah is referring to the third Beis Hamikdash, which will be different because, as Rashi proves from a pasuk (Shemos 15:17), it will not be built by man as the first two were, but rather the physical structure will come down from the heavens completely intact. Therefore, the third Beis Hamikdash can be “built” at night, because we will not be building it.

The Aruch L’Ner (Sukkah 41a) disagrees with Rashi’s explanation that the third Beis Hamikdash will descend intact from the Heavens. He writes that the gemara in Shavuos is only referring to the actual walls of the structure of the Beis Hamikdash which cannot be built at night. However, the gemara in Sukkah is referring to the utensils in the Beis Hamikdash like the mizbeach and the shulchan. He explains that the pasuk that seems to support the view of Rashi that the physical edifice of the Beis Hamikdash will come down from the heavens is not referring to the physical building. Rather, it is referring to the spiritual Beis Hamikdash which will descend into the physical building after it is built by man, like a neshama entering the body. 

The Rambam (Hilchos Beis Habechira, Intro) seems to disagree with Rashi as well by listing the building of the beis hamikdash as a positive commandment, which would apply even nowadays. The Rambam (ibid, 1:12) also writes that it is forbidden to build the Beis Hamikdash at night, like the gemara in Shavuos, and adds that women are obligated to build the Beis Hamikdash.

There are two questions that need to be answered to understand the Rambam.

1.       How does he explain the gemara in Sukkah that says the beis hamikdash can be built at night?

2.       If the Beis Hamikdash can only be built during the day, isn’t it a time-bound positive commandment (mtzvas aseh shehazman grama) which women are not obligated in?

The Yerushalmi (Yoma 5a) writes that every generation in which the Beis Hamikdash is not rebuilt is guilty of destroying it. The obvious question is that although a generation might not merit bringing about the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash, why are they guilty of destroying it? The Chofetz Chaim (Shemiras Halashon, Section 2 Chapter 7) explains that every generation has the potential and ability to cause the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash. If a generation repairs the sin that caused the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, they would bring about its rebuilding. Therefore, since the second Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of the sin of baseless hatred, when a generation repairs that, the third Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt. It is for this reason that the Yerushalmi writes that a generation that does not rebuild the Beis Hamikdash is guilty of destroying it, because the lack of rebuilding reflects that they are also guilty of baseless hatred and would have caused the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash as well.

According to this explanation of the Chofetz Chaim I think we can answer the two questions we asked on the Rambam. It is possible to suggest that the Rambam actually agrees with Rashi that the gemara in Sukkah that says that the Beis Hamikdash can be built at night is referring to the physical structure of the third Beis Hamikdash and it will come from the heavens. The positive commandment to build the third Beis Hamikdash that the Rambam lists is not referring to building the physical structure, which is forbidden at night. Rather, the mitzvah is to build the Beis Hamikdash by correcting the cause of its destruction, baseless hatred, by creating a society of unwarranted care and concern for others. According to this it makes sense that women are obligated in this mitzvah because it is not a time-bound mitzvah, because it applies both during the day and during the night.

With this understanding of the Rambam we can understand our responsibility and what we can do to bring about the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash. We need to try to correct the baseless hatred that destroyed the Beis Hamikdash and replace it with undeserving love and care. We need to make an attempt to look out for the needs and concerns of others and search for opportunities of kindness. By doing this hopefully our generation will be the one that merits the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash.