The Beis HaMikdash was a place completely filled with pure avodas Hashem, a sanctuary where every member of Klal Yisrael—Kohanim, Levi’im, and Yisraelim—fulfilled their unique avodah. Being in the Beis HaMikdash had an impact upon a person, imbuing him with immense spiritual strength to serve and draw close to the Borei Yisborach. As Chazal teach (Sukkah 50b, Bereishis Rabbah 70:8), it was a place where one could draw ruach hakodesh. The Ramban (Shemos 23:16) explains that each one who came before Hashem received a distinct potential and role in avodas HaBoreh.
When the Beis HaMikdash stood, its very reality demanded avodas Hashem. The experience of being in the Mikdash—witnessing the Kohanim’s service and the Levi’im’s song—made it undeniable that the entire world exists for the sake of the Ribbono Shel Olam. This reality compelled a person to exert himself with strength and resolve in serving his Creator. The kedushah drawn from the Mikdash inspired and empowered a person to transform, to turn away from gashmiyus and earthly desires, and to grow ever closer to Hashem Yisborach, becoming increasingly sanctified.
Today, our main avodah often stems from personal commitments and accepting challenges, like resolving to finish a masechta or founding a chesed organization. In contrast, in the Beis HaMikdash, a person’s avodah flowed naturally from the world’s reality, which cried out and compelled avodas Hashem, not merely from individual choice.
Now, with the Bayis desolate and destroyed, we are bereft of all this. Churban Beis Mikdasheinu has left the world lacking in kedushah, and we have virtually no reality in the world from which we can draw the impetus to change and elevate ourselves. Our ability to draw near to the Borei has been impaired, and it is for this loss that we mourn and weep, especially during Bein HaMetzarim.
From this aveilus over our great loss, our avodah in these days obligates us to reflect on how we can continue and establish a Beis HaMikdash Me’at in our lives. How can we build a complete reality that, by its very nature, compels avodas Hashem—not just through personal decisions, but as a living force that drives us to change and grow in avodas Hashem? As the Nefesh HaChaim (1:4) teaches, every individual can become a mishkan for the Shechinah, a sanctuary that inherently demands avodah.
Creating such a reality requires a perspective of yiras Shamayim in our approach to life. This mindset fosters a sense of responsibility, recognizing that life’s purpose transcends the superficial and is meant for a higher calling. Only through this lens can life itself become a force that compels avodas Hashem.
Chazal say of tzadikim (Sotah 12a) that “ממונם חביב עליהם יותר מגופם — their money is more precious to them than their bodies.” Tzadikim seize every opportunity for avodas Hashem. The body cannot have clarity in avodas Hashem, because it is subject to natural inclinations that resist spiritual growth and it thus faces a constant free-will challenge. A tzadik’s possessions, in contrast, can be clearly and absolutely dedicated entirely to one supreme purpose: avodas Hashem. Their money, therefore, is more precious to them than their bodies.
True, we may not reach the level of tzadikim who can transform all their possessions into an absolutely clear reality that obligates avodas Hashem. Yet, we are obligated at least to reflect and establish one area of our lives as a complete reality that demands and compels avodah. For instance, recognizing how we fall short in fulfilling our responsibilities to our family—by not giving them proper, personal attention—reveals a life reality that pushes us toward an avodah of bein adam l’chaveiro. This might inspire us to develop creative ways to accomplish this, such as setting aside
dedicated time for meaningful conversations with each family member or to carve out moments to reflect on their needs.
Likewise, recognizing the great necessity of “עשה לך רב” can create a complete life reality that compels avodah. By committing to remember and summarize the words of our rav, and by trying to understand and delve deeply into his teachings, we establish a reality that compels and demands avodas Hashem.
Admittedly, it is challenging today to maintain a clear reality that obligates avodah continuously. Yet, it is our duty to at least designate a specific period of time when we view reality as compelling avodah. By doing so we merit, to some degree, to build a Beis HaMikdash within ourselves, to build a world of kedushah that compels us to serve the Borei, echoing the Beis HaMikdash.