Rabbi Moshe Tsvi Segal
What is Judaism Without the Temple Mount?
by R. Moshe Tsvi Segal
The Shofar and the Wall
by R. Moshe Tsvi Segal
The Land, the People & the Torah
by R. Moshe Tsvi Segal
An Open Letter
by R. Moshe Tsvi Segal
Letter to David Ben Shimol
by R. Moshe Tsvi Segal
Brief Biography
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Rebuilding the Temple and the Stages of Jewish History
by Moshe Tsvi Segal
(Based on a lecture on Jewish History)
Jewish history is so long. And it is just beginning.
We can discern five stages of history:
1. The exodus from Egypt – an exodus from Exile (‘galut’ ) and from the yoke of the gentiles, from the rule, domination and influence of other peoples, nations and cultures.
2. Receiving the Torah – our Torah, our one Bible; we may learn from other nations but not receive any “Torah” from them, any Truths. Our lives are based on one Torah only.
3. Entering the Land of our destiny – that land which was already destined from the beginning of Creation to be our homeland.
4. Wiping out the evil Amalek and all memory of Amalek. Amalek, which attacked us, which prevented us from taking possession of our land.
5. Rebuilding our Holy Temple.
And after these five stages- the “End of Days,” the eschatological messianic era,
which will bring “tikun” (perfection and purification) not only to Jews but to everyone everywhere. The messiah will mark the reign of justice throughout the world. As it is written “And G-d will be one over all the land.” Also, note the construction of the verse: “Your hands have established the Temple of G d, and G-d will reign forever and ever.” The first phase is the basis for the second, the establishment of the Temple is
the basis, the foundation of G-d’s reign.
The mount on which the Temple stood, Mount Moriah, “The Temple Mount,” is the source of our willingness to sacrifice, to give of ourselves for our people and G-d. This mesirut nefesh, dedication and self-sacrifice, has its foundation on this Mountain. Abraham was willing to sacrifice - the Bible even states that he rose early that morning, hurrying to fulfill G-d’s will – Abraham was willing to sacrifice and offer his only son to G-d. From this we have drawn our strength and ability, from this the Jews today in the Soviet Union draw the strength to endure their suffering.
But, we failed. The Temple was destroyed. We went again into Exile. When we returned after the destruction of the First Temple, other nations and peoples offered to help us build the Second Temple. Thank you but no thank you. There are no partners. This task is ours.
Because the purpose was not achieved, because we did not carry out the plan in its entirety, we have been suffering for thousands of years.
It is upon us to free ourselves from the Ol goyim – from the yoke of the gentiles, from the burdens imposed on us by other peoples. We must accept our own yoke, willingly take upon ourselves our own burden, our own message and mission and Truth. Without any of the additions we have picked up from other cultures, like, for instance, the sanctification of democracy. In Israel today, democracy is being exalted out of all proportion by politicians and writers as The Ultimate Value. For the United States this is fine and may be true. But the Jewish mission is not to bring communism or capitalism or democracy or secular humanism to the world. We have our own Ultimate Values, our own culture and circumstances. The Jewish People was not formed nor did we endure thousands of years of persecution so that our contribution to the world would end up being our championing of either communism or democracy. Democracy is only one of the many false and foreign “Torahs” being foisted upon us; if we are to create an authentic Jewish society, we must ensure that the ultimate values are Jewish, and not those of other peoples.
Today, our people has been so long inculcated with values foreign and unsuited to us, our circumstances and our task that we have reduced these values to absurdity and we treat those who would destroy us with kindness and mercy. The Talmud teaches us that “He who is merciful to the cruel is destined to be cruel to the merciful,” and we see how true this is: our government is merciful to the cruel – refusing to mete out justice to those who murder Jews and try to destroy Israel; and the result is that the same terrorists murder again, massacring more innocent children, so that ultimately our misplaced mercy has led us to be cruel to the innocent children murdered by the terrorists we pamper.
Another absurdity, the result of our infatuation with false Torahs: The Temple Mount is within our grasp, theoretically under Israeli sovereignty, yet we permit foreigners, in this case, our Arab enemy, to tell us where we can walk and where we cannot walk, and that they will not allow us to pray where it offends them. We could be free – yet we insist on remaining slaves. It is a form of Avodah Zara (idol worship) to look to other peoples for recognition. Freedom is not bestowed – it must be taken.
Slaves want immediate gratification, they do not care about the future or the past. We cannot act in this manner. We cannot act in this manner. We cannot limit ourselves to our own personal “tshuva” or improvement and forget about all the rest. We have a responsibility to our people. We must heal the sick body which does not want to be free. We must stir our people to desire freedom; we are part of the sick body.
When we will have full and real sovereignty over the Temple Mount our sovereignty over all of the Land of Israel will be different – as, for example, when the heart or brain is healed and the whole body is healthier.
Our destiny will be fulfilled, our purpose realized, when G-d will be One, and Malkhut Israel will be whole, and the Holy Temple will be standing.
(Originally published in 1986 in Malkhut, Number 2.)
We can discern five stages of history:
1. The exodus from Egypt – an exodus from Exile (‘galut’ ) and from the yoke of the gentiles, from the rule, domination and influence of other peoples, nations and cultures.
2. Receiving the Torah – our Torah, our one Bible; we may learn from other nations but not receive any “Torah” from them, any Truths. Our lives are based on one Torah only.
3. Entering the Land of our destiny – that land which was already destined from the beginning of Creation to be our homeland.
4. Wiping out the evil Amalek and all memory of Amalek. Amalek, which attacked us, which prevented us from taking possession of our land.
5. Rebuilding our Holy Temple.
And after these five stages- the “End of Days,” the eschatological messianic era,
which will bring “tikun” (perfection and purification) not only to Jews but to everyone everywhere. The messiah will mark the reign of justice throughout the world. As it is written “And G-d will be one over all the land.” Also, note the construction of the verse: “Your hands have established the Temple of G d, and G-d will reign forever and ever.” The first phase is the basis for the second, the establishment of the Temple is
the basis, the foundation of G-d’s reign. The mount on which the Temple stood, Mount Moriah, “The Temple Mount,” is the source of our willingness to sacrifice, to give of ourselves for our people and G-d. This mesirut nefesh, dedication and self-sacrifice, has its foundation on this Mountain. Abraham was willing to sacrifice - the Bible even states that he rose early that morning, hurrying to fulfill G-d’s will – Abraham was willing to sacrifice and offer his only son to G-d. From this we have drawn our strength and ability, from this the Jews today in the Soviet Union draw the strength to endure their suffering.
But, we failed. The Temple was destroyed. We went again into Exile. When we returned after the destruction of the First Temple, other nations and peoples offered to help us build the Second Temple. Thank you but no thank you. There are no partners. This task is ours.
Because the purpose was not achieved, because we did not carry out the plan in its entirety, we have been suffering for thousands of years.
It is upon us to free ourselves from the Ol goyim – from the yoke of the gentiles, from the burdens imposed on us by other peoples. We must accept our own yoke, willingly take upon ourselves our own burden, our own message and mission and Truth. Without any of the additions we have picked up from other cultures, like, for instance, the sanctification of democracy. In Israel today, democracy is being exalted out of all proportion by politicians and writers as The Ultimate Value. For the United States this is fine and may be true. But the Jewish mission is not to bring communism or capitalism or democracy or secular humanism to the world. We have our own Ultimate Values, our own culture and circumstances. The Jewish People was not formed nor did we endure thousands of years of persecution so that our contribution to the world would end up being our championing of either communism or democracy. Democracy is only one of the many false and foreign “Torahs” being foisted upon us; if we are to create an authentic Jewish society, we must ensure that the ultimate values are Jewish, and not those of other peoples.
Today, our people has been so long inculcated with values foreign and unsuited to us, our circumstances and our task that we have reduced these values to absurdity and we treat those who would destroy us with kindness and mercy. The Talmud teaches us that “He who is merciful to the cruel is destined to be cruel to the merciful,” and we see how true this is: our government is merciful to the cruel – refusing to mete out justice to those who murder Jews and try to destroy Israel; and the result is that the same terrorists murder again, massacring more innocent children, so that ultimately our misplaced mercy has led us to be cruel to the innocent children murdered by the terrorists we pamper.
Another absurdity, the result of our infatuation with false Torahs: The Temple Mount is within our grasp, theoretically under Israeli sovereignty, yet we permit foreigners, in this case, our Arab enemy, to tell us where we can walk and where we cannot walk, and that they will not allow us to pray where it offends them. We could be free – yet we insist on remaining slaves. It is a form of Avodah Zara (idol worship) to look to other peoples for recognition. Freedom is not bestowed – it must be taken.
Slaves want immediate gratification, they do not care about the future or the past. We cannot act in this manner. We cannot act in this manner. We cannot limit ourselves to our own personal “tshuva” or improvement and forget about all the rest. We have a responsibility to our people. We must heal the sick body which does not want to be free. We must stir our people to desire freedom; we are part of the sick body.
When we will have full and real sovereignty over the Temple Mount our sovereignty over all of the Land of Israel will be different – as, for example, when the heart or brain is healed and the whole body is healthier.
Our destiny will be fulfilled, our purpose realized, when G-d will be One, and Malkhut Israel will be whole, and the Holy Temple will be standing.
(Originally published in 1986 in Malkhut, Number 2.)