Will the 3rd Temple Fall Down from Heaven

Rabbi Shlomo Katz

R' Shlomo Carlebach ztzl
Hands of Strength

“Hashem your hands have established your Sanctuary.” (Shmos 15:17)

What is the function of the hands?

When it comes to Esav and Ya’akov, everyone imagines Esav to be much stronger than Ya’akov, but the truth is that Ya’akov was a thousand times stronger. When Yosef wanted to change the position of his father Ya’akov’s hands, Ya’akov tells him “don’t touch my hands, my hands are strong enough to fight Esav.” Yedei Esav, the hands of Esav are very strong when it comes to using it for power and force, but there is one they don’t know how to do, they don’t know how to hold onto something. Before Ya’akov Avinu met Rachel, he saw a large stone upon the mouth of a well. The people there told him it takes all the Sheppards of the area to push away the stones. Right after he saw Rachel, it says “vayagal es ha’even me’al pi habe’er” Ya’akov rolled the stone off the mouth of the well. (Bereishis 29:10). So I want to say a gevalt Torah.

Do you know what it means to meet your soul mate? It means you have someone to hold onto, and when you have someone to hold onto - your hands become so strong. Mikdash Hashem Konenu Yadecha, Hashem your hands have established your Sanctuary. (Shmos 15:17) Why are G-d’s hands so strong? Because humanly speaking, He is holding onto us. The more we are holding onto G-d’s hands, the more the Ribbono Shel Olam can build the Beis HaMikdash.

I want you to know something so deep. As long as we were afraid of Pharoh, we weren’t really holding onto G-d’s hands. When did we begin to mamesh hold onto G-d’s hands? Not when we left Egypt, but only when we crossed the red sea.

On Shabbos I’m not doing anything with my hands, because on Shabbos I’m just holding onto G-d. The Mishna on Shabbos begins with hand, yado bifnim, yado bachutz. (Mishna Shabbos 1:1). Shabbos is all about hands. You see what it is, a slave is someone who needs his hands for working. A free person is someone whose hands are for holding onto someone. As long as children are holding onto their parents, they feel close enough to ask them all the questions in the world, but the moment children can’t hold onto their parents anymore, they stop asking them questions because they are not close enough. The first sign of freedom from slavery is on Seder night, when our children come and ask us all the questions

Our holy rabbis teach us that G-d created the world with one hand, and he will build the Beis HaMikdash with both hands, strong hands, double hands (Rashi, Shmos 15:17). Now open your hearts. The hands with which G-d built the world with are pretty strong, but there can still be war in the world. However Mikdash Hashem konenu Yadecha. When yidden hold onto G-d’s hands, humanly speaking G-d’s hands become so strong. They can build a Holy Temple.
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