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Our Sages ordained that we mourn the destruction of the Temple by fasting four times a year: the tenth of Tevet, the seventeenth of Tamuz, the ninth of Av, and the third of Tishrei (37:1-5 below). This is to ensure we do not forget to pray for the rebuilding of the Temple and the reestablishment of its values. Other laws commemorate the destruction as well. For example, anyone who builds a home is obligated to leave a small area (a cubit by a cubit, which is about 1½ square meters) facing the entranceway unpainted and unplastered; at the high point of every wedding, the couple break a glass (11:8 above); and those viewing the site of the destroyed Temple tear their shirts as a sign of mourning.
In the wake of the destruction and the exile, people needed to devote most of their energy to surviving, so Jewish life narrowed and many values were forgotten. Thus, the prayers for the rebuilding of the Temple are in fact prayers for the return of its entire set of associated values (sections 2-8 above). The road to rebuilding begins by deeply connecting with all these principles. By doing so, we will be blessed with the ingathering of the exiles, the rebuilding of the entire Land, and the rebuilding of the Temple, speedily and in our days.
