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Some people think the more one reveres the Temple, the more one must consider the rest of the world to be devoid of holiness. They are mistaken. The purpose of the Temple is to uplift and sanctify the whole world. A world with a Temple is a world sanctified by the divine values it contains.
This sheds light on the Sages' statement that people who leave the five agricultural gifts for the poor as the Torah mandates (6:2 above), it is as if they have built the Temple and offered sacrifices there. A farmer who puts in an honest day of hard work is importing the Temple’s holiness into his field. Similarly, people who put in an honest day of hard work, doing their best to help others and playing their part in developing the economy and improving the world, are importing the Temple’s holiness into the workplace. Going above and beyond to help humanity is the equivalent of building an altar and offering a sacrifice to God.
