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When the sacred values the Temple expresses serve as the basis for Jewish life in the Land, divine blessing will naturally flow to all Jews. Gradually, the nation will advance spiritually and reach indescribable heights. Jewish faith will wondrously link heaven and earth. The whole world will learn that life is filled with blessing when based on sacred ideals.
We will attempt to describe how this process can realistically occur when we let the Temple’s values guide us. The Jewish people will recognize the value of the Torah, strengthening their faith and their desire to add blessing to the world. Understanding the significance and sanctity of the family, many more Jews will get married and enjoy a loving marriage, while raising many children in nurturing homes. Thanks to people’s increased willingness to contribute to society through serving in the army and settling the Land, Israel’s public security will improve. Appreciating the importance of study, many will devote more years to becoming experts in areas suitable to their skills, and the quality of their work will improve. Recognizing the importance of science, more Jews will study it intensely, and trailblazing scientists will emerge. Perceiving the value of hard work and its critical contribution to improving the world, employees will happily work conscientiously. Recognizing the merit of truth and integrity will lead to more honesty in business, which in turn will make it more worthwhile for people to open businesses and form partnerships, thus improving the economy.
Studying Torah daily, and additional study on Shabbat and holidays, will reinforce all these values, which in turn will lead to even greater growth and creativity. Not working on Shabbat and holidays, but rather taking part in festive communal prayer, and enjoying holiday meals together with family, will strengthen the values of faith and kindness. This in turn will encourage people to work hard to find ways and means to help the disabled and those suffering physically and psychologically. Consequently, all those unable to express their talents due to disabilities will be able to shine and make new and original contributions to society.
In other words, following the path of Torah and mitzvot will have amazing results. It will bring joy and blessing to families and inspire the educational system. It will add justice and kindness to society, meaning and values to the individual, innovation to science, prosperity to the arts, creativity and industriousness to agriculture and industry, energy to the economy, and honesty to business.
Even if Israel’s gross domestic product increases only three percent more than other developed countries, and even if Israel’s scientific advances benefiting humanity continue to be only three percent more than other first-world nations, and if demographic growth among religious Jewish Israelis remains stable, the results will be astounding within a few generations: tens of millions of Jews will live in Israel, and it will lead the world morally, technologically, and economically.
Jews of the diaspora will long to immigrate and join this successful venture. Descendants of Jews lost to us due to the terrible hardship of exile will explore their roots and return to their people and their Land. A powerful, populous nation will bring the messages of faith and justice to the world. We will pave the way for moral education and intellectual advancement for the good of humanity. We will innovate technologies that will improve both life expectancy and the quality of life. And we will have the privilege of seeing the realization of the prophetic vision: “In the days to come, the Mount of the Lord’s house shall stand firm above the mountains and tower above the hills; and all the nations shall gaze on it with joy. And the many peoples shall go and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the Mount of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may instruct us in His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.’ For Torah shall come forth from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2-3).
