Jul 15, 2013

Quote of the Day

we'll offer you a double for today's Quote of the Day, both from Haredi politicians, one that might be calling the State of Israel the Third Beis Hamikdash and the other invoking the "No True Scotsman" argument. Both quotes were said during a discussion in Knesset surrounding the No Confidence motion submitted by Shas and UTJ.

1.
It is not the time to discuss this on erev Tisha b'Av. The spies spoke badly about the land, and then, everyone lifted their voices and cried. It's enough to cry over the things we are doing to ourselves.
This government is bringing about the destruction of the Third Temple. 

  -- MK Nissim Zeev (Shas)
I was not aware the Third Temple had been built already so that this government could be causing its destruction. Unless Zeev is comparing the State of Israel to the Third Temple, which is not a very haredi belief...

2.
On erev Tisha b'Av we are mourning for the destruction of the Temple that was destroyed due to baseless hatred. This is not the appropriate time to argue. We are coming with the objective of repairing and improving the situation.
Just as I pray three times a day, I condemn all forms of violence. The way of violence is not acceptable in Judaism. A person who holds a stone in his hands on Shabbos cannot possibly be Haredi. Maybe he is impersonating one.

  -- MK Meir Porush (UTJ)



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3 comments:

  1. For one thing, Hazal say that someone who did not merit the rebuilding of the mikdash in his time, is liable for its destruction. In this case, meaning its delay.

    Another thing, Hazal say that the stones and wood were destroyed to spare Jewish lives. We deserved destruction, but Hashem diverted that to the Mikdash. So when someone does something to harm Jews, he is bypassing the device that Hashem chose, and inflicting a worse destruction. As Rav Soloveitchik points out, it isn't the destruction of a building we mourn; it is the distancing from Hashem that we mourn. So whatever adds to that, is tantamount to destroying the Mikdash.

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  2. Doesn't Hazal also say that any generation does not see the rebuilding of the Miqdash, it is as if that generation destroyed it? Perhaps MK Zeevi is referring the fact that we are not on the path to rebuilding it, and thus are destroying it.

    I hardly think that MK Zeevi is a mamlakhti, many of whom see the K'nesseth as being a "stand in" for the King.

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  3. The Gaon of Ragachov writes that the destruction of the Holy Temple is an ongoing event. Not a onetime event that happened more than 1,900 years ago, but something that continues to happen every day. This assertion, the Gaon explains, has its source in the Jerusalem Talmud, where it is stated: "Any generation that the Temple was not rebuilt in its days, it is considered as if that generation destroyed it."

    Simply put, this means that though more than 1,900 years have passed since the Temple's destruction, still, since today – Thursday of the week when we read the Torah portion of Pinchas – the Temple was not built, it is considered as if the Temple was destroyed today

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