Who Will Build the 3rd Temple? Will It Descend from Heaven or Will Man Build It?
based on a Hebrew video on the Haftarah of Ki Tavo about 11 months ago by Rabbi Elisha Wolfson
To the holy congregation ascending the Temple Mount in purity, seeking out this holy place—how fortunate you are! This is a great mitzvah.
We have a very, very beautiful Haftarah today, and we are blessed to read it and fill ourselves with strength, joy, and understanding. In the Book of Yishayahu (Isaiah), chapter 60, it is written: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Hashem has risen upon you.” The Holy One, Blessed be He, is telling us that the time has arrived. After an exceedingly great concealment of the Divine Countenance—after a long, painful exile—Hashem is shining His light back upon us.
Think about what this means. Over the course of such a long exile and immense pain, what extraordinary faith was required! Through so many years of suffering and afflictions, our ancestors held fast to the truth that the word of our Hashem shall stand forever. And now, the words of the prophets are coming to life before our eyes! “Your word is truth and endures forever.”
The prophet continues: “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the nations; but Hashem shall shine upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you.” What a beautiful verse. Essentially, those who once held power and light—the enemies who tormented the Nation of Israel for 2,000 years—will be covered in darkness. But upon Israel, the light of Hashem will shine.
This light will bring darkness upon the wicked, but it will also awaken the good that exists within the nations of the world. As it is written: “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by the brightness of your rising.” Just as we recite in our prayers, “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Once judgment passes over the wicked, the good within the nations will be able to shine, and they will all walk toward the light of Israel and the light of the Creator.
“Lift up your eyes round about and see: they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.” Look around—how can we not see this being fulfilled right now? The ingathering of the exiles over the past century is beyond belief! It is historic! From every corner of the globe, Jews of all languages and backgrounds, once scattered, are gathering and returning home.
“Then you shall see and be radiant… and your heart shall thrill and rejoice… because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of nations shall come to you.” Those who were once our enemies will turn around and deeply desire to stand by our side, to assist us, and to merit a portion with the Nation of Israel. The prophet describes caravans of camels bringing gold and frankincense, proclaiming the praises of Hashem, just as it was in the days of King Shlomo (Solomon) when the whole world sought to bestow gifts upon him. Flocks and rams will be brought to be accepted willingly upon the altar in Zion, restoring glory to the Temple Mount.
Now, pay close attention, because there is a crucial point here in these verses.
Yishayahu (Isaiah) states: “Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall serve you… The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane tree, and the pine together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and I will make the place of My feet glorious.”
What does this mean? During the First Temple, where did King Shlomo get the timber? From the cedars of Lebanon! Here, Yishayahu prophesies that for the Third Temple as well, timber—cypress, plane trees, and pine—will be brought to build the sanctuary. The nations surrounding us will bring us wood specifically so that we can construct the Temple!
This is not just a poetic metaphor. Ibn Ezra explicitly explains that “to beautify” means to build the House of Hashem. The Radak writes: “‘To beautify the place of My sanctuary’—that they shall build the Temple with them.”
These are simple texts, yet we must remind people of them. Regrettably, there are many today who believe that we are not supposed to actively build the Third Temple. Why? Because they rely on a Midrash stating that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will lower a Temple of fire directly from the heavens, leading them to conclude there is no commandment for human hands to build it.
But the prophet tells us explicitly that the nations of the world will bring materials for its construction! We have an explicit prophecy that the Third Temple will be built by human beings—by us!
The Malbim offers a fascinating synthesis to reconcile these sources. He notes that the physical structure of the Temple will be glorified through a building constructed by human hands. However, “the place of My feet”—the Holy of Holies, which transcends physical dimensions—will be glorified directly by Hashem Himself. The outer structure is our duty to build, while the Divine Presence sanctifies the inner realm.
Even Rashi agrees with this framework, noting that the trees of Lebanon will be taken by us to build the Third Temple. No sage disputes these verses. Therefore, this serves as a direct answer to anyone who refrains from ascending the Temple Mount, seeking out the Temple, or striving toward its reconstruction under the passive assumption that we must simply sit back and wait for it to fall from the sky. That is simply not the case!
Our Sages note that if the nations of the world truly understood how much blessing the Temple brings to them, how beneficial and essential it is for the entire world, they wouldn’t try to stop us—they would be pleading with us to build it immediately! For Zion is the ultimate source of blessing: “For there Hashem commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
The prophecy concludes with unmatched comfort: “Whereas you were forsaken and hated… I will make you an eternal pride… Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise… Hashem will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.”
Instead of resources being consumed by war, wealth will go toward building the Temple, toward life, and toward peace.
We are standing here today, just after a terribly painful terror attack, carrying immense grief. Yet, despite all the hardships, the Nation of Israel only moves forward. The light of Hashem continues to shine upon us more and more. May we soon merit the complete fulfillment of this entire prophecy, a complete redemption in mercy, and the privilege of rebuilding the Temple in joy and gladness of heart. And let us say, Amen!