Restored in Full

10 Adar II 5782

“And the L‑rd spoke to Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering…” (Vayikra 6:1–2)

“The expression tzav (‘command’) implies an urging for now and for future generations.” (Torat Kohanim; Rashi) One might ask, How is it possible for the commandments regarding the burnt offering to be directed towards all future generations, when the majority of generations would live without a Holy Temple or sacrifices? The Rambam answers clearly, “The king Moshiach will arise and restore the kingdom of David to its glory of old, to its original sovereignty. He will build the Holy Temple and gather the dispersed of Israel. In his times, all the laws of the Torah will be reinstated as before; the sacrifices will be offered, the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year instituted as outlined in the Torah.”

“This is the ‘dew’ of Torah, which is called ‘might’; i.e., the Torah provides the strength that enables us to receive divine revelation without dissolving out of existence, as explained above in reference to the reward of tzaddikim in the World to Come.” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 36)

In the times of Moshiach, G‑dliness will be so revealed in the world that only the Torah we learn now will give us the “might” to endure such a tremendous divine revelation “without dissolving out of existence.” This further supplements the Rambam’s answer above. Not only will the sacrifices and procedures of the Holy Temple be restored in full upon the arrival of our deliverer, the king Moshiach, but they also remain alive today, through our learning, which is both a direct preparation for the time to come and a continuation of the service in and of itself.

“My vows to You are upon me, O G‑d; I will repay with thanksgiving offerings to You.” (Tehillim 56:13)

For now, it is only innermost commitment and service that truly binds us to Hashem, but in the time to come we will be able to live out this love in full, through a revealed relationship and physical offerings to Hashem.