# The Third Temple Without the Orthodox

Лиора Зив-Ами

Orthodox Jewry talks endlessly about the Third Temple. This does not prevent the Orthodox from pulling the nation back to the very condition which was responsible for the destruction of the Second Temple.

The Third Temple Without the Orthodox


We are having another discussion on how the Third Temple can be built. When I hear all this talk about the Third Temple I always ask one and the same question: "Excuse me, and who do you think the High Priest will be in this Temple of yours?" Just think how our Orthodox activists compete with each other and use their elbows against any competition in their eager desire to become members of the Financial Committee in the Knesset. Can you imagine how vicious the fight may get when they vie for a position in the Temple? What a golden opportunity to bring on board their sons, in-laws and nephews. I am horrified when I try to imagine the extent to cynicism and sacrilege we may have to face. There is no need to resort to our imagination. The situation is clear as day.

Honestly, I refuse to understand this sick obsession with building the Third Temple. Has not the Almighty destroyed the Second Temple precisely because of the fights we had among us? Has He not done that because of sinat chinam, which is what we call the unmotivated hatred for each other?

What has changed since then? Almost immediately after we returned to this land and reunited we went back to these old ways. Strikingly, all these fights occur for the most part among the Orthodox, the people who talk too much about sacred objects, values and ideals.

We must talk less about the actual Third Temple and more about the scope of the problems related to the Third Temple era. These problems have to do with Unity: the Unity of the Jewish people and also the Unity of Mankind.

As of now, we are united by the state, its institutions, army, science and industry, in other words, by all the fields, which are in the jurisdiction of the state. Unfortunately, religion - at least in its current version imposed by the Orthodox - brings about only fights and conflicts.

We have to find the way to serve G-d without the Orthodox. This is absolutely crucial for the our nation"s pursuit to improve itself.

And what about the Temple?

We have a wonderful legend about how the Third Temple will differ from the two previous ones. The Third Temple will descend upon us from the sky.

I believe that this is the most realistic scenario. But first of all our nation has to unite. As for the sky, it will do its part.