By Rabbi Yair Hoffman [Please note that the author, Yair Nissan ben Sara, is still recovering from a significant heart attack and this article is not fully complete. Hopefully it will be added to in some future date.] One of the questions that is often asked about blowing shofar to confuse the Satan is, “Doesn’t he figure it out already?”  The answer to this question is that he is far more aware of the imminent nature of the geulah then we are.  The craziness that we have been experiencing in the past year is perhaps even more indicative of the fact that we are in ikvasa d’mashicha the footsteps of Moshiach.  The Netziv (HaAmek Davar BaMidbar 20:5) writes that before Mashiach comes Hashem will give Klal Yisroel a pre-taste of the Kibutz Galius, the gathering of the dispersed, that will happen when Moshiach arrives.  All of the above are reasons why should we be learning the halachos of building the Bais HaMikdash (and reading this article). THE THREE MITZVOS The Gemorah in Sanhedrin (20b) states that when the nation of Israel entered into Eretz Yisroel they were commanded in three Mitzvos: to appoint a king, to destroy Amalek, and to build the Bais HaMikdash.  The Rishonim debate about what the exact source of this third Mitzvah is.  The Rambam writes (Hilchos Bais HaBechirah 1:1) that it comes from the pasuk (Shmos 25:8) , “v’asu li Mikdash.” The SMaG, (Assin 163) writes that the source is from the pasuk (Dvarim 12:11), “And it will be, that the place Hashem will choose in which to establish His Name there you shall bring all that I am commanding you: Your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the separation by your hand, and the choice of vows which you will vow to Hashem.” Rav Yoseph Karo in his Kesef Mishna explains the debate.  The SMaG holds that the earlier pasuk in Shmos refers to the Mishkan, but not the Bais HaMikdash.  The Rambam holds that it applies to the Mishkan and the Bais HaMikdash.  The latter pasuk teaches us that the Mitzvah is only applicable after Amalaik is destroyed. There may also be a fundamental debate as to the nature of the Mitzvah of building the Bais HaMikdash itself. RAMBAM VERSUS RAMBAN The language of the Rambam (ibid) is that the building of the Bais HaMikdash is a means to the end of bringing the Korbanos.  The word Korban, by the way, is mistranslated as “sacrifice.”  The correct translation is “closifier.”  The Korbanos bring one closer to Hashem as does visiting the holiest place on earth. The Ramban (Assei #33), on the other hand, writes that the building of the Bais HaMikdash is a Mitzvah in and of itself. Rabbi Mordechai Ilan (1915-1981), known as the Ilui of Suvalk, understands the Rambam as viewing building the Bais HaMikdash as a Hechsher Mitzvah to the bringing of Korbanos and not as a full Mitzvah itself. On the other hand, Rav Shlomo Heiman (cited in Toras HaKodesh Vol. II Siman 11) understands the Rambam as holding that there are two parts to the Mitzvah – one being a hechsher Mitzvah and the other being a full Mitzvah in and of itself. The Steipler in his Kehilas Yaakov (Yevamos Siman 5) writes that it is […]