The Temple Institute: Creation Timeline Articles: The Prophet Haggai Exhorts the People

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The Prophet Haggai Exhorts the People

"Thus says the L-rd, Master of Legions: This nation has said, 'the time has not yet come.' But I say, it is time for the Temple of the L-rd to be rebuilt! And the word of the L-rd came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying: Is this a time for you to sit in your paneled houses, while this House is in ruins?" (Haggai 1:2-4)

During the first years of the Jews' return from Babylon to the Land of Israel, they were smitten with hunger and other disasters. The sages explain the cause: the building of the Temple was proceeding at a sluggish pace, due to financial instability and external distractions.

Thus it is taught: We find that when Israel was exiled to Babylon, what did Ezra the prophet say to them? 'Go back to the Land of Israel to build the Temple' - but they were not interested. And so Ezra told them: 'You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but you are not satiated; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he that earns wages earns them to put them into a bag with holes.' (Haggai 1:6)

The Midrash continues and explains the meaning of the verse:
"You have sown much, and bring in little" - since the showbread has ceased.
"You eat, but you are not satiated" - since the water libation has ceased.
"You drink, but you are not filled with drink" - since the wine libation has ceased.
"You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm" - since the priestly garments were discontinued.
"And he that earns wages, earns them to put them into a bag with holes" Ð since the daily offerings of the congregation were stopped. (Tanchuma Tizaveh 13)

Ezra echoed words from the Book of Haggai in his rebuke of the exiles, for Ezra and Haggai were contemporaries - Ezra in Babylon and Haggai in the Land of Israel. Haggai called to all the exiles to return to Israel, to raise up the ruins of Jerusalem and to shake off their listlessness... to complete the restoration of the Temple which had already been begun a number of years before. Those who did return were confronted by destitution and natural disasters, just as Haggai had predicted, because they did not pursue the rebuilding with vigor.

These same afflictions were also visited upon whose who remained in Babylon! Therefore Ezra called upon them to sensitize themselves to the Divine call and to follow in the footsteps of those who had already returned to Israel, to build the House of G-d in Jerusalem.

The prophet Haggai's call to the people of Israel and its leaders was heard: "Now be strong, Zerubavel, says the L-rd; and be strong, Yehoshua son of Yehozedek the High Priest, and be strong, all you people of the land... and work! For I am with you, says the L-rd of Hosts." (Haggai 2:4

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