Watch: Chatzos Gathering with Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a on the Eve of Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av: "The Holy Temple Was Not Destroyed — With Every Chatzos We Rebuild It"

**On the eve of Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, on Yom Kippur Katan, a congregation of worshipers gathered in the prayer hall beneath the home of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a for a Chatzos (midnight prayer) gathering. Together with the Rav, they recited the Chatzos order that is said at midday during the days of Bein HaMetzarim (The Three Weeks), chanted the Kinos (lamentations) and Megillas Eichah (Book of Lamentations), and sang melodies of yearning for Zion and Jerusalem with him. At the conclusion, the Rav delivered a fiery class, in which he revealed a breathtaking message: the Holy Temple was not destroyed at all.**

The Holy Temple Was Not Destroyed — It Was Only Hidden and Ascended Higher and Higher Rabbi Berland shlit"a opened with the most profound point: it is literal heresy to say that the Holy Temple was burned. He cited the holy Zohar in Parashas Pekudei, which warns: "Woe to anyone who says that the House was burned." The House was not burned — it was only hidden away and ascended higher and higher. He also cited the Maggid of Kozhnitz: Heaven forbid to say that the Holy Temple was destroyed. What Titus pierced was not the true Paroches (Temple curtain) — the entire Temple elevated upwards, and not even a single stone remained that was truly burned. The House is not destroyed; rather, it is renewed — every single day it ascends even higher. "Woe to anyone who says that the House was burned. The House was not burned — it was only hidden away. The House is renewed more every day." (Zohar Pekudei, in the words of the Rav) With Every Chatzos We Renovate the House Anew And here the joyous tidings within the mourning were revealed: why do we recite Chatzos? Not to mourn over a House that is gone — but because with every Chatzos we renovate the House and rebuild it anew. With every recitation of Chatzos, we add more sapphires and more diamonds, until the Holy Temple of fire descends, surrounded by the fire of the tzaddikim. Rabbi Berland shlit"a revealed a thrilling paradox — which was also reiterated and emphasized by the one who led the gathering on behalf of the Rav: specifically because the Holy Temple exists, that is why we perform Chatzos. And even after the House is revealed in its entirety — we will continue to recite Chatzos. "With every Chatzos we renovate the House, adding more diamonds — until the Holy Temple of fire descends." The Child is Formed from His Mother's Thoughts From there, Rabbi Berland shlit"a turned to a great fundamental principle in education: a child is formed primarily from his mother's thoughts — during pregnancy and even during nursing. This is explicitly stated in the Zohar Chadash on Bereishis and in the Gemara in Sanhedrin: whatever the mother thinks about during pregnancy — that is what the child will do all his days. Therefore, King Solomon is called twice "the son of Bas Sheva" and "the mother of Solomon," because he was formed from his mother. Similarly, Chana, who prayed "For this child I prayed" — she prayed for a child who would rise at the earliest hour (k'vasikin) and pray word for word. "Whatever the mother thinks about during pregnancy and nursing — that is what the child will do his entire life." A Mother Immersed in Holiness — A Child Who is Entirely Holy And from here comes the strengthening and practical message: a mother who recites Tehillim (Psalms) and The Tikkun HaKlali, who travels to Rachel's Tomb, prays at the earliest hour (k'vasikin), and is immersed in holy books — her child will accomplish twice as much as her. The mother's spiritual work, her thoughts, and her conduct are what literally shape the soul of the child. You have no greater investment than this — a mother immersed in holiness raises generations of children who are drawn after the holy. Practical Message **Chatzos with joy** — when you recite Chatzos, you are not mourning over a lost House, but rather building the Holy Temple at this very moment and adding a diamond to it. **The power of a mother** — every chapter of Tehillim, every pure thought, and every journey to the grave of a tzaddik shapes the soul of the child. There is no such thing as a small deed. **A different Bein HaMetzarim** — not despair over what was destroyed, but active partnership in establishing the eternal House, day after day, until it is revealed eye to eye. Photo Gallery from the Gathering