When a Person is Humiliated, Even if He Was the Greatest Tzaddik, He Ends Up Building a Temple for Idolatry - Words of the Righteous Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a on Motza'ei Shabbat Noach

Words of the esteemed tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a during a lesson he delivered on Motza'ei Shabbat Noach 5779 in Bnei Brak.

The Rav shlit"a was asked whether to divorce and he replied, "A person must not divorce his wife, it's like destroying the Holy Temple, we ask that no one divorces here." Then the Rav continued and said.

"We learned in the daily page of Gemara that the whole world converted, all of Egypt, because Amram did not convert the Egyptians. The Gemara in Menachot tells that Chonyo built a replica of the Holy Temple in Alexandria. He was the son of Shimon the Tzaddik and when his father passed away, he said that the high priesthood should be inherited by Chonyo, who was a great tzaddik. He had such great guarding of his eyes that he didn't even see how the High Priest dressed. And indeed, they ask, how can one be taken for the high priesthood who doesn't even know how the High Priest dresses? But, in truth, Chonyo was unfortunate because everyone wanted to kill him and he fled and established a temple for idolatry. All against halacha, "Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see. But in the place which Hashem shall choose" (Deuteronomy 12:14). When a person is humiliated, insulted, he could have been the greatest tzaddik, but in the end, he builds a house for idolatry."

"In more than 12 places in the Torah it is written as a prohibition to offer burnt offerings outside the Holy Temple, but not even once is it written where the Holy Temple will be. There are two reasons for this, the first is, because immediately the nations would establish all the idolatries of the world there. And the second reason is, that all the tribes received their portion in Eretz Yisrael by lot, but if Jerusalem had fallen by lot into the portion of a certain tribe, immediately all the tribes would not have accepted the words of prophecy. They would say, what are the words of prophecy, it is not in heaven, but Shmuel taught David that the Temple would be built in Jerusalem."

"Chonyo built in Alexandria the Holy Temple because he found a verse in which it is written that there would be five cities in Egypt that would all convert. And this temple was genuine, but against halacha. Therefore, whoever vowed to offer there was obligated to offer, but it is called 'sacrifices outside'."