Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"For I, says G-d, will be to her a wall of fire אש  roundabout..." (Zecharya)

Building the third Beit Hamikdash

In his sidur Lev Sameach the Gaon Rabbi from Alesk explains this verse and writes: "When Jewish people pray properly and say the words properly, the angels in Heaven take those words and carve out stones for the Beit Hamikdash from them. That is what is meant by "For I, says G-d, will be to her a wall of fire אש roundabout..." – When Jewish people say their words, this will make the wall of fire in the future." (We know that our Sages ob'm called letters stones.)

From the holy words of the Rabbi of Alesk we learn that when Jews pray with proper intentions their prayers go up to Heaven and the angels take the words of their prayers and cut and carve them into stones of fire that will be used to build the third Beit Hamikdash.

Accordingly, we can understand the prayer at the end of the Shmoneh Esre: May it be Your will... that the Beit Hamikdash will be built speedily in our days and give us our portion in Your Torah". Since the third Beit Hamikdash will be built by our Torah and prayers, we say this prayer at the end of our prayers and we add on "and give us our portion in Your Torah" – that we should also be able to complete the building of the Beit Hamikdash through learning the holy Torah with our mouths.

And that is why we begin Shmoneh Esre with the words Hashem Sfatai Tiftach – the first two words begin with  א  and ש – אש –to teach us that all our words of prayers are "stones of fire" that will be used to build the third Beit Hamikdash, speedily in our days, Amen.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!