Gaza and Shomron Communities were destroyed. Thousands of Jews were made homeless and many are still homeless today. Those who vowed "It will not happen" were at a loss to explain to their disallusioned followers why "It" happened.

Many Temple activists knew exactly what was going on. They were at best ignored and at worst denounced for telling people to turn to the Hebrew scriptures to find both the "Why" and how to stop it.

So what were the offending passages of scripture that ruffled so many feathers? What was the heretical message that the Temple activists were preaching?

Haggai 1:2
Thus says the L-RD of Hosts: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for HaShem's house to be built.' "

This is the battle cry of the status-quo and it's proponents. "It's not time", "We're not yet at that level", "We have to wait for the Messiah". The G-d of Israel would seem to be of a different opinion.

Haggai 1:2
Then the word of HaShem came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

The Almighty G-d that rescued his people from the sword and brought them back to their land with innumerable miracles doesn't seem to be impressed with the small unpainted patch of wall in the beautiful homes we've built for ourselves while allowing His house to sit in ruins. He gives us some signs to let us know if we're doing the right thing. In verses 5&6 He says:

Haggai 1:5
Now thus says the LORD of Hosts: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

Does any of this sound like the current situation in Israel?

Haggai 1:7
Thus says the L-RD of Hosts: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Ascend the mountain and bring timber and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it and be honored," says HaShem.

Is it possible that instead of handing out teeshirts and wristbands we should have been going up to HaShem's house to demand that it be rebuilt? If you want the real "Why?" for Gush Katif, don't go to the status-quo folks. Go to the Tanakh and see what the Ribbono Shel Olam says.

Haggai 1:9
"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares The L-RD of Hosts. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, yet you run, each to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."

When danger comes to our own homes, when we feel that our homes are threatened, we run to defend them, never considering why they have come under threat in the first place.

This is not a new idea. The Midrash makes a clear statement on the outcome of not fighting for the rebuilding of the Temple, and it should bring chills to the spines of all who saw the fall of Gush Katif, Chomesh and Amona. Midrash Socher Tov, Shmuel 31 states "All the communities that fell, it is only because they didn't inquire after and demand the Beit HaMikdash".

Should we fight for our land and homes? Absolutely. But let us remember that battles are determined by controlling the high ground. Har HaBayit is the "high ground" from which all battles over the land of Israel will be won or lost.

Yoel Keren