Exile is a primary component of the life of Yaakov Avinu. In Parshas VaYeitzei he had to leave Eretz Yisrael and later, in Parshas VaYigash, he left once again to spend the rest of his life in Mitzrayim. Chazal emphasize that we must learn from how our avos responded to the challenges that they faced. How did Yaakov survive being away from Eretz Yisroel for so long, first in the house of Lavan and then in Mitzrayim?
As Yaakov embarked on both of his trips to exile, he began by consecrating something for avodas Hashem. In Parshas VaYeitzei he poured oil on a stone thereby dedicating it as the cornerstone of a sanctuary to be completed upon his return to Eretz Yisroel. When leaving Eretz Yisroel for Mitzrayim, Yaakov stopped at Be'er Sheva to offer korbanos; as his time in Eretz Yisroel was coming to an end, Yaakov dedicated those last moments to avodas haKorbanos. Sensing that in chutz la'aretz there would be no opportunity for avodas haKorbanos, he brought the last korbanos of that era.
As the period of korbanos was coming to an end, Yaakov was already preparing for the next stage of avodas haKorbanos. The stone he anointed was only the first step in the house of Hashem he planed to construct in the future. Similarly, Chazal teach us that as Yaakov went to Mitzrayim, he took cedar wood with him to enable his descendants to build a Mishkan years later. It was this vision that enabled Yaakov to survive a galus which would be devoid of the ultimate connection to Hashem that comes through the medium of korbanos. After returning to Eretz Yisroel, Yaakov lived in the house of Hashem which he had consecrated years earlier. As his descendants spent hundreds of years in the galus of Mitzrayim, they clung to the dream of their ancestor Yaakov that someday they would build a Mishkan using those very pieces of cedar wood dedicated years before.
Ma'asei avos siman l'bonim - the deeds of our forefathers are a sign for their children. We have been without a Beis HaMikdash for almost two thousand years. And yet, the Beis HaMikdash has remained a very real part of our lives. From our daily beseeching Hashem to rebuild it to our study of the intricacies of korbanos, the Beis HaMikdash has always remained a focal point of our lives. A nation that hasn't experienced the offering of korbanos for almost two thousand years continues to relive the glory of the Beis HaMikdash during Mussaf on Yom Kippur and during the Seder night. At the culmination of these highlights of the year, we fervently express our hope that the next year we will merit to celebrate these glorious days in Yerushalayim with the Beis HaMikdash rebuilt. Just as Yaakov taught us to look forward to the day when a stone would become a house for Hashem and cedar wood would be transformed to be a Mishkan, our prayers and study of korbanos will set the stage for the third Beis HaMikdash. The commitment to keep the dream of the Beis HaMikdash alive during galus did not begin with Yaakov; he knew this to be true because Hashem had already taught this to Avraham. At the time when Hashem promised Avraham to give his children Eretz Yisrael, Avraham asks Hashem through what merit will the Jewish People be granted Eretz Yisrael. Hashem responded that it is the merit of korbanos, to which Avraham responded by asking how will they merit to return to Eretz Yisroel after the Beis HaMikdash is destroyed. Hashem revealed to Avraham that the merit of learning about korbanos will enable them to return. It was this lesson of keeping korbanos an integral part of our lives, even in the absence of the Beis HaMikdash, that was transmitted to Yaakov. Yaakov in turn taught this to his descendants. The Jewish People have remained loyal to the dream of the Beis HaMikdash. May we merit to see this dream become a reality in our days.
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