The Torah tells us that as the Second Temple was dedicated, the joyous noises of the happy Jews were drowned out by the grief-stricken cries of those older people who remembered the glory of the Solomon's Temple. There was not a lot of money in Jerusalem in those years, and worse still, there were not a lot of Jews. Most had decided to stay behind in the strong Torah-communities of the exile rather than face the dangers and discomfort of settling the Holy Land.

As if that wasn't enough, the local political climate at the birth of the second commonwealth was far from stable. Kussim (Samaritans), struggling for the favor of the Persian king, fought physical and political battles against the fragile Jewish community. The community itself was small and at times badly weakened by ignorance of Torah's commandments and intermarriage (Nechemiya 9, 2).

The result of all the turmoil was a Temple that - while grand - couldn't compare to its predecessor. How could it be otherwise? The builders literally had to go about their work with sword in one hand (Nechemiya 4,15) and tools in the other.

This second Temple lacked the ark (it had been buried decades before the previous destruction to protect it from the hands of the enemy); the high priest had no breastplate from which to consult G-d's advice (either the stones were missing or, according to another opinion, were there, but did not light up in response to questions); there were fewer open miracles with which to see the Divine presence and the materials and architecture of the building itself were disappointing. But it was better than exile.

The fact was, that the whole period of the second empire was anyway a kind of half-exile. The sages, led by the 120 members of the Anshei Knesses Hagedola (Men of the Great Assembly), actually used the years of the Second Commonwealth as a preparation for the longer exile they knew would come. It was this body which, among other things, instituted much of the Siddur Prayer Book that we have today.

These were declining years for the Jewish people. Just over the horizon lay a seemingly endless exile. The future was bleak and the world's various powers (The Persians, Greeks and Romans) would not leave the little land and its people to enjoy its present either.

If not for the existence of our great leaders, the likes of Shimon Hatzadik, Shemaya and Avtalion, Hillel and Shamai and Rabbi Akiva, our people would long before have been swallowed up by the sands of time. It was only the Torah - the Torah of those leaders - that acted as a beacon in the dark night to define us as a nation and show us the path to follow.

Rabbi Boruch Clinton teaches at the Ottawa Torah Institute yeshiva high school and Machon Sarah high school for girls (both in Ottawa, Canada). You may reach him with comments and questions at bclinton@torah.org.

You can now read some of Rabbi Clinton's essays on Torah life at http://www.ncf.ca/~es625/essays

You can also buy his collection of essays on the Book of Shmuel (Samuel) in printed form at www.lulu.com/marbitzmedia

Copyright © 2000 by Rabbi Boruch Clinton and Project Genesis, Inc.