“ואהבת לרעך כמוך” – Love, Respect, and the Redemption: A Call to Build the Future of Israel

By Rabbi Yosef Edery – Advisor, Sanhedrin Initiative | MNGlobal.org

The Broken House and the Broken Bond

Tisha B’Av is not merely a commemoration of destruction. It is a mirror.

A soul-level reckoning. On this day, the Jewish nation confronts the fractures not only of our ancient Temple, but of our very identity—what Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi called “a nation that dwells alone,” yet cannot stand divided.

The Second Temple, our Sages teach us, was destroyed not only because of external armies, but due to internal decay—baseless hatred (Sinat Chinam).

And if that hatred destroyed it, then only Ahavat Yisrael—deep love and unity among Jews—can rebuild it.

But love alone is not enough.

There is depth that needs to be uncovered.

As Rabbi Akiva, the great Tanna and spiritual general of the Bar Kochba generation, taught:

"וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ – זה כלל גדול בתורה"“Love your fellow as yourself – this is a great principle in the Torah.”(Vayikra 19:18; Sifra Kedoshim)

This was his signature teaching.

The banner under which 24,000 of his elite Torah students marched.

And yet—they all perished, because:

"שלא נהגו כבוד זה בזה"“They did not show proper respect to one another.”(Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 62b)

They loved, but they did not respect each other.

They were united in spirit, but not in space.

They carried one voice, but silenced the other.

This is the paradox of our generation as well:

a people yearning for unity, but missing the inner vessel that makes it sustainable—Kavod, honor, deep consideration, and legitimate space for every Torah Jew walking the path of Halacha and Yirat Shamayim.

Rebuilding Is a Mitzvah for Our Time

The Talmud declares:

"כל דור שלא נבנה בית המקדש בימיו – כאילו חרב בימיו"“Any generation in which the Temple is not rebuilt, it is as if it was destroyed in their time.”(Yerushalmi Yoma 1:1)

This is not poetry. It is halachic reality. We are not passive mourners of a historical event—we are active participants in a cosmic delay.

If we are not building the Temple, the Sanhedrin, the Kingdom of Hashem, and the infrastructure of Torah justice, we are—by our inaction—holding back the Geula.

This is not just a spiritual yearning—it is a commandment, as outlined by the Rambam in Hilchot Melachim:

To appoint a king over Israel (Hilchot Melachim 1:1) To eradicate Amalek (Hilchot Melachim 1:1–1:2) To build the Beit HaMikdash (Hilchot Melachim 1:1) To establish courts of justice throughout the land (Hilchot Sanhedrin 1:1)

These are mitzvot—not dreams.

They are actionable, not symbolic.

The Sanhedrin is not an ancient memory—it is a future necessity.

Sanhedrin: The Nerve Center of a Holy Nation

A rebuilt Beit HaMikdash cannot stand alone. It requires a functioning Torah government.

“מלכות בית דוד”

(the Kingdom of David) is not simply the coronation of a Moshiach-figure—it is the re-crowning of the Torah as the law of the land, upheld by a court of 71 sages, judges, advisors, and kohanim dedicated not to ego, power, or politics—but to truth, justice, and peace.

The Sanhedrin, like a healthy human body, requires many organs:

Torah scholars from all Jewish traditions
Judges from every tribe and region
Halachic clarity paired with prophetic vision
Unity that includes diversity, not suppresses it.

Beyond Love: Toward Mutual Respect

We’ve learned the hard way that love without respect can lead to downfall.

We say we love one another, yet still mock the customs of other communities.

We quote unity but exclude those who look, speak, or rule differently.

Love is the fire. Respect is the vessel.

If we are to succeed where Rabbi Akiva’s students fell, we must finally fulfill both:

Ahavah – a passionate commitment to every Jew as family
Kavod – a practiced discipline of listening, including, and honoring the Torah path of the other

The Temple Mount: Center of Global Consciousness

Tisha B’Av forces us to ask: How can we live with a void at the heart of our people? The Temple Mount is not just a physical place—it is the axis of divine presence on earth.

It is the place where heaven touches earth, where sacrifices bring atonement, and where Hashem says:

"ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם"“Make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.” (Shemot 25:8)

Yet today, the Jewish presence on Har HaBayit is minimal, fragmented, or even discouraged.

Gentiles play soccer on the sacred land, it is used in political schemes like some sort of rag doll...

The very mountain that defines our mission is surrounded by confusion, hesitation, or exile.

It is time to change that.

It is time to assert, with love and reverence, that the Temple Mount belongs to Am Yisrael, and that Torah Law must guide its future—not fear, nor foreign influence.

Redemption Requires a Blueprint

Tisha B’Av is not a black hole.

It is a gateway.

We mourn in order to rebuild.

We cry in order to cleanse the path for kingship, justice, and holiness.

The vision is already here.

It is written in the Rambam. It is echoed in the Prophets. It is preserved in our siddur, our halachot, and our daily yearning for “ותחזינה עינינו בשובך לציון ברחמים”—"May our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy."

The path forward includes:

Establishing Torah courts (Sanhedrin) that reflect national Halachic leadership
Encouraging respectful cooperation between all Orthodox communities
Rekindling involvement with the Temple Mount under Torah leadership
Studying and teaching the laws of Moshiach and the Torah-based monarchy
Preparing the people through education, unity, and fearless love of truth

A Call to the Leaders of Israel

Rabbis, Dayanim, and Talmidei Chachamim—

This is your moment.

History is waiting.

The Jewish people are yearning for leadership not of slogans but of structure. Not of positions but of purpose. Let us rise beyond jealousy, factionalism, and suspicion.

Let us build the Sanhedrin—not despite our differences, but with them. With representation from Chassidut, Sepharad, Yemen, Ashkenaz, Baalei Teshuva, Geirim—all under one Torah, one King, one God.

This is the dream.This is the duty.And this is the door to redemption.

“ציון במשפט תיפדה ושביה בצדקה”"Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and those who return to her with righteousness."(Isaiah 1:27)

May this Tisha B’Av be the last of mourning, and the first of rebuilding.

And may we merit to see the Sanhedrin seated, the King anointed, the Temple rebuilt, and the world illuminated by the light of Torah.