The RAMCHAL about the Three Temples

B"H

The famous Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto - the RAMCHAL (born in Padua / Italy in 1707 – died in Israel in 1747) cannot be left out whenever talking about Jewish teachings. He wrote Mussar (Ethics) – books (such as "The Path of the Just" or "Derech HaShem – The Way of G – d") but he also published plenty of kabbalistic writings (e.g. Adir BaMarom). There is no Yeshiva today where the concepts of the Ramchal aren't taught.

In one of his writings, he explains us his understanding of the Three Tempels. Here are a few of his concepts:

According to the Rambam (Maimonides), the Third Temple is already being built in heaven and waiting to come down into our world (see also Exodus 15:17). But not only the Rambam said that the Third Temple has already been built in heaven; Rashi comes to the same conclusion.

But what exactly is the meaning of: The Third Temple has already been built in heaven and is ready to come down. Only Meshiach has to come and then we will see the Temple.

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto interprets:
In Kabbalah and in Chassidut every single material things (and even humans) has / have its counterpart in the spiritual upper worlds (in heaven, so to speak). On Earth, we are very human with all our strengths and weaknesses but our own perfect counterpart is to be found in the upper spiritual worlds. My own totally perfect "I" or "ME".

After I die, this perfect counterpart of myself will show me what kind of person I should have been while I was alive. It is like standing in front of a mirror and someone is listing us all our sins and failures. Then my perfect "I" comes into the picture and shows me how I should have behaved, solved problems or dealt with people.

"Jerusalem" or the "Temple" have their own counterparts in the upper spiritual worlds. A perfect Jerusalem with perfect people and a Temple where there is no more corruption or anything, but just Holiness (Kedusha).

The meaning of "the Temple already being built in heaven" is not that G – d took some stones and started building. The concept we are talking about is not material but spiritual. A spiritual Temple, a spiritual "I" or "Me", a spiritual city of Jerusalem. These counterparts don't exist in a material sense but only show us spiritual perfection.

Let's remember:
With the arrival of Meshiach, we are receiving a higher soul level which doesn't even let us think of any more sinning. No more crime, anything negative or jealousy; people will be very different. And this way we are going to connect the perfect spiritual world with our material physical world.

Furthermore, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto asked the question why the Prophet Yechezkel (Yezekiel) saw the Third and not the Second Temple in his vision. In his time, the First Temple was destroyed but the Second hadn't even been built.

Yechezkel reached a level of prophecy called BINA; a complete total understanding beyond time and space. And due to this high level he was able to look into the future by even overlooking the Second Tempel (beyond time). The Second Temple itself was only due to be build in another 56 years from then on. But Yechezkel only saw a vision of an eternal unique G – dly Temple and this definitely couldn't have been the Second Temple.