1. Torah Strand 3
1.1. Therefore, because of you, Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the Temple Mount like the high places of a forest.
1.1.1. The Gemara continues: They were wicked; however, they put their faith in the Holy One, Blessed be He. With that statement we have come to the First Temple era, about which it is written: “Her chiefs judge for bribes, her priests give rulings for a fee, and her prophets divine for pay; yet they rely on the Lord, saying: The Lord is in our midst, no tragedy will overtake us” (Micah 3:11). At least the final portion of the verse was to their credit. Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, brought upon them three decrees corresponding to their three wicked sins, as it is stated: “Therefore, due to you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become heaps of ruins, and the Temple Mount will be a like shrine in the woods” (Micah 3:12).
1.1.1.1. רֵישָׁהָא בְּשׁוֹחֲדָא דוֹנִין וְכַהֲנָתָא בְּמָמוֹן מוֹרָן וּנְבִיָהָא בְּכַסְפָּא מַלְפִין וְעַל מֵימְרָא דַייָ מִסְתַּמְכִין לְמֵימָר הֲלָא שְׁכִנְתָּא דַייָ בֵּינָנָא אָמְרִין לָא תֵיתֵי עֲלָנָא בִּישְׁתָּא:
1.1.1.1.1. Why was the first Temple destroyed? Because there were three [evil] conditions: Idolatry, adultery and bloodshed. Idolatry, as it is written (Is. 28, 20) For the bed shall be too short for a man to stretch himself out on it; and the covering too narrow to wrap himself in. What is meant by The bed shall be too short to stretch himself out on it? R. Samuel b. Nachmeini, in the name of R. Jonathan, said: "This couch is too narrow for two lovers [God and the idol] to stretch themselves on." And the covering too narrow to wrap himself in, R. Samuel said in the name of R. Jonathan When R. Jochanan came to this verse, he would cry, saying: "The One, concerning whom it is written (Ps. 33:7) He gathereth together like heaps the waters of the sea, yet should have too little space [because of an idol] !" [The Temple was destroyed because of] adultery, as it is written (Is. 3, 16) For as much as the daughters of Zion are fraudulent and walk with stretched forth necks casting about their eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet, etc. [The Temple was destroyed because of] bloodshed, as it is written (II Kings 21:16) Moreover Menasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, etc. "Although they are all wicked, yet because they put their trust in the Holy One, praised be He !" refers to the people of the first Temple, as it is written (Mican 3, 11) Her chiefs judge for bribes, her priests teach for reward, and her prophets divine for money, and yet they will lean upon the Lord, and say. Is not the Lord among us? Evil cannot come over us. For this, the Holy One, praised be He ! brought on them three retributions, for the three sins of which they are guilty, as it is said (Ib. ib., 14) Therefore for your sake shall Zion be ploughed up as a field, and Jerusalem shall become ruinous heaps, and the mount of the house, forest-covered high places.
2. Torah Strand 4
2.1. Why do you lurk, you lofty mountains, against the mount [the Temple Mount)], which G d desired as His dwelling? And, indeed, the L rd will dwell [there] forever.
2.1.1. Does not have Talmud
2.1.1.1. טוּר מוֹרִיָה אֲתַר דִי פְלַחוּ אֲבָהָת עַלְמָא קֳדָם יְיָ אִתְבְּחַר לְבִנְיַן בֵּית מַקְדְשָׁא וְטוּר סִינַי לְמוֹהֲבִית אוֹרַיְתָא טוּר מַתְנָן טוּר תָּבוֹר וְכַרְמֵל אִתְפְּסִילוּ אִתְעֲבֵד לְהוֹן גִבְבָא הֵיךְ טוּר מַתְנָן:
2.1.1.1.1. וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני. ששה דברים נקראו לו, הר אלהים, הר בשן, הר גבנונים (תהלים סח טז), (ה) ההר חמד, הר חורב, הר סיני. הר האלהים, הר שישב בו אלהים בדין, שנאמר, ואלה המשפטים (שמ' כא א). הר בשן, הר בא שם הקדוש ברוך הוא. הר גבנונים, הר שפסל את כל ההרים, כמה דאת אמר, או גבן או דק (ויק' כא כ). (ה) הר חמד, הר שחמד לישב בו, שנאמר, ההר חמד אלהים לשבתו (תהלים סח טז). הר חורב, שבו נמשכה חרב, מות יומת הנואף והנואפת (ויק' כ י), מות יומת הרוצח (במד' לה טז). הר סיני, שבו נשנאו עובדי עבודה זרה להקדוש ברוך הוא, ונתן להם אפופסין, שנאמר, כי הגוים חרב יחרבו (ישע' ס יב). אמר רבי אבא בר כהנא בשם רבי יוחנן, חרוב יחרבו, שנטלו שם אפופסין:
3. This is saying that the Temple Mount is too holy a site for anybodies private property and that it must be highly respected. This is almost a dystopian comparison, as it states that Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become heaps of ruins, and the Temple Mount will be a mere shrine in the woods. Psalms 89:41—This is saying that the Temple Mount is the stronghold and fortress of Zion, and that it had been breached. This is questioning the authority of the ‘lofty mountains,’ as it asks why they think they can lurk against the Temple Mount, the lurking place of G-d.
4. Torah Strand 1
4.1. You shall not plant for yourself an asheirah (a tree devoted to idolatry) [(One is liable from the time of planting)], any tree near the altar of the L-rd your G-d that you shall make for yourself [(an exhortation against planting a tree or building a house on the Temple Mount)].
4.1.1. (דברים טז, כא) לא תטע לך אשרה כל עץ אצל מזבח מה מזבח טעון גניזה אף אשרה טעונה גניזה
4.1.1.1. לָא תִצוֹב לָךְ אֲשֵׁרַת כָּל אִילָן בִּסְטַר מַדְבְּחָא דַיְיָ אֱלָהָךְ דִי תַעְבֶּד לָךְ
4.1.1.1.1. And this is meant that whenever R. Chiya and R. Chanina used to quarrel with each other, that R. Chanina would say: "Art thou quarreling with me, who if the Torah should, God forbid, be forgotten in Israel, could be revised by me through my terse arguments ?" Whereupon R. Chiya answered him: "I can bring it about that the Torah should not come to such a point of forgetfulness, for I bring flax twist out of its nets with which I capture deer. From its meat I feed the orphans. From its skin I prepare scrolls, which I bring to a town where there is no teacher. I write the five Scriptures of the Torah on five parchments, each one for a child. I then teach to six other children the six orders of the Mishnah, to each one an order, and I say to them: 'Study your order to your associate.' [Hence in a very short time all of these children knew the entire thing]." This is meant when Rabbi said: "How great are the deeds of Chiya!" When R. Simon b. Rabbi asked his father: "Is it even greater than yours?" "Yes," came the reply. R. Ishmael b. R. Geri asked him: "Is it even greater than my father's act ?" Whereupon Rabbi replied : "This cannot happen in Israel." He then summoned his smaller son, whereupon R. Simon entered. He entrusted to him the ways of wisdom. Afterwards he summoned his elder son, whereupon R. Gamaliel entered. He said: "Conduct thy Exilarch office among the exalted (surround thyself with the best people), cast the bile among the students, (be austere against them)." Is this proper? Is there not a passage (Ps. 15:4) He that honoreth these that fear the Lord, Upon which the master said elsewhere that this refers to Joshaphath, King of Juda, who, when he met a scholar, would arise from his chair, would embrace and kiss him, and call him Rabbi, Rabbi, Mori, Mori. This is not difficult to explain. The latter case refers to privacy [then one should love a scholar], but the former refers to publicly. We are taught in a Baraitha : Rabbi became sick in Sepphoris and his grave was destined to be in Beth She'arim. But was not Rabbi's household in Beth She'arim? We must therefore say that after he became sick he was brought to Sepphoris because of its elevated place and its wholesome climate.
5. Torah Strand 2
5.1. “Micah the Morashtite, who prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus said the LORD of Hosts: Zion shall be plowed as a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins And the Temple Mount a shrine in the woods.’
5.1.1. עוֹשִׂין כָּל צָרְכֵי הַמֵּת בְּחֹל הַמּוֹעֵד; גּוֹזְזִין שְׂעָרוֹ, וּמְכַבְּסִים כְּסוּתוֹ, וְעוֹשִׂין לוֹ אָרוֹן בֶּחָצֵר שֶׁבּוֹ הַמֵּת כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא נִכָּר שֶׁהוּא לְצֹרֶךְ הַמֵּת; וְאִם לֹא הָיוּ לָהֶם נְסָרִים, מְבִיאִים קוֹרוֹת וְנוֹסְרִים מֵהֶם נְסָרִים בְּצִנְעָה בְּתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת; וְאִם הָיָה אָדָם מְפֻרְסָם, עוֹשִׂים אֲפִלּוּ בַּשּׁוּק. אֲבָל אֵין כּוֹרְתִין עֵץ מִן הַיַּעַר לִנְסֹר מִמֶּנּוּ נְסָרִים לָאָרוֹן, וְאֵין חוֹצְבִין אֲבָנִים לִבְנוֹת בָּהֶם קֶבֶר; וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁהַיְּהוּדִים מְעַט דָּרִים בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד וְהַכֹּל יוֹדְעִים כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ מֵת בָּעִיר, הַכֹּל חָשׁוּב כִּמְפֻרְסָם.
5.1.1.1. מִיכָה דְמִמָרֵישָׁא הֲוָה מִתְנַבֵּי בְּיוֹמֵי חִזְקִיָה מְלַךְ שִׁבְטָא דְבֵית יְהוּדָה וַאֲמַר לְכָל עַמָא דְבֵית יְהוּדָה לְמֵימָר כִּדְנַן אֲמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת צִיוֹן חֲקַל תִּתְרְדֵי וִירוּשְׁלֵם לְיַגְרִין תְּהֵי וְטוּר בֵּית מַקְדְשָׁא דַייָ לְחִישַׁת חוּרְשָׁא:
5.1.1.1.1. Does not have midrash