Йехезкэля 8:11 Мидраш: Pesikta Rabbati

She weeps bitterly in the night (Lamentations 1:2) - Let our teacher the priests teach us - is it permitted for them to immerse for their terumah offering on the Ninth of Av? Rabbi Chanina the deputy High Priest said: It would suffice for the House of our God to forgo one immersion. (Beraisa Taanit 13a) Needless to say, we must recall the destruction of the Temple.

"You have bought Me no fragrant reed for silver" (Isaiah 43:24) - I did not tell you to bring bushels of incense, only the morning and afternoon portions. Consider: Micah's idol stood in the west, while the Temple stood in Shiloh. He would offer incense before Micah's idol abundantly, as it says "And they are coming with their cloud of incense" (Ezekiel 8:11). But in Shiloh they would offer only the morning and afternoon portions. The two smokes would intermingle and rise to the heavens, as it says "And the scent intermingled" (Isaiah 9:17). And God would say: To which do we pay heed - this or that?

... Teach us o teacher: toward where should one who prays orient his heart? This is what our Rabbis taught: one should orient his heart toward the place of the Holy of Holies (Berachot 4:5). R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: if one is praying outside of the land, he should orient his heart to the land of Israel. If one is praying within the land of Israel, he should orient his heart to Jerusalem. If one is praying in Jerusalem, he should orient his heart to the Holy Temple. If one is praying in the Holy Temple, he should orient his heart to the Holy of Holies. R’ Avin the Levi said: “our neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model (talpiyot)…” (Song of Songs 4:4) What does talpiyot mean? The hill (tel) toward which all turns (peniyot) are directed. And after all this praise, it is written “Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire consume your cedars.” (Zechariah 11:1) And so too they said “He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) Israel said to Him: Master of the World! How long will it be like this? Did You not write in Your Torah “…the one who ignited the fire shall surely pay” (Exodus 22:5)? And You are the one who ignited the fire, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) You need to rebuild it and to console us, not at the hands of an angel but You in Your glory. The Holy One said to them: by your life, so I will do! As it says “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) And I am the one who consoles you. From where do we learn this? From that which they read in the prophets “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12)