Anne Lieberman's magnificent history lesson on the true importance of that hill in Jerusalem, at Boker Tov Boulder, "The world will try to take it from us (Gd forbid)":
For 1,938 years the Jewish people have been without the Temple. Yet Jews all over the world, every day, at least three times a day, for all those 1,938 years have been reciting the Amidah or Shemone Esre, in which we plead for the six needs of the Jewish people:
ingathering of the exiled, restoration of justice, destruction of Israel's enemies, reward for the righteous, restoration of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Messiah.... The closing three blessings speak of the hope of return to Temple worship, thanksgiving to God, and a prayer for peace.
On Yom Kippur, the morning Torah reading deals with the service in the Temple and the Avodah during the Musaf service relives in awesome detail the Yom Kippur rituals in the Temple in Jerusalem. Every Shabbos and holiday we recall the offerings brought for the community at the Temple. Chanukah is based on the rededication of the Temple, Succot we celebrate a remembrance of the Temple Service. On Pesach we remember the Korbon Pesach lamb which was eaten with matza and maror. The Pesach seder and the Ne'illah service (at sunset on Yom Kippur) both end with the proclamation, "Next Year in Jerusalem." On Tisha B'Av we fast and mourn the loss of the Temple and long for its rebuilding. At weddings we break a glass to recall that our joy is not complete while the Temple is still unbuilt. The Kotel, or Western Wall, remains to this day the focus of our attention and the place where we aim all our payers.
That excerpt is the core, but to get the full impact, you really need to see the photos and, of course, read the rest.
Anne has more here.
