Why King David Could Not Build the Temple, and When We Should

When King David expresses his wish to build the Mikdash, the prophet Natan is enthusiastic. But he returns immediately with a prophetic message that David is not to build it - that David may wish to build a house for God, but God will have to build David a "house" first. Why is this? And who really selects the "place that God chooses?"

Throughout our study, we will explore different parts of Tanakh that deal with the meaning and purpose of the Temple (mishkan and mikdash, respectively). Who is the Mikdash really for? We consider what it means to build a house for "God's name" and examine the implications of "calling out in God's name." The viability of the Mikdash is intrinsically linked to our ability to "call out in God's name" properly.