אֵין מְבָרְכִים שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים וַאֲפִילוּ בְּשַׁבָּת.

[The custom in Chabad follows the ruling that] the blessing Shehecheyanu should not be recited during [the period of semi-mourning known as] bein hametzarim,1 even on Shabbos.2

כְּתִיב וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם בְּתוֹךְ כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁבְּכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹכִיּוּת נְקוּדַּת פְּנִימִית לְבָבוֹ הוּא מִקְדָּשׁ לְשִׁבְתּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ. וְהִנֵּה מְקוֹם הַמִּקְדָשׁ גַם בִּזְמַן הַגָּלוּת וְהַשִּׁמּוּם קָדוֹשׁ הוּא. וְכִדְאִיתָא בִּשְׁמוֹת רַבָּה פַּרְשָׁה בּ', אָמַר רַב אַחָא: לְעוֹלָם אֵין הַשְּׁכִינָה זָזָה מִכּוֹתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי. וְכָל עִנְיַן הַשִּׁמּוּם הוּא בְּהַבִּנְיָנִים, וְכֵן הוּא גַם בַּמִּקְדָשׁ הַפְּרָטִי שֶׁבְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהַיְסוֹד הוּא שָׁלֵם זַךְ וְטָהוֹר, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עֵר, וְאִיתָא בְּמִדְרָשׁ רַבָּה: אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַמִּצְוֹת וְלִבִּי עֵר לִגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַצְּדָקוֹת וְלִבִּי עֵר לַעֲשׂוֹתָן, דְּכָל עִנְיָן הַשִּׁמּוּם, רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְלָן, שֶׁיֶּשְׁנוֹ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא רַק בְּדוּגְמַת הַבִּנְיָנִים שֶׁמִּחוּץ לְהַיְסוֹד, אֲבָל הַיְסוֹד דְּמִקְדָשׁ הַפְּרָטִי הוּא בִּקְדוּשָּׁתוֹ.

It is written:3 “They shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell among them” — that is, within each and every Jew.4 For the innermost point of every Jewish heart is a Sanctuary in which G‑d can abide.

Now, the site of the Beis HaMikdash remains sacred even in the period of exile and desolation. As is written in Shmos Rabbah, ch. 2, “Rav Acha declared: ‘The Divine Presence will never depart from the Western Wall.’”5 The desolation relates to the buildings alone.

The same applies to the personal Sanctuary within the heart of every Jew. The foundation [always] remains intact, unpolluted and pure, as it is written,6 “I am asleep, but my heart is awake.” On these words, Midrash Rabbah comments: “I am asleep from the mitzvos, but my heart is awake to acts of kindness. I am asleep from acts of charity, but my heart is awake to do them.”7 The whole concept of “desolation” among the Jewish people, Heaven forbid, applies only [to superficial matters], like the buildings that stand above the foundation; the foundation of the personal Sanctuary remains holy.8

Delving Deeply

“No Jew is willing — and no Jew is able — to remain separate from G‑dliness.”9 For the core of every Jew is “an actual part of G‑d Above,” a spiritual foundation that can never be destroyed. Whatever the current state of his knowledge and practice, every Jew, regardless of his or her background, level of observance and spiritual development, can awaken in teshuvah. The challenge is to actualize this potential in ongoing constructive activity.