God Prays For The Building Of The Temple

"And Abraham called the name of that place 'The LORD will see'" (Genesis 22:14). Rabbi Yochanan said: Abraham said before Him: Master of the worlds, when You said to me, "Take now your son, your only son" (Genesis 22:2), I had what to reply: yesterday You said to me, "For through Isaac shall your seed be called" (Genesis 21:12), and now You say, "Take now your son" and so forth. But, God forbid, I did not do so; rather I suppressed my mercy in order to do Your will. So may it be Your will, O LORD our God, that when the children of Isaac come to transgressions and evil deeds, You will remember on their behalf that binding, and be filled with mercy upon them. Rabbi Berekhyah in the name of Rabbi Chelbo said: Before Shalem existed, the Holy One, blessed be He, made for Himself a tabernacle and would pray within it, as it is said: "In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion" (Psalms 76:3). And what would He say? May it be My will that I see the building of My house. Another interpretation: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the Temple destroyed and built, destroyed and built, as it is said: "The name of that place 'The LORD will see'" (Genesis 22:14) - here it is built. "As it is said this day: In the mount of the LORD" (Genesis 22:14) - here it is destroyed, as it is said: "For the mount Zion, which is desolate" (Lamentations 5:18). "The LORD will be seen" (Genesis 22:14) - built and perfected in the time to come, in the manner of what is said: "For the LORD has built up Zion, He has appeared in His glory" (Psalms 102:17).