The Talmud says, “ Any generation for which the Temple is not rebuilt, it is as if it was destroyed in their days.”

The Sefat Emet, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter of Ger, asks how this could be so?  There have been many generations in which there were very righteous people, is the Talmud saying that just because they did not deserve to rebuild it it is really as if they were so wicked as to have it destroyed because of them?  The Sefat Emet answers: “Each of the generations join together into one chain, and together can bring the requisite light to bring the redemption.  The generation in which the redemption will come will not be uniquely deserving, but rather the culmination of a building process that has occurred slowly, adding a little in each generation.  Each generation helps to bring a bit of the rebuilding process which happens all through the exile.  The explanation of the Talmudic statement is that any generation which does not help to add to its rebuilding, has thus delayed the redemption.  The same is true of each individual, we each have the capacity to assist with the building, and according to the extent to which we accept the yoke of heaven upon ourselves we help to rebuild the temple. (Sefat Emet, Divarim, 5634)

In this sense each generation is the one which brings the Messiah, and each individual adds a brick without which the building could not exist.   Let us merit this Tisha B’av, through our acceptance of the Divine yoke and our baseless love for others, the speedy redemption and full completion of the building.