Nero's Palace & the Beit Hamikdash

Nero's palace is falling apart, according to news reports.

Part of the ceiling over the palace of the Roman emperor Nero has collapsed in Rome, prompting fresh concerns over the stability of the ancient complex.

But then again, take a look at when it was built:

Completed in AD68 - the year Nero committed suicide - the sprawling palace was called the House of Gold because of the amount of gold leaf which adorned much of it.

That year 68 sounds familiar. Oh, yes, it's the year of the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. (The fact that Nero himself later became a Ger is irrelevant here - as the palace was kept as Roman.)

I'm reminded of the Rashi on וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ. Rashi says (my translation):

מלאם יאמץ - לא ישוו בגדולה כשזה קם זה נופל וכה"א אמלאה החרבה (יחזקאל כו) לא נתמלאה צור אלא מחורבנה של ירושלים
[Yaakov and Eisav] will not be equal in greatness. When one rises, the other falls. And it similarly says (Ezekiel 26) "I shall be filled with her that is laid waste" [, which is expounded to mean that the alias for Edom called] Tzor is only filled up from the ruins of Jerusalem

Of course, it works both ways - when Edom is in ruins, Jerusalem will be built. We are already seeing this with Nero's palace crumbling and the Hurva synagogue restored. And with Hashem's help, the Beit Hamikdash will follow suit במהרה בימינו אמן.