Editing Ingathering of the Exiles (section)

==== Differences of Opinion ====
According to the Midrash: "It is a tradition of Aggadah that Jerusalem will not be built until the exiles are gathered... as it is said: 'Hashem builds Jerusalem, (because) He gathers the dispersed of Israel.'" This opinion is somewhat implied in the Gemara in Tractate Megillah, where the order of blessings in the Shemoneh Esrei prayer is explained, and there the prayer of 'Blow the shofar' dealing with the ingathering of exiles precedes the prayer of 'And to Jerusalem Your city' dealing with the building of the Beis HaMikdash.

On the other hand, in the Zohar, Chazal emphasized that the building of the Beis HaMikdash will precede the ingathering of exiles. The verse "Hashem builds Jerusalem, He gathers the dispersed of Israel" is interpreted there in its order, that first "Hashem builds Jerusalem," and only afterward "He gathers the dispersed of Israel." This opinion is implied in the Gemara in Tractate Sukkah, which discusses Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai's ordinance not to eat new grain on the 16th of Nissan, lest the Beis HaMikdash be built the day before on the 15th. Also in Tractate Berachos, Rashi explains the words of the Gemara according to this approach.