Significance of the Temple in the Days of the Messiah

Question

Contemplating the 9th of Av aspirations, I understand that the main reason for our yearning for the Days of the Messiah is to solve the inherent condition of human suffering: poverty, sickness, wars, and more.

The Jewish tradition holds the reestablishment of the Temple to be an integral part of the Days of the Messiah incl./excl. animal sacrifices and the rest of the Templaic works.

IIRC, according to Maimonides (and the late Hassidic tradition), a transcendent and omnipresent God does not need a place to dwell, and surely does not "enjoy" the sacrifices or Templaic works. And, I suppose, no present-day rabbi would oppose. Many also agree with the Gemmorah (Niddah.61b) that in the perfect world, there would be no Mitzvos to observe (incl. the Temple) and no possibility for sin.

In the Messianic utopia, what is the role and significance of the third Temple? I.e. why is the Temple important after the world is perfect?

Answer 1

When someone is in love, they feel a need to give. For example, a husband could buy his wife flowers that she looks at for a few minutes while putting them in a vase and a couple of glances at Shabbos dinner, but basically ignores. The flowers aren't needed. The gesture of giving is.

The fact that we don't feel this way about G-d says something about what Galus has done to our relationship.

(I took this idea, but added the metaphor, from the Narbonni's commentary on Moreh Nevuchuim. It's from his answer to the Ramban's and others' fundamental problem with the Rambam's explanation of the purpose of Qorbanos.)

We are going to need a building, and need qorbanos.

Aside from the qorbanos and tefillah aspect, the Beis haMiqdash was also a the seat of justice and legislation, since the Sanhedrin meets there. And both the Kohanim and Sanhedrin teach Torah.

So, the Beis haMiqdash will again be the central place for developing the Emunah and Bitachon to have the backbone and security to share our resources with others. It will be a place of where we learn and internalize Torah about things like when Chessed helps, and when it would just enable and exacerbate problems -- the whole reason why we need financial and other interpersonal dinim, rather than rely on our natural sense of Good.

Answer 2

Even if it were true that all mitzvot are nullified, one can still use a Temple to worship God without reward/command.

Pirkei Avot 1:3 Antigonos of Sokho received [the Tradition] from Shimon HaTzadik (the Righteous). He would say, "Do not be as servants who serve their master in order to receive reward; rather, be as servants who serve their master not in order to receive reward; and may the fear of Heaven be upon you."