1)

(a)The first Batei Mikdash stood for four hundred and ten years, and the second, four hundred and twenty.

(b)The Gemara ascribe the Pasuk in Mishlei ...

1. ... "Yir'as Hash-m Tosif Yamim" - refers to the - first Beis Hamikdash, which was spanned by only eighteen (others say eight or twelve - see Tosfos) Kohanim Gedolim.

2. ... "u'Shenos Resha'im Tiktzarnah" - to the second Beis-Hamikdash, which was spanned by more than three hundred Kohanim Gedolim.

(c)Shimon ha'Tzadik, Yochanan Kohen Gadol, Yishmael ben Fiabi (and, according to some, also Rebbi Elazar ben Charsum) from all the other Kohanim Gedolim who served in the time of the second Beis-Hamikdash - were the sole exceptions to the rule. They were the only ones to survive the first Yom-Kipur as Kohanim Gedolim.

2)

(a)Two sins that brought about the destruction of Mishkan Shilo - were adultery and the degrading of Kodshim.

(b)The sons of Eli ha'Kohen did not really commit adultery - what they were guilty of, was delaying the Korbanos of Yoldos who had brought their bird-offering, and who were waiting to go home to their husbands. Since they delayed this, postponing the fulfillment of the Mitzvah of P'ru u'Revu, the Pasuk considers it as if they had committed adultery.

(c)The sons of Shmuel ha'Navi were guilty of demanding more than they were entitled to from the owners of Kodshim - even before the Chalavim (the fat-pieces) had been brought on the Mizbe'ach.

3)

(a)"me'Histare'a" is an acronym of 'me'Histarer Re'a Echad' - in which case the Pasuk "Ki Katzar Matza me'Histare'a" means that the sheet is too small to take a friend (besides Hash-m - referring to the image that Menasheh placed in the Heichal, and which was a major cause of Hash-m's decision to destroy the Beis-Hamikdash - many years later).

(b)Rebbi Yonasan wept when he read the continuation of the Pasuk "v'ha'Masechah Tzarah k'Hikanes" - Hash-m gathers the waters of the sea like a wall, yet they made a molten image His rival!

(c)The daughters of Tziyon used to walk together in pairs, a tall girl besides a short one, upright, their eyes which were painted, looking around at the young men. They would take small steps (to attract attention). In their shoes they had placed beautiful smelling spices, whose aroma escaped when they walked past the young men and kicked their shoes into the ground to release them.

(d)Hash-m issued three decrees to punish them for their three sins: that Tziyon would be plowed into a field; that Yerushalayim would become reduced to a pile of rubble; that the Har ha'Bayis will become a forest (with trees and plants growing there - Redak).

4)

(a)The one redeeming factor that presumably softened the Divine decree or curtailed it is the fact that they had faith in Hash-m (see Agados Maharsha, Shabbos 139a - who explains that otherwise, Hash-m would have destroyed them completely).

5)

(a)The destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash - was caused by unwarranted hatred.

(b)When the Gemara describes them as 'eating and drinking together and piercing each other with swords' - it means that although they ate together and drank together, in their hearts they hated each other, and, as soon as they left the party, they would speak Lashon ha'Ra about each other.

(c)Although we are speaking about the era of the first Beis Hamikdash, Lashon ha'Ra is not included on the list of sins which caused its destruction - because it was the princes who were guilty of that behavior, not the rest of the people.

6)

(a)Rebbi Yochanan and Rebbi Elazar explain that, whereas the date of the redemption from Galus Bavel was fixed, that of Galus Edom extends seemingly forever - because the sins of the first Beis-Hamikdash were revealed (i.e. they did not hide their sins), whereas those of the second Beis-Hamikdash they did (see Agados Maharsha, who compares this to the well-known difference between a night-thief and a highway-robber). (Note: The Lashon of the Gemara seems to imply a difference between whether the sin was known [and they were therefore more likely to do Teshuvah], or it was not [and they would not].)

(b)The Gemara suggest that we ought to merit a more speedy redemption than the exiles of Galus Bavel - because we study Torah in spite of the oppression that we suffer at the hand of the nations (whereas the exiles in Bavel did not suffer to that extent).

(c)Evidently that is not the case - because we see that we are still in Galus.

7)

(a)According to Resh Lakish, the Shechinah did not rest firmly with Yisrael in the second Beis Hamikdash - because all the exiles did not return with Ezra.

(b)This is inherent in the Pasuk in Shir ha'Shirim "Im Chomah Hi, Nivneh Aleha Tiras Kesef, v'Im Deles Hi, Netzor Aleha Lu'ach Erez", which is explained like this: 'Had you made yourselves like a full wall (and all gone up to Eretz Yisrael) then you would have been compared to silver, which is not subject to rot. But now that you went up like (the two) doors (of the town-gate - where open one at a time, to allow the person entry whilst protecting the town from invaders), you are compared to a cedar, which is eaten by worms (see also next question).

(c)A Sasmegor is a worm, which eats some of the wood, but leaves some, too. Similarly, although prophecy was taken away in the time of the second Beis-Hamikdash, they remained with something - the power of the Bas-Kol.

8)

(a)It is unlikely that Resh Lakish would have said the above Derashah to Rabah bar bar Chanah - because if Resh Lakish would not speak with Rebbi Elazar (because he only spoke with people whose integrity was total), who was known as the Master of Eretz Yisrael, then he most certainly would not have spoken with Rabah bar bar Chanah!

(b)It was either Ze'iri who stretched out a hand to Resh Lakish (when he came out of the river where he had been bathing), or it was Rabah bar bar Chanah who stretched out his hand to Rebbi Elazar.

(c)Rebbi Yochanan explains "Yaft Elokim l'Yefes, v'Yishkon b'Ohalei Shem" to mean that although Hash-m will give them the merit to build the beautiful Beis-Hamikdash (referring to the second Beis-Hamikdash was built by the the Persians, descendents of Yefes), the Shechinah will only rest in the House that is built by Shem (referring to the first Beis Hamikdash built by Shlomo Hamelech). In any event, we see from here that even if they had all returned to Eretz Yisrael with Ezra, the Shechinah could not have rested on the second Beis-Hamikdash).