Tisha B'Av 5778

The story of Rabbi Akiva and the foxes on the Temple Mount ends the tractate of Makkos and is to bring us comfort during the exile. He laughs cheerfully as he sees the foxes; if the first part of the prophecy has come true (ie. the destruction of the Temple and the barrenness of the land), then surely the second part is to come true as well.
However, we do see that the final part of the prophecy that Rabbi Akiva mentions in fact has been fulfilled. The streets of Jerusalem are indeed filled with people young and old. So why do we still mourn?
The answer is simple. We still don't have our Temple back. We can prosper in the land of Israel. We can build it up with the latest trends in technology and agriculture. We can make it the most populated area of Jews in the world. We can have one of the best armies in the world.
But we're not done yet. Not until we bring G-d's Presence back into our midsts. These are all minor steps in the right direction, but we have many more to go.
May we be zocheh to see the Final Redemption and the final Temple built, a place that will be deemed a "house of prayer for all nations".