Titus told four commanders to destroy the Beis ha-Mikdash in order to squelch any idea of rebellion and political independence by the Jews. Titus understood that the only way to subdue the Jews was to destroy their spiritual center.
In the Tish’ah be-Av Kinah, Zekhor asher asah, R. Elazar ha-Kalir, tells us how the Kotel survived when the Beis ha-Mikdash was destroyed: “He left the one on the west side as a memorial.” The commanders were told to destroy their assigned walls and yet one did not do his job. The poet Kalir does not say why, but, the attack on the western side failed. Hashem wanted to leave a remnant. Hence, we have the Kotel today.
The poem continues later with the idea that the Shekhinah resides on the Har ha-bayis even after the churban, ve-tzag achar kosleinu. The Shekhinah is still there today behind the wall that He chose to keep standing.
Hineh zeh ‘omed achar kosleinu mashgiach min ha-chalonos mei’tzitz min ha-charakim, Behold, he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice (Shir ha-Shirim 2:9).
The Midrash Shir ha-shirim Rabbah (2:26) says:
BEHOLD HE STANDETH BEHIND OUR WALL: behind the western wall of the Temple. Why so? Because God has sworn to him that it will never be destroyed….
The Shekhinah is behind the Kotel, in the shadow and shade of the Kotel.
The Rambam in Beis ha-Bechirah (6:14-16): kidsha le-sha’atah ve-kidshah le-‘asid lavo. The sanctity of the mikdash is from the shekhinah and the shekhinah is always present, u-shekihnah einah betelah (Vayikra 26:31).
Based on: The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways: Reflections on the Tish’ah be-Av Kinot by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, edited by Jacob J. Shacter, (Toras Horav Foundation, 2006) pp. 204-207.
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