Once we have explained that even one act of a person can either bring the redemption closer or, G-f forbid, make it distance itself further, we can understand the saying of Chazal that “Anyone in whose days the temple is not rebuilt is considered as if it was destroyed in his times!”, and he will be held responsible for the fact that he did not withdraw his hand from sinning and did not do all that he could to bring the salvation of Hashem closer, in a way that the redemption will not be delayed because of him.
One who does all that is expected of him to do, even if in actual fact the redemption did not come because of others’ sins, receives a complete reward and Hashem considers it as if he had redeemed himself and his children and as if the temple had been built in his days.
