Growing in soul

The Kopitchenitzer shared the Talmudic story of Yohanan ben Zakkai’s audience with the Roman emperor – at which he was granted his three requests (academy at Yavne, Davidic line, health)  The sages were troubled by something.  Why didn’t he ask in his three requests for the Temple to be restored?   The answer: wood (cedars of Lebanon of 1st Temple) and stones (Herod’s 2nd Temple) are less central to serving God than souls that can grow.