Reference for Bava Batra 7:5
מאי רכא מלכותא דכתיב (שמואל ב ג, לט) אנכי היום רך ומשוח מלך ואי בעית אימא מהכא (בראשית מא, מג) ויקראו לפניו אברך
go now and attend to the eye of the world, [which is the Temple] as it is written, <i>I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXIV, 21. ');"><sup>9</sup></span> Herod replied: I am afraid of the Government [of Rome]. He said: Send an envoy, and let him take a year on the way and stay in Rome a year and take a year coming back, and in the meantime you can pull down the Temple and rebuild it. He did so, and received the following message [from Rome]: If you have not yet pulled it down, do not do so; if you have pulled it down, do not rebuild it; if you have pulled it down and already rebuilt it, you are one of those bad servants who do first and ask permission afterwards. Though you strut with your sword, your genealogy<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'book'. ');"><sup>10</sup></span>