Rebuilding the Altar

"Thus says Cyrus, King of Persia: The L-rd G-d of heaven has given me all of the kingdoms of the earth; and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in the land of Judah. Whoever is among you of all His people, let his G-d be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem... and build the house of the L-rd G-d of Israel..." (Ezra 1:2)

Following Cyrus's announcement, the exiles of Judah who were in Babylon gathered their possessions and returned to Jerusalem. Cyrus opened his treasuries and handed over the sacred Temple vessels that had been looted and brought to Babylon, and all together 5,400 gold and silver implements were carried back to Jerusalem. This first group of Jews who returned to Jerusalem was a small one - as the verse states, "The whole congregation together was 42,360." (Ezra 2:64)

And so it was that 52 years after the first destruction, the Temple service was renewed. The walls of Jerusalem, its houses, and even the Holy Temple itself still lay in ruins - but the service of the daily offering was reinstated:

"From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the L-rd... but the foundation of the Sanctuary of G-d was not yet laid." (Ezra 3:6)

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