this page last updated: Shvat 1, 5772 / January 25, 2012 Rosh Chodesh Shvat
The Month of Shvat: Rebirth, Torah, and the Holy Temple
Each Hebrew month conveys its own unique message. The theme of this month of Shvat is the concept of renewal and rebirth. To learn more about the regenerative month of Shvat, please click here.
IDF Soldiers on the Temple Mount
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TEN YEARS Israeli police stationed at the Rambam Gate entry to the Temple Mount allowed uniformed Israeli soldiers to ascend to the Mount. The ascent to the Mount by this large contingent of IDF soldiers was done in accordance with Jewish halachic law.
THE UNIFORMED OFF-DUTY SOLDIERS took part in a private visit to the Mount and were led by a qualified guide. (Note: Temple Mount security is the responsibility of the police, not the Israel Defense Forces.)
FOR THE PAST DECADE the police have prevented uniformed soldiers from entering the Temple Mount, claiming that their presence would bruise Moslem sensitivities and violence, (perhaps even on the regional level), could break out. However, despite the very visible presence of these uniformed soldiers who visited the Mount on January 8th, 2012, no opposition or discomfort was expressed by any Moslems who chanced to be on the Mount during their visit. Once again, the dire predictions of the Israel police, upon which they base their discriminatory practice of forbidding large numbers of Jews, or Jewish prayer, or, (until now), uniformed IDF soldiers, have proven false.
ON A SIMILAR, AND NO LESS SIGNIFICANT NOTE, just one week ago a group of Jewish worshipers on the Temple Mount struck up a dialogue with a numbers of Moslems. They discussed the religious status of the Mount to both faiths. During the course of the spontaneous gathering the Moslems involved expressed their sympathy for and understanding of the Jewish desire to pray on the Mount. They likewise denied that they were opposed to Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, despite repeated police claims to the contrary.
HOPEFULLY, as yet another precedent has been set, and another doomsday prophecy proven unfounded, the police will take the necessary steps to fulfill the letter and spirit of Israeli law and allow full access and freedom of worship for all Jews on the Temple Mount.
The eighth, ninth and tenth days of the month of Tevet are each considered dark days in the history of Israel. At one time each of the three days was observed by a fast. Today we fast only on the tenth. What happened on these three days?
The 8th: The Septuagint
Click here to learn about the translation of the Hebrew Torah into Greek, known as the Septuagint, which occurred on the 8th of Tevet.
The 9th: The Passing of Ezra and Nechemiah
The 9th of Tevet marks the passing of Ezra and Nechemiah who led the Jews exiled in Babylon back to Jerusalem. Click here to learn more about their crucial role in Israel's history.
The 10th: Breaching the Walls of Jerusalem
The 10th of Tevet marks the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in the year 586 BCE. Click here to learn more.
The clay seal and the Chamber of the Seals
Holy Temple Clay Seal Discovered: A Sweet Chanuka Gift from G-d
AS IN RECENT YEARS, a major Holy Temple remnant was again revealed this year during the eight-day Chanuka celebration. Actually discovered just prior to Chanuka but kept under wraps until an official press conference was called on the fifth day of Chanuka, (December 25th), this year's find was truly the first of its kind. Discovered was a small, (one centimeter by one centimeter - .4x.4 inch), clay seal. Written upon the seal were the two Aramaic words, "Da-kee l-ya," "Pure to G-d." Aramaic was the spoken language during the late Second Temple Period, the time of the origin of the discovered stamp.
A PERSON BRINGING A KORBAN, (offering) to the Holy Temple would purchase the flour or wine which would accompany different offerings at the Holy Temple itself. The worshiper would first enter the Chamber of the Seals, where he would purchase a receipt in the form of a clay seal, just like the seal recently discovered. Seal in hand, the worshiper would then enter the appropriate chamber to pick up his wine or flour, before proceeding to make his offering.
This process is described in Mishnah Tractate Shekalim, 5:1-5: "Whoever required libations would go to Yochanan who was in charge of the stamps and give him [the appropriate amount of] money and would receive a stamp from him in return. He would then go to Achiyah who was in charge over the libations, give him the stamp, and receive the libations from him."
THE CHAMBER OF THE SEALS, (Lishkat HaChotmot, in Hebrew), was one of four small offices which sat in each of the four corners of the Beit HaMoked, the Chamber of the Hearth, (see image below). The Chamber of the Hearth, located on the northern wall of the inner courtyard of the Holy Temple, was the dormitory facility for the twenty-four priests, (Kohanim), serving in the Holy Temple at any given time.
THIS PARTICULAR SEAL was discovered by none other than Hillel Richman, the son of the Temple Institute's Rabbi Chaim Richman. Hillel is a foreman on the Temple Mount Sifting Project. The Sifting Project is an archaeological project involved in sifting through debris that was first removed illegally from the Temple Mount some ten years ago by the Moslem Wakf. The Wakf, who are the Moslem custodians of the Moslem sites on the Temple Mount have long been conducting a campaign of expanding the existing Mosque on the Mount while simultaneously destroying and removing precious archaeological evidence of the Holy Temple. Their activities are illegal according to Israeli law, designed to ensure the preservation of holy sites. The Israeli authorities demur from putting a stop to the activities, fearing a violent Moslem response. Ironically, the very attempt by the Wakf to destroy archaeological proof of the Holy Temple's existence has allowed Israel archaeologists to make a series of discoveries such as this most recent one.
IS IT SIMPLY A COINCIDENCE, or is the timing of the discovery of the clay seal during the week of Chanuka, a sweet Chanuka gift from G-d? When forming your opinion, consider the following: When the Chashmonean rebels recaptured the Holy Temple for G-d and Israel, they needed to destroy and rebuild the great stone altar which the Greeks had defiled. It was not permissible for the stones to be thrown away or destroyed, as they had once formed the holy altar. Instead, they were removed and put in storage. And which chamber was deemed a suitable storage place by the officals of the Holy Temple? The Chamber of the Seals, the very same chamber where our clay seal originated. (See picture above)
Click HERE for a large high-resolution image of the clay seal.
Click HERE for another photo of the newly discovered clay seal, this one depicting its actual size.
The Temple Institute Celebrates a Quarter Century of Accomplishments
TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE WAS ESTABLISHED. Its expressed purpose,which has never changed, has been to educate both Israel and the nations as to the importance of the Holy Temple. The centrality of the Holy Temple is not just an artifact of our distant past. It continues to be an integral part of our experience today, and will be of ultimate significance in the future of all mankind. The Institute's second task has been to do everything within our means to make physical preparations for the renewal of the Divine service in the Holy Temple.
WE HAVE CHOSEN THE HOLIDAY OF CHANUKA, the holiday of the rededication of the Holy Temple in the days of old, and the rededication of Israel to the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in our days, to kick off our Silver Jubilee year of celebration. We express our gratitude to HaShem for allowing us to arrive at this date. We hope to celebrate with all of you our quarter century of accomplishments, even as we work, steady as ever, toward the goal of all humanity: The rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Your support for our work is not merely important to the success of our mission: It is essential. Please join with the Temple Institute to insure that our goals can be accomplished.
Rambam Gate Bridge to Temple Mount Closed
UPDATE: As of the morning of December 14th, the police have reopened the Rambam Bridge. A permanent soultion has not been found.
Twelve gates lead into the Temple Mount. As per the current arrangement arrived at between the government of Israel and the Moslem Wakf, ten of them allow access to Moslems only. Only one gate is currently open for Jews and Gentiles to enter the Temple Mount. This is the Rambam Gate, otherwise known as the Mughrabi (Arabic for western) Gate, which is situated on the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, adjacent to and above the Western Wall Plaza. The earthen ramp which led up tp the gate was damaged in 2004 by a heavy winter storm and an earthquake. A new structure was planned to replace the damaged ramp, and in the meantime a temporary wooden bridge was erected.
Twice in the past three years archaeologists have arrived on the site to make preliminary excavations to insure that no damage to ancient remnants would occur when the bridge foundations were being laid. Career Moslem inciters across the Middle East decided, as is their wont, to make a stink about the preservation work and the planned bridge, unsheathing once again the tried and true canard that Israel, (read, "the Jews"), are intending to "undermine the foundations of the Al Aksa Mosque." In spite of the obvious falseness of the ludicrous accusations, Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, ordered the construction to be indefinitely postponed. More recently heavy construction equipment was moved to the site, and once again the same scenario was played out and once again Netanyahu ordered the construction stopped.
In the past week the Jerusalem municipal inspector declared the temporary wooden bridge unsafe, liable to collapse or even catch fire. Upon his orders, the bridge was shut down, and with that, all access to the Temple Mount for Jews and Gentiles was effectively stopped, until further notice. Despite the presence of ten other possible entry point to the Temple Mount, (through which Jews and Gentiles have been granted access in the past), this temporary solution has not been made available by the government of Israel. In effect, the government of Israel is acting in violation of its own code of law, which guarantees freedom of access to holy sites to members of all religions. As of this writing, a small number of Members of the Israeli Knesset have made their voices heard demanding the immediate reopening of the Temple Mount to Jews and Gentiles. The government of Israel has not responded.
On the eve of the Chanuka festival celebrating the uncompromising fight for religious freedom and the rights of Jews to adhere to the word of the Holy Torah in the land of Israel, the tragic irony of this pussilanimous buckling under to the bombastic threats of Moslem violence is not lost. We call upon the government of Israel to immediately remedy this intolerable situation, and grant free and unlimited access to Jews and Gentiles who wish to perform the commandment of Mora Mikdash - showing reverence to G-d in the place of His Holy Temple. If the government of Israel is unwilling or incapable of guaranteeing the rights of Jews to perform Torah commandments in the land of Israel, then the government should stand down at once, and a new government elected in its stead.
To view news items describing the events as they unfold, please go to our News page and Updates Archive.
To learn more about the bridge, its history and the unambigious opinion of the Temple Institute concerning the matter, please listen to our Temple Talk Radio show of December 13th.
Torah Observance for Gentiles NOW AVAILABLE: PART II
Some years back Rabbi Chaim Richman delivered a historical teaching in the state of Texas to an audience of Noahides (G-d fearing Gentiles). The teaching was recorded and is now being presented to the broad public for the first time. Rabbi Richman delivers a candid and groundbreaking explanation of practical Torah observance for Righteous Gentiles.
This seventy minute teaching is being presented in three parts:
In anticipation of the upcoming Chanuka celebration, The Temple Institute's Midrasha (Youth Education Division) is presenting a live musical production of the Chanuka story, "A LITTLE JUG OF HOPE," Starring Yerachmiel and Mr. Shabbos. If your school, community center, synagogue, or private party is interested in booking a performance of "A LITTLE JUG OF HOPE," please contact the Temple Institute at 02-626-4545, or 054-206-8714 (Avital). Click here to view the full-size poster.
Click here to see a video preview of Yerachmiel and Mr. Shabbos in action!
The Sweet Month of Mar Cheshvan
"Always the bride's maid," the quiet month of Mar Cheshvan will yet have its day in the sun. Our sages teach us that the dedication of the future Holy Temple will be in the month of Mar Cheshvan, but for that to happen, we will need to roll up our sleeves and get serious about making it happen!
Sukkot 5772: The Infinite Light
The holy Sukkahs that we build on our terraces and in our backyards each year are nothing more and nothing less than a temporary Holy Temple, filled with the light of the ein sof - the infinite light. This same light which fills our Sukkah was expressed during the seven days of Sukkot in the Holy Temple through the joyful music of the Water Libation Celebration, and the exuberant spontaneity of the music inspired prophecy among those who heard it.
Filmed in the Richman family Sukkah with special honored guests, professional musician and musicologist Rabbi David Louis and his Mikdash All-Stars!
"Whoever has never seen the celebrations of the Festival of the Water Libation has never experienced true joy in his life"
(Mishna Sukkah 4,10)
On Sunday, October 16th, professional musician and musicologist, our very own Rabbi David Louis will be joining Rabbi Chaim Richman in the sukkah. They will be sharing knowledge and insight into the supernal secrets of the Simchat Beit HaSho'eva Water Libation Celebration which took place in the Holy Temple every day of the Sukkot Pilgrimage Festival. The immense joy of Sukkot expressed by the outpouring of musical creativity which accompanied the celebration would fill the participants with the spirit of prophecy.
Rabbi David Louis and his Mikdash All-Stars Trio will be recreating some of the musical exuberance. We will be recording the event live and posting it later the same day. Stay tuned for more details on Sunday. We hope you will join us!
"And you shall rejoice in your festival"
(Deuteronomy 16:14)
This will necessarily be a brief message. The fact is we are simply way too busy with preparations for Sukkot, (beginning Wednesday evening). The four days which separate Yom Kippur from Sukkot enjoy their own unique status. Sweet and sublime. They are different from any other day of the year. Following the intense drama of Rosh HaShana, in which we declare unequivocally G-d's kinship and sovereignty over all creation, and the supreme exertion of Yom Kippur, in which we transcend our own imperfections and return to the person G-d intended us to be, the four days leading up to Sukkot are filled with a lightness of spirit and a unity of purpose. Unencumbered by the heaviness of sin, (for we have just wiped our souls clean), and unburdened by the distraction of yesterday's temptations, (for we are essentially brand new beings), we can devote ourselves wholly to the many commandments which must be performed simply in order to complete the preparations for the Sukkot festival.
Essentially, we are, during these days, for all practical purposes, too busy doing the right things to be able to do the wrong things. What a beautiful way to begin our new post-Yom Kippur lives! And the sweet reward for all of our intensive efforts will be to dwell seven days in our sukkot, those very temporary and transitory booths of wood and fabric and palm fronds and leafy boughs that we are currently building. To sit, to eat, to sleep, to spend time and share meals with guests, to sing, to dance, to make blessings in our sukkot: how perfect these seven days are! But in truth, our seven day odyssey within our sukkah is not the reward for all our efforts of recent days and weeks. Dwelling in the sukkah is the result of these efforts. In other words, for all its temporariness and fragility, Sukkot is the ways our lives should always be, could always be, if we could but spend each day of the year adhering to G-d's word, as we do these four days of preparation. In our ordinary, un-rarefied world, the four thick walls and solid roof which protect us from the heat and the cold and buffer us from the rain and the wind, also serve to isolate us from G-d and insulate us from the Divine beauty which permeates His world. The porous walls of our sukkah and the permeable expanse of its thatched roof allows us to see and bask in the light that G-d shines upon us. By the same token the transgressions and digressions and indiscretions that we succumb to during the days of our year create walls and isolate ourselves from our fellow man and from G-d. The more we can stay clear of these pitfalls and instead dedicate ourselves to discovering and pursuing G-d's intentions for each of us, the sooner the walls and divisions between ourselves and ourselves, between ourselves and others, between ourselves and G-d, will become increasingly thinner and less and less imposing. In truth, our sukkot are only as temporary as our ability to maintain for ourselves our current heightened awareness and nearness to G-d. Ultimately, it is not the wind, (ruach) or the rain (geshem) that will overcome our sukkot, but our own shortness of spirt (ruach) and submission to our material (gashmi) limitations that will cause our sukkot to fall.
But Torah well knows our human frailty and limitations, and the festival of Sukkot obligates us only to seven days in the sukkah, and no more. In fact, Torah forbids us from being in our sukkah after the conclusion of the seventh day. But coming when it does, following the spiritual renewal and return of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, Sukkot reveals to us how good life can be and what we can strive for as we begin our new year. Now please excuse us. We must return to our holiday preparations. This is the joy of Sukkot!
Repentance, prayer and charity: This phrase, found in the liturgy of Yom Kippur, is based on a teaching of our sages which states that these three endeavors are the keys which enable us to repair our relationship with G-d and with our fellow man. By engaging wholeheartedly in repentance, prayer and charity we nullify the harsh decree that otherwise might have befallen us.
The wondrous beauty of teshuva - repentance - which is the essence of Yom Kippur, is that it is entirely within our capacity to achieve. Our sages likewise teach us that G-d created teshuva even before He created the heavens and the earth, and for that very reason it is hardwired into our spiritual essence. G-d, indeed, desires that we return unto Him. Like a father, with outstretched arms, beckoning His young child to take his first steps toward him, so too G-d makes Himself imminently near and approachable, if we but take our first steps toward Him. Part of our return to G-d involves our making amends with others whom we may have hurt or offended. This is no less important. If we make the effort, G-d guarantees the result: "May the wicked one abandon his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts; may he return to HaShem and He will show him mercy, and to our G-d, for He is abundantly forgiving." (Isaiah 55:7)
Repentance, prayer and charity: These are the three keys which enable us to repair our relationship with G-d and with our fellow man. If we grasp them and embrace them with all our heart and soul and being we will open the gates of repentance before us and begin the new year renewed: Signed, sealed and delivered in the Book of Life!
As we begin our new year together, we at the Temple Institute wish to express our deep gratitude for your generous and steadfast support. As you are aware, the Temple Institute is a non-profit organization, and as such, the Institute relies almost exclusively on private donations, such as yours. Our ability to continue working on every aspect of the preparations for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, (which includes the recreation of the sacred vessels and reaching out to teach and share with people all over the world the sublime beauty of the Holy Temple and the necessity for the restoration of the Divine service in order to fulfill G-d's promise of redemption for all mankind), is solely dependent upon your continued support. In these times of economic uncertainty, your participation is more crucial than ever, and will aid our efforts toward the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, speedily in our days!
The Yom Kippur holiday greeting artwork which appears above can be downloaded in pdf format, suitable for printing.
Yom Kippur United: A Message from Rabbi Chaim Richman
Yom Kippur is about making amends and cleaning up our personal acts. But even beyond that, Yom Kippur is about being there for one another and standing united as a people, bearing and sharing responsibility. To view Rabbi Richman's message, please click here.
What has the Temple Institute been up to this past year of 5771?
LOTS! Click here to learn more, and click here to help make possible our new ideas and projects and programs for bringing the Holy Temple closer to reality, planned for 5772!
Ashkelon Schoolchildren Visit the Temple Institute
On Wednesday, September 15th, the TALMUD TORAH ADERET RACHEL elementary school from Ashkelon paid an after-school visit to the Temple Institute. Their visit was organized within the framework of the Temple Institute's recently announced "GIVE THE KIDS A BREAK" initiative to enable schoolchildren from southern Israel to visit the Temple Institute, where they will learn about the Holy Temple and get a few hours of relief from the threat of rocket fire.
It was just over three weeks ago that the terrorist controlled Gaza Strip followed up a deadly terror attack in the Eilat region of the eastern Negev with a massive barrage of missiles aimed at the Jewish towns and cities in the area of the western Negev. Aside from the obvious mortal danger and the physical toll the rocket attacks take on each town, the emotional stress and anxiety caused by the attacks and the threat of more attacks exacts a very heavy toll on the residents. It is especially difficult for children. They can no longer move and play freely within their own neighborhoods. The must be on constant alert and in a state of constant preparation. Whether they are in school, on the playground, at the dinner table or already in bed for the night, when the warning sirens are heard, they have just 15 seconds to make it to the nearest bomb shelter.
With the help of a number of donors who generously responded to our call, the Temple Institute hosted our first guests this past week. The elementary school children, (grades two through six), accompanied by teachers and parents, all in all, some seventy visitors, had a wonderful time. The Temple Institute guides met our guests and brought them through the exhibition, describing to them the purpose of each vessel and the story behind each of the paintings that hang in the exhibition. The children were spellbound. They also were able to show off their own knowledge of the Holy Temple as the guides asked questions and involved them in quizzes. One young man was even asked to pose as the golden menorah and given life-size models of the menorah oil-lamps to hold in each hand. The parents and teachers likewise enjoyed the evening, asking many questions and sharing their own knowledge.
The following day the Temple Institute received a phone call from Menachem Cohen who had led the group up from Ashkelon, to thank us for the thoroughly enjoyable and educational evening. The response, he told us, was so positive that they hope to be able to bring more groups in the future.
For the moment, the security situation in southern Israel has quieted down considerably. Rockets are still falling, although much less frequently. The attacks are not being reported in the international media, and although they are very infrequent at the current time, the worry, stress and anxiety remains a constant for the local residents. In light of the current political events that are rocking the region, and the very dangerous political games being conducted by the Palestinians, no one can guarantee that even the relative calm being experienced right now, will last.
Encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response of our first group of guests, the Temple Institute would like very much to be able to continue to receive guests from southern Israel in the upcoming weeks and month. Hiring buses is costly and for this we appeal to all who have the desire and the ability to help.
For more information and to donate, please click here.
THE MOVEMENT FOR TEMPLE RENEWAL
With The Participation of Leading Temple Organizations
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE THE TEMPLE WITH PEACE NOW THE FOUNDATION FOR TEMPLE MOUNT HERITAGE
Is Honored To Invite You To
THE HOLY TEMPLE CONFERENCE
An Evening Dedicated To Temple Awareness
In Memory of
The Admor Rabbi David Teible Elbaum and the martyred Rabbi Yitchak and Talia Imas
The Dinner And Gathering Will Take Place In The Main Hall Of The Jerusalem Great Synagogue
The 19th of Elul - 18th of September, 2011
6:00 pm
We are all, unfortunately, familiar with the criminal and pathological phenomenon of Holocaust denial - the claim by neo-Nazis, Islamic leaders, and yes, much of the Arab "moderate" leadership, including Israel's Palestinian "peace partner" Mahmoud Abbas, that the systematic murder of six million Jews by the Nazis in WW II simply didn't happen. There exists a parallel phenomenon, no less pernicious and no less persistent, of Holy Temple denial. This is referring to the daily repeated claims by Islamic leaders, and yes, much of the Arab "moderate" leadership, including Israel's Palestinian "peace partner" Mahmoud Abbas, that the Holy Temple simply never existed. The intention of this repugnant lie is to delegitimize and destroy the Jewish nation's eternal connection to this the holiest site on earth. It's all part of the Palestinian/Moslem plan to isolate and eradicate Israel.
We have republished a historical overview of the phenomenon of Temple Denial, written by David Barnett, which recently appeared on the website of the internationall acclaimed think tank, The Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center. To read David Barnett's study, please click here.
Graduate to the Temple Mount!
In May, 2011, Rabbi Chaim Richman attended the 8th grade graduation ceremony of the Abrams Hebrew Academy of Yardley, PA. The ceremony took place in Jerusalem and included the dedication of a Sefer Torah to the Border Police and a keynote address by Rabbi Richman to the graduating class, overlooking the Temple Mount.
Help the Temple Institute give the Kids of the South a Break!
ONCE AGAIN WAR HAS BROKEN OUT. Once again terror has struck the citizens of Israel, and once again the southern towns and cities of Israel's Negev region are under attack as missiles fired from the terrorist-controlled Gaza Strip are forcing innocent citizens of Israel off the streets and into the bomb shelters.
EVERYONE SUFFERS. But it is especially heartbreaking to see young kids having to wait out their summer vacation in fear of their lives.
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE'S MIDRASHA (Youth Education Division), which specializes in teaching, entertaining and uplifting childrens' spirits in schools and summer camps, six days a week, every week of the year, is ready to lend a hand: In cooperation with southern townships and municipalities, the Midrasha is inviting the children of Southern Israel to travel north to Jerusalem to spend an educational day of fun with our staff. This vacation day will include prayer at the Western Wall, lunch, and special childrens' activities at the Temple Institute.
THE DAY IS ON US! This is our contribution. Renting buses, however, is a considerable expense that we will need help with. If you are able to help us to bring some Holy Temple excitement into some young lives, (and at the same time enable their parents to know that their children are safe and in good hands for the day), please click here. Your assistance can help us to give the kids of southern Israel a much deserved break for a day!
Tu b'Av: The Happiest Day of the Year!
The Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta'anit 30b-31a, states: "There were no holidays so joyous for Israel as the Fifteenth of Av (Tu b'Av) and Yom HaKippurim." Click here to find out why!
9th of Av, 5771: Peace and "Extremism" on the Temple Mount
Earlier this week, On the fast day of Tish'a b'Av, (Tuesday, August 9th) some five hundred Jews visited the Temple Mount, site of the first and second Holy Temples. This is the day of mourning and fasting to commemorate the destruction of both Holy Temples. These visits passed peacefully; the only headlines made were the large number of Jews who made the ascent, and the physical assault upon one group of Jews by passing Moslems and Wakf officials. However, according to the Arabic language website, PALESTINE TODAY, these groups of visiting Jews were comprised of extremists engaging in usurption and provocation. Click here for our response to these false accusations.
9th of Av, 5771 on the Temple Mount
On the Morning of Tish'a b'Av, 5771/August 9, 2011, Rabbi Chaim Richman & Yitzchak Reuven ascended the holy Temple Mount together with hundreds of fellow Jews, to make a clear statement on this spiritually powerful day, on which both Holy Temples were destroyed. The entire morning was spent on the Mount. Following is a short teaching from the Mount.
Tish'a b'Av, 5771: On the Temple Mount
A solemn day of mourning in which great calamities have befallen Israel. But also a day of unparalleled potential. Back in the land of Israel, back in the holy city of Jerusalem, we must harness the power of our people's longing for the Holy Temple and turn the mourning and lamentation into building the Holy Temple and spiritual rebirth. This photo album provides some snapshots of over two hundred Jews who arrived at the only place possible to be on the 9th of Av: The Temple Mount, site of the once and future Holy Temple. Click here to view.
THE HOLY TEMPLE: Its Destruction and Subsequent Attempts to Rebuild It
For 1,941 years the nation of Israel has been mourning the desttruction of the Holy Temple at the rapacious hands of the invading Romans, but not just: Attempts to retake the Mount and rebuild the Holy Temple have been made over the millennia. Click here to learn more.
Dare to Dream/Dare to Build
It is Av once again, and we are still mourning when we should be building. We love this short video but we will love it even more when it becomes irrelevant!
The Temple Institute's 5771 Annual Youth Conference
On Monday, the 29th of Tammuz, (August 1st), at 1:30 PM, the Temple Institute will be holding it's Annual Youth Conference, in the auditorium of Yeshivat HaKotel, on Rechov Misgav Ladach, in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem:
1:30 Conference opens with refreshments and Minchah prayer.
2:00 Rabbi Yisrael Ariel
2:30 Rabbi Dov Lior
3:20 Rabbi Ouri Cherki
4:00 Unveiling of a large scale model of the Holy Temple.
Techelet dying workshop.
Raffle with prizes from the Temple Institute's Exhibition Gift Store.
5:00 For men, a lecture with Chagai Ben Artzi overlooking the Temple Mount.
For women, a presentation: "Beit HaShem Nelech."
7:00 we will be joining the traditional Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivuv Shearim, (encirclement of the Old City and Temple Mount gates).
Admission is free. Separate seating. For more information, please call 02-626-4545, or temple.org.il
Renegade Hearts
Please click here to read a powerful statement written by a righteous Gentile, an eloquent testimony to the innate longing of every human being for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the restoration of G-d's presence in His Holy House.
A Voice Message from the Holy Temple
Archaeological remnants of the Holy Temple have been discovered in the past. But never in the history of two thousand years have we ever been able to gain a glimpse into what the Holy Temple may have sounded like! The "small still sound" of this tiny but exquisitely beautiful golden bell, which may have originally been one of the seventy two golden bells which, along with woven pomegranates, lined the hem of the meil techelet - blue tunic - of the High Priest - calls out to us all the way from the Holy of Holies, into which entered the Kohen Gadol - High Priest - one day of the year - Yom Kippur! This gentle blast from the past comes during these three weeks of solemn remembrance of the Holy Temple to remind us of the sublime beauty and purpose that is missing from our lives without the Holy Temple, and to rouse us from our slumber. Listen carefully to the chiming of the bell. It is urging us: "Build me, build me, build me, build me, build me, build me..."
Second Temple Bell Found South of Old City of Jerusalem
From Arutz 7: A rare bell with a buttonhole from the Second Temple period was found Thursday during an excavation at the Ir David (City of David) National Park, just south of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was found in a drainage canal originating just west of the Western Wall of the Temple.
Excavation managers Eli Shukrun and Ronny Reich said, "It appears the bell was sewn on the garment of a man of high standing in Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple period (first century C.E.)." It is known from the biblical book of Exodus that the high priests wore bells like this. While it is not certain that this bell belonged to a high priest, it cannot be ruled out.
"And you shall make the robe of the ephod completely of blue wool. Its opening at the top shall be turned inward; its opening shall have a border around it, the work of a weaver. It shall have [an opening] like the opening of a coat of armor; it shall not be torn. And on its bottom hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson wool, on its bottom hem all around, and golden bells in their midst all around. A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, on the bottom hem of the robe, all around. It shall be on Aharon when he performs the service, and its sound shall be heard when he enters the Holy before HaShem and when he leaves, so that he will not die." Exodus 28:31-35
Torah of Transformation Speaking Tour Wrapup!
Rabbi Chaim and Rena Richman have completed their Torah of Transformation Speaking Tour of nine cities across the USA. If you were't able to attend and would like to get a glimpse of what transpired, or if you did attend and would like to reminisce, please have a look at our Torah of Transformation Travelogue picture gallery. Click here!
The Month of Tammuz
The ill-fated spies, (Numbers 13:1) sent by Moses to spy out the land of Israel and report back to the nation on what they saw, left the desert encampment on the final day of the month of Sivan. They spent the entire month of Tammuz in the land of Israel and returned to the desert encampment on the ninth day of the following month of Av. They spent a total of forty days in the land of Israel, and as a price for the ill words they spoke of her, the entire nation was to spend forty years in their desert exile. The 9th of Av, the day they delivered their evil report, was to become a day of mourning for all generations. It is the day that the first and second Holy Temples were destroyed.
It is our responsibility to reverse the opprobrium thus assigned to the month of Tammuz by being certain to see and to say only good things about the land of Israel each and every day of the month. Therefore, every day of the month of Tammuz we will be posting positive words and pictures of the land of Israel. Click here to see. Your positive words are welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page!
Rabbi Chaim Richman, second from right.
Larger Numbers of Jewish Worshippers Ascending the Temple Mount
Sivan 11, 5771/June 13, 2011 | The past two weeks have witnessed over 1000 Jewish worshippers ascending and circumnavigating the Temple Mount, in fulfillment of the commandment of Mora Mikdash - showing reverence to G-d in the place of His Holy Temple. A number of these worshippers have even been able to spend a few moments in open prayer.
Freedom of worship on the Temple Mount is guaranteed under Israeli law. In practice, however, prayer or any other outward sign of religious expression by non-Moslems is strictly forbidden by the police. This anti-democratic de-facto policy is a result of police timidity concerning alleged "Moslem sensitivity." In other words, the Moslem Wakf, which acts as custodian over the Mosques on the Temple Mount, are violently opposed to any other than Moslem worship on the Mount. The Israeli police, bowing in deference to the Wakf's implied threat of violence, illegally forbid prayer by Jews and other non-Moslems.
This draconian policy may be softening, as in recent weeks Jewish worshippers on the Mount have been afforded a bit more leeway by the police. It has long been tacitly understood that a significant increase in the number of Jewish ascenders to the Mount would effect a more tolerant attitude by the police. In turn, a more positive attitude by the police toward Jewish worshippers encourages more Jews to make the ascent. This may be what we are currently witnessing, as the numbers of Jews making their way to the Temple Mount is steadily increasing. A critical mass for real change has not yet been reached, but if the current trend continues, this may become a reality in the near future.
Variables remain. The Moslems, witnessing the increasing numbers of Jewish worshippers may call for violence, and this may precipitate a police retreat to a hostile and unwelcoming attitude toward Jewish worshippers. The police could go so far as to forbid Jewish access to the Mount, if they deem such a move to be in their interest. The police, however, would have a hard time defending such a policy if the demand for renewed access is loud and sustained.
It's all a game of numbers, but we may soon be arriving at a tipping point where the sheer numbers of Jewish ascenders forces a real change for the better on the Temple Mount.
Chag Shavuot Sameach!
The Temple Institute wishes to all our friends and supporters, to all Israel and to all who attach themselves to the G-d of Israel, a very joy-filled holiday of Shavuot!
May we always be receiving Torah and may we always merit to bring to G-d the first-fruits of all our efforts. May we soon merit to rebuild the Holy Temple!
Please click here to learn how Shavuot is observed in the Holy Temple.
JERUSALEM DAY 5771
A MESSAGE FROM THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
"Be glad with Jerusalem and rejoice in her, all you who love her." Isaiah 66:10
JERUSALEM - the heart and soul of the nation of Israel, the heart and soul of the world. It was 44 years ago today that the Israel Defense Forces liberated Jerusalem and reunited the city. Today, despite all the forces of evil set against her, Jerusalem is growing, ever expanding to accommodate all her children, all those who place their trust in the One G-d of Israel.
Please visit our collection of Temple Institute greetings and features from recent Jerusalem Day celebrations.
Barack Obama vs the People of Israel
On May 19, 2011, President Barack Hussein Obama delivered a Middle East Foreign Policy speech in Washington, D.C. In it he reveals his true intentions for the state of Israel and the people of Israel.
This video is a response.
Seminar: Pesach Sheni and the Bringing of the Passover Offering in Our Day
Leaders and spokesmen for a number of Holy Temple/Temple Mount organizations will be participating in a Pesach Sheni (Second Passover) seminar today, Iyar 14, (May 18), at 6:15 PM, at the Achdut Yisrael Synagogue, 91 Jaffa Street in Jerusalem. The focus of discussion will be taking of practical steps towards the renewal of the Korban Pesach, (Pascal offering). Among the speakers will be:
6:15 Rabbi Yosef Alboum - Opening Address
6:30 Moshe Feiglin, head of the Mianhigut Yehudit movement and Likud faction: "The Holy Temple nation"
6:40 Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, head of the Temple Institute: "The Essential Need for a National Movement for the Holy Temple"
7:00 Noam Federman: "The Structure and Modus Operandi of the Movement"
7:30 Attorney Aviad Vasulli: "Preparing for a Korban Pesach in 5772 (2012)"
8:10 Rabbi Tzvi Idan: "The Sanhedrin in the Holy Temple"
8:30 Screening of the teachings of Rabbi Uri Sharki: "Who needs Offerings? Why a Korban Pesach?"
8:50 Rabbi Shalom Volpa: "The 14th of Iyar and the Korban Pesach in Our Day: The Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe"
9:10 Architect Gideon Charlap: "First and Second Degree Holiness in Practical Application"
9:30 Chaggai Veiss: " The Meaning of Chezkiya's Korban Pesach For Our Times in the Teachings of Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen from Lublin"
9:50 Noam Federman: Closing Words
Throughout the day Rabbis Itai and Yoel Elitzur will be guiding Jews going up to the Temple Mount in complete accordance with halacha (Jewish Law).
"The glory of this last House shall be greater than the first one, said the L-rd of Hosts. And in this place I will grant peace, says the L-rd of Hosts." (Haggai 2:9)
On May 15th, 2011, the 63rd anniversary of the birth of the modern state of Israel, Arabs staged violent protests inside Israel and on her borders, marking what they refer to as the "Nakba" "The Disaster."
Israel is being pressured by the international community to concede the biblical heartland of the land of Israel in order to appease her Arab neighbors.
But for the Arabs, the very establishment of the state of Israel, the return of the people of Israel to the land of Israel, and the return of the Torah of Israel to the holy city of Jerusalem, eternal capital of Israel, is a catastrophe of unprecedented scope.
On May 15th, "Nakba" day. Hundreds of Arabs entered the Temple Mount, the holiest site on earth, the place of the once and future Holy Temple, where they rioted and placed Palestinian flags on the Al Aksa mosque.
Behold Israel's "partners" for peace...
Yom Atzma'ut Sameach - Happy Independence Day!
Israel celebrates today sixty-three years of independence, following nearly 1900 years of homelessness and scorn. Today, the nation of Israel, once again in the land of Israel, is moving forward on the long road to complete redemption. As Israel rediscovers itself within the land of Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem, she is just beginning to re-assume her role as the spiritual center and leader of the nations. The distance that separates Israel today from the Israel of the rebuilt Holy Temple and the renewed Divine service is measured by our dedication and the allegiance in our hearts toward fulfilling the word of Torah and making our world one in which G-d is welcome. May Israel go from strength to strength!
All-New Light to the Nations Series: The Temple Offerings
It is time to begin to really understand the Temple offerings, what they consist of, when, how and why they are offered, what they represent, and how they effect change. In this all-new Light to the Nations series, Rabbi Chaim Richman explores every aspect of the korbanot - the Temple offerings. For too long the subject of the korbanot has intimidated and perplexed our modern sensibilities. Rabbi Richman cuts through our inhibitions and gets right to the heart of the matter, and why the service of the Temple korbanot is essential for us to fully realize our own humanity and Divine image. Please click here to view.
Update: The Temple Institute's Thirtieth Annual Conference on Temple Research
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE'S THIRTIETH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON TEMPLE RESEARCH which took place on Chol HaMoed Pesach, Thursday, April 21, once again presented a colorful sampling of research that is currently being conducted by local scholars and investigators for the dual purpose of increasing our general knowledge of Temple related subjects, and as a matter of preparation for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service.
PROFESSOR ZOHAR AMAR of Bar Ilan University, who is known for his groundbreaking research concerning the ketoret incense used in the Holy Temple as well as research into and the revival of ancient methods of dying fabrics, (which the Temple Institute has adapted for the production of the Biblical argaman (purple), techelet (blue), and tola'at shani (scarlet), used in the priestly garments), reported on his latest research and experimentation with reproducing the lechem hapanim, (showbread), baked by the kohanim as part of the service in the Holy Temple sanctuary.
GEDALIA GINSBURG discussed the book "Shiltei Gibborim," first written by Avraham HaRofeh, a 16th century Jewish scholar who lived in renaissance Italy. Despite limited access to the classical texts of Jewish learning, Avraham HaRofeh composed a scholarly masterpiece, titled "Shiltei Gibborim," which presents in depth and detailed information about the Holy Temple and the various components of the Divine service. Gedalia Ginsburg was one of a team of rabbis and scholars who edited, annotated and recently republished this work, still considered a definitive masterpiece of Temple commentary.
MEMBER OF KNESSET DR. MICHAEL BEN ARI delivered an erudite explanation of the preparation and purpose of the korban Pesach - the pascal offering.
YEHUDAH ETZION presented a visionary plan for the expansion of Jerusalem and its environs which will enable the city in the time of the rebuilt Holy Temple to accommodate the massive influx of worshippers and pilgrims who will be making their way to the Holy Temple three times a year. Etzion's highly detailed maps and plans focus on the redesigning of Jerusalem's urban infrastructure with a special emphasis on transportation and lodging.
RABBI YOSEF YITZCHAK TAUB reported on the exploratory efforts of the Shefa HaYamim concern, which, based on the words of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, have been searching for the designated stones of the High Priest's breastplate, in northern Israel. To date they have discovered a number of small diamonds and other breastplate stones.
RABBI AVRAHAM KAHANA, scholar of the Temple Institute's own Beit HaBechira Research Kollel delivered an overview of archaeological discoveries and confirmations concerning the antiquity of the walls of Jerusalem, as well as the Temple Mount which testify to the historical veracity of the Hebrew Scriptures and the glory of ancient Jerusalem.
FINALLY, RABBI CHAIM RICHMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE'S INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH MASTER CRAFTSMAN CHAIM ODEM, had the great honor of introducing and unveiling for the first time, the newly recreated Golden Lamp of Queen Helena. We will be presenting our own online premier showing of the Golden Lamp (nivreshet) following the conclusion of the Passover festival.
IN ADDITION to the many fascinating insights to be gleaned from the various presentations and lectures of the Temple Research Conference, the rich and multifaceted fields of research which were represented are living and irrefutable proof of the centrality and vibrancy of the Holy Temple in contemporary Israeli circles. The impressive numbers who attended the conference are proof that the subject of the Holy Temple is in the heart and soul of the Israeli public at large. The practical application of the research currently being conducted will no doubt help us to make the dream of the Holy Temple into a living reality, soon, in our days!
The Temple Institute's Thirtieth Annual Conference on Temple Research will be taking place on Chol HaMoed Pesach, Thursday, April 21, in the auditorium of Yeshivat HaKotel, in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The Symposium will feature the following speakers:
15:30 - Doors Open
15:45 - Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Founder of the Temple Institute, introduction
16:00 - Professor Zohar Amar: Recent efforts to recreate the Temple Showbread
16:30 - Rabbi Gedalia Ginsburg: discusses the book "Shlitei Gibborim"
17:00 - Member of Knesset Dr. Michael Ben Ari: The uniqueness of the Passover offering
17:30 - Rabbi Yehudah Etzion: "Pisgo VeArmanoteya:" A visionary glimpse into the future glory of Jerusalem
18:00 - Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Taub: Searching for the Breastplate stones in the land of Israel
18:30 - Rabbi Avraham Kahana: The Walls of Jerusalem: Research and Archeology
The lectures will be accompanied by a multimedia presentation.
Master of Ceremonies: Rabbi Menachem Burnstein, Head of the Puah Institute.
Special: The premier unveiling of the newly created Golden Lamp of Queen Helena, presented by Rabbi Chaim Richman, Director of the International Department of the Temple Institute.
For additional details: 02-626-4545.
Chag Pesach Sameach: A Joyful Passover!
The Temple Institute wishes a joyful and peaceful Passover holiday to all our friends and supporters, and to the entire House of Israel. May we merit true freedom from our oppressors and the courage to renew the Divine service and rebuild the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.
The above picture depicts the inner courtyard of the Holy Temple on the eve of Passover. In the foreground can be seen pilgrims with their korban Pesach (Passover offerings). To their right are a chavura (group of worshippers) preparing their offering in front of the stone altar. In the background are the Levitcal musicians and vocalists. The Levitical orchestra performed continuously when offerings were being brought before the altar, and Passover eve was no exception, as the entire nation of Israel made its way to the Holy Temple with their Pascal offerings. On this occasion the songs they performed comprised the Hallel - Psalms of praise - which even now are sung aloud every day of the Passover holiday in synagogues around the world. Soon, G-d willing, the Hallel will be sung again in the courtyards of the Holy Temple!
A Classic Passover Adventure
We invite you to join a young man by the name of Shlomo ben Ezra in our classic illustrated Passover Adventure, as he and his family make the pilgrimage from the Galilee to Jerusalem during the days of the second Holy Temple. Click here to learn all about the Passover celebration from the first preparations in the month of Adar, to the counting of the barley grain.
Going Out on a 'Lamb'
Yisrael Medad, veteran Temple Mount scholar and activist, and Director of Educational Resources of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, and a special guest on our recent 2nd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Live Online Happening has written an erudite, scholarly, well-researched and meticulously sourced overview of the ongoing and ever-growing attempts and desire to bring a korban Pesach - Pascal offering - as commanded, to the Temple Mount on the eve of the Passover festival. Click here to read.
The Temple Institute's Midrasha Visits Ashkelon Under Fire
The Midrasha, the Temple Institute's educational division decided to pay a visit to local elementary schools in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, today, (Sunday, April 10), in order to educate and encourage and lift the spirits of schoolchildren in the city that for several weeks has been at the receiving end of missiles being fired from the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. No sooner had Midrasha director Mordechai Persoff and his team of six National Service volunteers arrived in the city than they too found themselves in the line of terrorist fire. Maintaining cool heads, the Midrasha stayed the course, spending the entire day in Ashkelon teaching students about the Holy Temple, "a house of prayer for all nations." The Temple Institute's Midrasha visits hundreds of schools all across Israel throughout the course of each year. Rain or shine, or even terrorist missiles, the show must go on, and the Holy Temple will be built. Our children will see to that!
WRAP-UP: THE 2ND ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY LIVE ONLINE HAPPENING
The 2nd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Live Online Happening has come and gone, but the sweet memories remain. Also the need to recap and to thank everyone who made it possible. Please click here.
Now Archived: The 2nd Annual Temple Mount Awareness 6 Hour Live Video Streaming Happening
If you missed any or all of today's incredible 2nd Annual Temple Mount Awareness 6 Hour Live Video Streaming Happening, or if you just want to see it again and again, the first 5 hours of the 6-hour show are already on Radio Free Nachlaot's video library, (stay tuned for hour 6), please click here.
APRIL 5TH/ROSH CHODESH NISAN HAS ARRIVED!
THE 2ND ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY:
This day is the anniversary of the dedication of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
This day is the first day of the Divine service.
This day is the day on which fire descended from Heaven onto the altar,
and this day is the first day in which the Shechina, the Divine Presence, rested in the Tabernacle.
Nisan is the firs of our months, the month of Redemption, the month in which our forefathers were redeemed from Egyptian bondage. But the month is called so not only because of the upcoming Festival of Passover and our ancestors' passage from slavery to freedom. Tradition teaches that in the future, as well, the great and final redemption will take place in Nisan. Let us do our part to make it happen!
Join us Tuesday as we mark this day with a 6 hour live streaming video: THE 2ND ANNUAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS HAPPENING!
IN JUST 3 DAYS: THE 2ND ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY
Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven, with special guests, will be conducting a live Temple Mount Awareness Day Happening! Between the hours of 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM Israel time, (7:00 AM - 1:00 PM Eastern time), we will be conducting a live video stream from the RADIO FREE NACHLAOT studios in Jerusalem:
Discussion, teaching, video clips and live music all about the Temple Mount and the Holy Temple.
One Week Away: The 2nd Annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day, 5771/2011
In addition to calling upon everyone who holds the Temple Mount dear to their heart to join us in ascending the Mount, (in accordance with halacha), Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven, with special guests, will be conducting a live Temple Mount Awareness Day Happening! Between the hours of 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM Israel time, (7:00 AM - 1:00 PM Eastern time), we will be conducting a live video stream from the RADIO FREE NACHLAOT studios in Jerusalem:
Discussion, teaching, video clips and live music all about the Temple Mount and the Holy Temple.
Parah adumah - the Red Heifer: When the Holy Temple is established it will be imperative for all who come to Jerusalem with their Pascal offering to first be purified via the ashes of the red heifer before they can ascend to the Holy Temple. In spite of it all, the red heifer remains to this day the most compelling and elusive mystery in the Holy Torah. Yet what the mystery reveals about our own nature and our relationship with G-d is most enlightening.
To view the full-length version of this teaching, please click here
Parashat Parah: Numbers 19
This coming Shabbat (March 26) we read the Torah portion concerning the statute of the red heifer - parah adumah. This is in preparation for the upcoming Passover holiday. When the Holy Temple is established it will be imperative for all who come to Jerusalem with their Pascal offering to first be purified via the ashes of the red heifer before thay can ascend to the Holy Temple. Click here to learn all about the red heifer.
Parashat Parah: The Kids are Alright
Click here to learn of the essential role young priests -pirchei kohanim - play in the preparation of the ashes of the red heifer.
An Archive of Purim Teachings and Observations
Get ready for Purim, (this Saturday night, March 19th, and Sunday night, March 20th in Jerusalem), by brushing up on our current and archived teachings and observations about the always cutting-edge celebration of Purim and the revolutionary events behind it. Click here to see our Purim Sampler.
The Temple Institute Mourns Together With All of Israel
Rabbi and IDF tank unit officer Udi Fogel and Ruth Fogel, their two sons, 11-year-old Yoav and four-year-old Elad, and their three-month-old daughter Hadas, were savagely murdered in cold blood in their home in the Samarian community of Itamar, Friday night, Shabbat Eve, March 11th. They were slaughtered in their sleep, at the hands of Arab terrorists. Three children survived the attack. May G-d grant them strength.
The month of Adar, the month of the Purim celebration and the month of preparations for the upcoming Passover festival contains eight days of special significance. Click here to go to our guide and learn about these eight days. Enjoy!
Music of the Holy Temple: An All-New Light to the Nations video series
THE SWEETEST MUSIC ON EARTH: The music of the Holy Temple was indeed the sweetest music on earth, and that is because it was the Levitical expression of the music of heaven. The music of the Levitical Choir and Orchestra was an integral part of the Divine service of the Holy Temple. Every day of the year, Shabbat and festival holidays included, the music of the Levites was heard in the Temple courtyards and throughout Jerusalem. What kind of music was played? What part did the music play in the Divine service? What instruments were used and how was the Levitical orchestra formulated? What will the music of the rebuilt Holy Temple sound like? In this five part Light to the Nations video series, Rabbi Chaim Richman and musicologist Rabbi David Louis explore the music of the Holy Temple, a fascinating and sublimely beautiful aspect of the Divine service.
To view Part I of MUSIC OF THE HOLY TEMPLE, please click here.
The Month of Adar and the Half-Shekel Contribution
THIS UPCOMING SATURDAY NIGHT, motzei Shabbat, (March 5), - is Rosh Chodesh Adar II - the first day of the new month of Adar II, the twelth and final month of the yearly cycle that begins with Nisan, ("the first of your months" Exodus 12:2), the month of the exodus from Egypt. When the Holy Temple is standing and the Divine service is being performed daily, the month of Adar is full of preparations for the upcoming Passover pilgrimage festival which begins on the 15th of Nisan. In addition, the month of Adar is the month that the half-shekel is collected.
SHEKOLIM is the name of the group of verses, (Exodus 30:11-16), read in synagogues throughout the world on the first Shabbat of the month of Adar. This year it will be read on the Shabbat that immediately precedes Rosh Chodesh. It is as follows:"And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: When you take the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to the L-rd, when you number them; that there be no plague among them, when you number them. This they shall give, every one that passes among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary, (a shekel is twenty gera), a half shekel shall be the offering of the L-rd. Every one that passes among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give the offering of the L-rd. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give the offering of the L-rd, to make atonement for your souls. And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial to the children of Israel before the L-rd, to make atonement for your souls."THE HALF-SHEKEL CONTRIBUTION was given annually for over a thousand years, being interrupted only by Nebuchadnezzar, whose army destroyed the first Holy Temple. The collection of the half-shekel was reintroduced by Nechemia and the returnees from Babylon, in preparation for the reconstruction of the altar and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. It was halted once more by Titus, the Roman destroyer of the second Holy Temple, in the year 70 ce, and finally banished by the emperor Hadrian some 65 years later.ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH OF ADAR, the public would be notified that the time had come to prepare for the half-shekel contribution. Collection stations would be set up in all the cities and villages of the land of Israel, as well as abroad. The annual half-shekel contribution provided the perfect vehicle for all the nation of Israel, both those of greater means, and those of lesser means, to express their concern and love for G-d and for His Holy Temple.HAVING COMPLETED THE LOCAL COLLECTIONS, emissaries would then transport the money to Jerusalem, where it would be collected and deposited into the Chamber of the Half-Shekel - located within the Temple Mount complex. Three times during the year the priestly treasurer would fill each of three separate coffers with the half-shekel coins. Three times a year the priestly treasurer would reenter the chamber in order to distribute the money as needed. And what were the half-shekel coins used for? For the purchase of animals for the communal sacrifices, such as the daily offering, and the festival offerings. In addition, the half-shekel contribution was used for the maintenance and enhancement of the Holy Temple and its many chambers and courtyards. The treasurer who entered the chamber was forbidden from dressing in an ostentatious manner, so as to alleviate any suspicion of him having dipped into the coffers for personal gain!TODAY WE ARE ON THE HISTORICAL EVE of the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service. An unprecedented spiritual awakening in Israel and around the globe, spearheaded, in great part, by the Temple Institute, is making this reality more achievable than ever before. The half-shekel contribution is every bit a relevant and meaningful expression of devotion to G-d and the rebuilding of His Holy Temple, as it was in the past. We take this opportunity to encourage all who want to play an active role in this great undertaking, to make this upcoming month of Adar, the month of the half-shekel contribution.
Interview: Chaim Odem, Master Craftsman for the Temple Institute
Master craftsman Chaim Odem is the designer and creator of the the golden Menorah that currently stands in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, overlooking the Temple Mount. Chaim has also designed and produced other Temple vessels on behalf of the Temple Institute, including a model of the Ark of the Covenant. Chaim is currently working on recreating the Golden Lamp of Queen Helena, to be hung from the great entrance to the Holy Temple sanctuary. Chaim Odem personifies the two criteria spelled out by Torah concerning the craftsmen and women of the Tabernacle in the desert: "wise of heart" (Exodus 35:10) and "generous of spirit." (Exodus 35:21)
In this interview Chaim tries to answer the question how he merited building the golden Menorah for the Holy Temple. His story begins as a young man in the Soviet Republic of Georgia, where news of Israel's victory in the 1967 Six Day War awoke within him for the first time an awareness of his Jewish identity, something that had been denied him growing up in the communist totalitarian state. Chaim's story is one of faith, perseverance and eventual aliya (emigration) to Israel.To learn more about the Golden Lamp of Queen Helena, please click here.To view a video describing the Lamp currently under construction, please click here.
The Holy Temple - Constructing the Golden Lamp of Queen Helena
The Temple Institute, inspired by the great yearning for the Holy Temple as expressed by thousands of Jews and Gentiles the world over has chosen to recreate the golden nivreshet of Queen Helena, with the hope that it will once again fulfill its role as a light filled clarion call for all nations to turn their eyes and their hearts toward Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, may we merit to build it speedily and in our days. We invite all who wish to play a part in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to join us in recreating the golden nivreshet, Queen Helena's gift to the Holy Temple, to the people of Israel and to the world.
We invite all who wish to play a part in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to join us in recreating the Golden Lamp, Queen Helena's gift to the Holy Temple. Together we can fill the world with light. Together we can declare, "Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-D, Hashem Is One."Help us to complete Queen Helena's Golden Lamp. Please click here.
The Golden Lamp of Queen Helena
1980 years ago a woman presented a precious gift to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. She brought the gift from afar. And with the gift she brought her husband and her children. The gift found its place in the Holy Temple and the woman and her family made the city of Jerusalem their new home. The woman's name was Helena and she was the queen of Adiabene, a small nation found in what is present day Iraq. Immersed in the prevailing Roman pagan culture, Queen Helena was searching for a way of life that was true and moral. She searched and she discovered the One G-d of Israel. Queen Helena and her family left their pagan ways and adopted the faith of Israel as their faith and the Torah of Israel as their truth.
We invite all who wish to play a part in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to join us in recreating the golden lamp, Queen Helena's gift to the Holy Temple. Please click here.
Governor Mike Huckabee and Rabbi Chaim Richman Discuss Israel, Jerusalem and the Holy Temple
Mike Huckabee, the former Governor of Arkansas, and likely presidential hopeful in 2012, has spent the past few days in Israel. On Thursday evening, February 3rd, (Rosh Chodesh Adar), the Temple Institute's Rabbi Chaim Richman was a guest of Governor Huckabee at the David's Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. To learn more, please click here.
Now Presenting the Greatest Progress Toward the Rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Modern History: Blueprints for The Holy Temple
In his recent USA speaking engagement tour, (January 2011), Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute revealed to the public for the very first time detailed construction plans for the Chamber of Hewn Stone: the seat of the Great Sanhedrin which is a central component of the Holy Temple complex on the Temple Mount. These complete and highly intricate plans constitute the first stage of an historical undertaking of the Temple Institute: the drafting of blueprints for the entire Holy Temple complex. To view the blueprints and a short video, please click here.
"FROM EVERY PERSON WHOSE HEART INSPIRES HIM TO GENEROSITY"
PARASHAT TERUMAH, the Torah reading of Exodus 25:1-27:19, encapsulates the essence and the purpose of the Temple Institute. To learn why this parashah is so intrinsic to the work of the Temple Institute, please click here.
Rabbi Richman: January 25, Loveland, Colorado
Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute is concluding his speaking tour tonight, January 25, in Loveland, Colorado.
Rabbi Richman is speaking in eight states. Please click here to see his complete schedule.
Once again, we are featuring a running travelogue of the rabbi's speaking engagements, and will be posting photographs and comments on our website and Facebook page. If you are attending any of the rabbi's talks, and you are taking pictures, we invite you to email us your best pictures, and we will post them. Please email your photographs to this email address: exiletoredemptiontour@gmail.com.
Tu B'Shvat: The New Year for Trees
Every month of the Hebrew calendar is imbued with its own unique spiritual quality. Our current month of Shvat is no exception. Rebirth, renewal, revitalization, and redemption all describe the essential energy of this month of Shvat. Located in the very dead of winter, just when we need it most, Shvat arrives to give us an injection of redemptive vision, a foreshadowing, as it were for the spring Passover festival.
The very height of Shvat's spiritual awakening is today, the fifteenth of Shvat, known in Hebrew as Tu B'Shvat. The Mishna describes this day as being the beginning of the new year for trees, concerning the tithing of their fruits, and the harvesting of their first fruits after waiting the required three year period for the tree to mature. Yes, even the trees of the land of Israel number their days and are defined by their role in the sacred service of the Holy Temple!
During Israel's long years of exile, Tu B'Shvat became an occasion for partaking of the seven species of the land of Israel and making the blessings on each of the species as a way of expressing our longing for the land. In modern Israel, Tu B'Shvat has taken on the aspect of an Arbor Day. Tens of thousands of young saplings are planted each year on Tu B'Shvat, (the shmitta - sabbatical - year excepting), by citizens, young and old, of Israel.
Every year, during the month of Shvat we read the Torah portion of Beshalach, (Exodus 13:17-17:16), in which takes place the splitting of the Sea of Reeds and the crossing over of Israel from slavery to freedom. The rebirth, renewal, revitalization, and redemption of the Exodus is celebrated by Israel in the "Shirat Hayam," the "Song of the Sea." Contained in the song are the following verses: "You shall bring them [Israel] in, and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O L-rd, which You have made for You to dwell in – in the Sanctuary, HaShem, which Your hands have established" (Ex. 15:17-18). Our sages teach us that these verses express the entire purpose of the Exodus from Egypt, to bring Israel "to the Mountain of G-d’s inheritance" — Mount Moriah, location of the Holy Temple — in order for Israel to build that very Sanctuary which His hands have established.
Like trees of the field, well rooted in the soil of the land of Israel, watered by the pure waters of Torah, and reaching ever upwards toward heaven and toward our earthly destiny, we long to soon bear the fruits of our Divine purpose, and to build the Holy Temple, from which the redemptive energies of the month of Shvat will emanate to the four corners of the earth.
Tu B'Shvat Sameach - A Happy Tu B'Shvat!
Vendyl and Anita Jones with Rabbi Chaim Richman, Waco TX, June 2010
The Temple Institute is saddened to learn of the passing of a beloved friend and inspiration, Vendyl Jones.
Vendyl was a fearless searcher of truth, an uncompromising iconoclast who never swayed from his pursuits, both archaeological and theological, despite the fact that his discoveries were often met with skepticism, hostility, or indifference.
Vendyl was a pioneering spirit who challenged convention. His ground-breaking archaeological findings helped to return the Holy Temple and the Divine service back to its rightful prominence in the minds of many, and his Biblical scholarship and teachings aided countless spiritual seekers to return to the truths and values of the G-d of Israel. Perhaps more than any other individual of this generation, Vendyl is revered by many as one of the modern patriarchs of the burgeoning Noahide, (Bnei Noach), community in America. May his family and friends be comforted and may his life continue to serve as an inspiration. May his memory be for a blessing.
To read more about Vendyl Jones, please click here.
"Sing to the L-rd a New Song; Sing to the L-rd, All the Earth!" (Psalms 96)
The Book of Psalms speaks numerous times about a New Song. "Sing to the L-rd a New Song." This is the song that will be sung when G-d ushers in the great moment of the Complete and Final Redemption. What is the secret of that song? What does it sound like? Will everybody get to sing it?
With G-d's help, Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem will be speaking throughout the United States during the month of January 2011. You are invited to join him and explore together, the timeless universal message of the holy Torah for all people - "FROM EXILE TO REDEMPTION:"
What is the Divine promise of Redemption?
How does the process of Redemption affect every individual and nation? How close are we?
How are we all part of the Redemption? What role does every person play?
How do we understand cataclysmic world events in the light of the Biblical promise of Redemption?
How does the Holy Temple fit into this plan?
Rabbi Richman will also be unveiling an exclusive Temple building update, never before seen anywhere, which brings Israel and the world to an entirely new and unprecedented level of preparation for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.
Rabbi Richman will be speaking in eight states. Please click HERE to see his complete schedule.
Click HERE to download a promotional poster for Rabbi Richman's speaking tour.
"Sing to the L-rd a New Song; Sing to the L-rd, All the Earth!" (Psalms 96) Rabbi Richman in America, January 2011
Please view this short video in which Rabbi Richman personally invites you to join him in America this January as he speaks about the world today and the role Israel is destined to play in leading the world "From Exile to Redemption." Click here!
For additional details of the Rabbi's speaking engagements in eight states, please click here.
Shouting to the Darkness
A righteous Gentile's thoughts about Chanukah and the Holy Temple
Every year we are asked, “Why do you celebrate Chanukah?” and/or “Are you Jewish?” I understand people’s curiosity. I even understand that they may think it’s a little weird. Heck, I even think it’s a little weird that I’m not Jewish and I celebrate Chanukah. But like I tell my kids, sometimes weird is good. It means you’re not following the norm. And more often than not these days, it’s the norm that’s becoming weird. Since the question keeps coming up, I thought I would write a little ditti about why we celebrate Chanukah. Please click here for the entire article.
Announcement to the Loyal Listeners of TEMPLE TALK
Israel National Radio is currently moving to a new facility and is experiencing temporary technical difficulties. The current (November 16th), TEMPLE TALK broadcast, as well as recent broadcasts can be heard and downloaded on UniversalTorah.com.
THIS PAST WEEK, a dear friend of the Temple Institute, and celebrated craftsman of Temple vessels, ascended the Temple Mount with his soon to-be-bride on the morning of their upcoming wedding. Ascending the Mount and being present in the place of the Holy Temple is an ancient tradition that has been renewed in recent years. Here, however, our story takes a romantic - and daring - twist.
ONCE ATOP THE MOUNT, in the southernmost area of the Mount, the area from which pilgrims of old would emerge from the twin tunnels which led from the Hulda Gates on the Mount's southern wall to the outer
courtyards of the Holy Temple, our friend approached Rabbi Richman of the Temple Institute with a question. Rabbi Richman was leading a group of overseas friends of the Temple Institute, and was completely
unaware as to what was about to transpire. Holding up a gold ring, our friend asked the Rabbi if he valued the rings as being worth more that a pruta, (an ancient coin which is a legal standard of measure), making it valid to be used in a kosher Jewish wedding. No sooner had the Rabbi answered "yes," than our friend uttered out loud the traditional wedding vow, "Harei at mekudeshet li, (Behold, you are sanctified to me)," and slipped the gold band onto the finger of his bride, thus officially marrying her, in accordance with "the law of Moshe and Israel," as is the case for all Jewish weddings. The required witnesses were present for this bare-boned ceremony and the two became husband and wife. The members of Rabbi Richman's group all wished them a hearty "Mazal tov!"
OF COURSE ALL THIS JEWISH RELIGIOUS CEREMONY on the Temple Mount is strictly forbidden by the Israeli police who, under the threat of Moslem violence, bow to the demands of the Moslem Wakf, which consider themselves custodians of the Mount. Nevertheless, throwing caution to the wind, and allowing the import and holiness of the moment to be his guide, our friend carried out, and successfully completed his mission, with neither the police, nor the Wakf officials taking any notice.
IT WAS A PARTICULARLY SWEET and emotion-laden moment for all who witnessed the marriage. For here, on the spot where the heavens reach out and touch the earth, and all mankind gathers to worship the One G-d, two hearts were united.
LATER THAT EVENING the two performed their wedding again, as had been originally planned, this time complete with guests, a chuppah,(wedding canopy), ketubah, (marriage contract,) sheva brachot,(wedding blessings), and even the shattering of a glass under the foot of the groom, a reminder that our joy, even on so fine an occasion, cannot be complete while the Holy Temple lays in ruin.
WE TOO WISH A HEARTY MAZAL TOV to our friend and his new bride, and thank him for taking yet one more important step in making the Temple Mount, the place of the future Holy Temple, once again the heart and the hearth of the nation of Israel. May they be blessed with many years of health and happiness and all good things.
WITH GREAT THANKS TO HASHEM, the Temple Institute is proud to announce the historical, landmark publication of the Talmud Tractate Zevachim. This classic work deals intensively with the description and explanation of the Divine service of offerings, as it is performed in the Holy Temple. Now, for the first time in 2000 years, Tractate Zevachim has been published with an in-depth exploration and elucidation of all the commandments and traditions concerning the Temple offerings. Years in preparation, this work includes the "Sha'arei Heichal" ("Gates of the Sanctuary") commentary written by the Beit HaBechirah Kollel of the Temple Institute, whose scholars specialize and excel in the Torah knowledge of the Holy Temple and the Divine service, providing ground-breaking research, new insights, and, literally, hands-on investigation into the practical implementation of the commandments concerning the Temple offerings.
This two volume work of over 1500 pages includes more than 700 full color photographs, illustrations and diagrams which bring to life the world of Temple offerings.
Published in time for the upcoming international Daf Yomi study of Tractate Zevachim, this two volume set can be purchased through the Temple Institute online store.
Tractate Zevachim is available in Hebrew only.
Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI), established in 1970 to advocate for Israeli sovereignty over the historical biblical heartland of Israel, (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), have made it an annual commitment in recent years to include an ascent to the Temple Mount in their itinerary during their stay in Israel.
Click here to learn more about AFSI's commitment to the land of Israel and to the Temple Mount, and to view photographs documenting AFSI's visit to the Mount.
To view features which have previously appeared on the Events page, please go to our new archive page, TI Digest.
In the Footsteps of the Rambam: Recreating His Historic Ascent to the Temple Mount
Commemorating the 835th anniversary of Maimonides historic ascent to the Temple Mount: The incomparable Rambam (Maimonides), of blessed memory, was a giant of Jewish law who journeyed from North Africa to the land of Israel, braving storm and sea and an inhospitable land under crusader domination for one purpose: to visit Jerusalem, ascend the Temple Mount and pray at the place of "The Great and Holy House," the site of the Holy Temple. In doing so Rambam performed the positive commandment of "mora mikdash," showing reverence to G-d in the place of His Holy Temple. We can and must perform this same commandment today.
The Temple Institute would like to thank all those who have donated to the special fund for the Imus Children, the seven orphans whose parents were brutally murdered by Palestinian terrorists on August 31. Those who would still like to contribute funds for these children may contact Rabbi Richman.
October 10 -15, the Temple Institute will be celebrating Maimonides’ 6th of Cheshvan (Oct. 14th) ascent to the Temple Mount with articles posted daily describing the Rambam’s life and times, his visit to Israel and the Temple Mount, and the commandment of Mora Mikdash - showing reverence for G-d on the Temple Mount.The week-long event will conclude with an ascent to the Temple Mount, retracing the Rambam’s steps. To keep abreast of our daily article, visit this page, join us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
To begin day one, and learn about Rambam's early life in 12th century Spain and North Africa, click here.
To read day two, and discover what awaited Rambam in the land of Israel, held by the crusaders, click here.
To proceed to day three, and read in the Rambam's own words of his perilous journey through Israel and his ascent to the Temple Mount, click here.
To go to day four, and learn about the Rambam's own reflections on his ascent to the Temple Mount, click here.
On day five, view a four minute video shot stop the Temple Mount, where we recreate the Rambam's historic visit, and learn about the Rambam's life in Egypt. Click here.
Click here to download our Week of the Rambam artwork.
Queen Heleni, Second Temple Patron, Returns to Israel
TRADITIONALLY, every day of the seven day Sukkot festival, we invite into our sukkot one of the seven ushpizin, (guests), Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Yosef, Moshe, Aharon and David. This year we have had the additional honor of hosting in Israel the much admired Queen Heleni, (in Hebrew, Heleni HaMalka), after a 137 year absence.
ACTUALLY, it is the sarcophagus of Queen Heleni that is returning to Jerusalem, on loan from the Louvre in Paris, to the Israel Museum. In the year 1863 the French archaeologist Felicien de Saulcy discovered the tomb of Heleni HaMalka just north of the walled city of Jerusalem. Upon the sarcophagus were inscribed the words in Aramaic and Hebrew, Tzadan Malchata and Tzada Malka. The sarcophagus was removed from the site and taken to France, where it has been kept in the Louvre ever since. For the first time in history it is being returned to Israel, on loan to the Israel Museum.
HELENI, wife of King Monbaz I was a heathen queen of Adiabene, a region located in modern day Iraq. Circa the year 30 CE, Heleni, (together, with the entire royal family), converted to Judaism. During the late second Temple period Judaism was a magnet to many people living throughout the pagan Roman Empire. Looking for a life of spiritual meaning and moral unambiguity, thousands of non-Jews were drawing near to the teachings and practice of Torah, many of them becoming converts. A number of Israel's most important sages and teachers were themselves either converts to Judaism, or the descendants of converts. Heleni moved to Jerusalem, with her husband, and son Monbaz II. When she arrived in Jerusalem the city was suffering from a famine. Heleni arranged for grain to be imported from Alexandria and figs from Cyprus, and distributed the food among the needy.
HELENI visited the Holy Temple, where she brought offerings. She also presented gifts for the beautification of the Holy Temple. The most prominent of her gifts was the famed nivreshet golden lamp that hung above the Sanctuary entrance. The lamp would reflect the light of the sun rising over the Mount of Olives in the morning. Seeing the bright beams of light emanating from the nivreshet, all present at the Holy Temple and in all of Jerusalem would know that the time for saying the morning Shema had arrived, (see picture above).
DESCRIBED by the historian Josephus in his "Antiquities", and referred to in numerous places throughout the Talmud, Queen Heleni is a figure cherished for her spiritual courage and righteousness. In 2007 archaeologists uncovered what is believed to have been her palace in the City of David.
QUEEN HELENI died circa 56 CE, just fourteen years before the destruction of the Holy Temple, with which she will forever be associated. Her son Monbaz II later provided assistance to the Jewish rebellion against Rome, between 66-70 CE.
Sukkot 5771 (2010) on the Temple Mount
The Temple Mount has remained open to Jews this Sukkot holiday, despite Arab rioting in the city of David. adjacent to the Mount, and hundreds of Jews, young and old, have taken advantage, ascending the Mount in honor of the annual pilgrimage festival. In a break from precedent the police allowed large groups to ascend, as can be witnessed by these photographs. Click here to view.
Chag Sukkot: Festival of Joy
The festival of Sukkot is referred to in our holiday prayers as zeman simchatenu, "the Season of Our Joy," and this of course derives from the scriptural commandment, "And you should rejoice before HaShem your G-d for seven days." (Leviticus 23:40) Indeed, there is an irrepressible joy that fills and overflows the heart of every sukkah dweller, from the first day of the seven day festival to the last. To fulfill the commandment of building a temporary dwelling, and then to immerse our entire physical and spiritual beings in it for seven full nights and days is the closest thing we experience today to being within the courtyards of the Holy Temple itself, and this, no doubt, is a source of the intense joy of the sukkah. It is also a timely reminder that, just as everyone builds his and her own sukkah, and nobody expects it to descend from the heavens, fully accoutred and beckoning us to enter it, we should not deceive ourselves that the Holy Temple itself will one day descend from heaven, ready for us to bless it with our presence. On the contrary, the G-d that has commanded us to build each year a sukkah is the very same G-d who has commanded us to "Build for Me a sanctuary that I may dwell amongst them." (Exodus 25:8)
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE WISHES ONE AND ALL A JOY FILLED FESTIVAL OF SUKKOT!
We invite you to take the time to enjoy our many Sukkot online features:
Tune in to this week's TEMPLE TALK and join Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven in the annual TEMPLE TALK SUKKOT EXTRAVAGANZA - just what you need to start the joyous festival of Sukkot. What is the secret of Sukkot joy? What were the original "booths" of the Children of Israel in the desert (Lev. 23:43) - real booths, or Divine clouds of glory? Yitzchak Reuven and Rabbi Richman can hardly wait to take up residence in their respective temporary dwellings, to enjoy the rarified atmosphere of basking in the Divine Presence and feeling the enveloping embrace. May the lessons learned from these "temporary dwellings" stay with us all through the coming year! Click here!
This week features the new Bat Melech video teaching with Rabbanit Rena Richman, entitled, "LIVING IN THE HOUSE OF G-D: We emerge from seven weeks of soul searching, spiritual rebirth and reckoning and find ourselves victorious and stronger than ever. What better place for us to live, eat, sleep, breath and imbibe Torah for the next seven days and nights than our own heavenly sukkah made with our own hands out of leaves and branches, fabric and wood. Via our seven day sukkah sojourn we will emerge yet again, ready to march forward into our new year." Click here to view.
Today also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "OVER THE RAINBOW AND INTO THE SUKKAH: We all long for that perfect spot where bluebirds sing and all contradictions fade away. It can be attained, we can place ourselves on the other side of the rainbow, even in our own back yards, in the sukkot booths that we are commanded to build. Part cloud of glory and part earthly dwelling, our sukkot create for us a harmonious environment in which to dwell within G-d’s presence, the holy Shechina. Jews and Gentiles alike have a place in the sukkah." Click here to view.
Sukkot in the Holy Temple: As glorious as the festival of Sukkot is today, it is only a shadow of what it will be when the Holy Temple has been rebuilt and the Divine service renewed. To learn how the sublime holiday of Sukkot is celebrated in the Holy Temple, please click here.
The Sukkot Building Special: Back by special demand! Last year's sukkah building special has become a cult classic! There is no time better spent than the time we spend in the sukkah, and this remarkable spiritual odyssey begins with the building of the sukkah. Join Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven as they build their classic Jerusalem sukkah. Along the way the Rabbi shares his pearls of Torah wisdom. Chock-full of adventure, breathtaking insights, and occasional mishap, you will not want to miss a minute of this timeless documentary. Truly a must-see! Click here.
Yom Kippur: The Happiest Day of the Year
It is said that "Yom Kippur is the happiest day of the year, for on this day the Holy One, Blessed be He, atones for Israel." The feeling of joyful anticipation is palpable. After many arduous weeks of intensive soul-searching and reflection, stock-taking and personal assessment, we arrive at this most solemn of days, ready to stand before our Creator in judgment. Our good acts, pure thoughts and supplications, and perfect desire to draw near to G-d's Holy presence, the Divine Shechina, and write ourselves into His Book of Life are our defense attorneys and our witnesses. Awesome trepidation? Certainly. A sense of morbid dread? Absolutely not. For it is our own hand that writes our name into the book of Life, and if our signature is a true reflection of our purpose on this earth, to love G-d and walk in His ways, then He will surely place His seal of love and forgiveness upon us. Yom Kippur - truly the happiest day of the year!
G’mar Chatima Tova - May we all be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life!
Yom Kippur in the Holy Temple
The Yom Kippur service, as it was conducted by the Kohen Gadol in the Holy Temple, was unparalleled in the intensity of its activity and its intended purpose. To learn how Yom Kippur was observed in the Holy Temple, please click here.
The Art of Yom Kippur
Have you ever made a mistake? Have you ever wished you could turn back the clock, press a delete button, wipe clean your own personal slate? Yom Kippur is G-d's certificate of guarantee that if you have it within you to leave your past errors behind and draw near to Him, He will forget your past mistakes, and accept you as you are today, new and improved, and ready for tomorrow.
Click here to view Rabbi Chaim Richman's four-minute Yom Kippur teaching.
Original portrait of Rabbi Chaim Richman by Owen Schumacher.
Rosh HaShana 5771 - The Bridge to our Future
Rabbi Chaim Richman speaks with Lorelai Kude of Jerusalem's Radio Free Nachlaot internet radio station, discussing what's expected of us as we arrive, on Rosh HaShana, to celebrate the birthday of our common forefather - Adam HaRishon - the first man. Please click here to listen, or right-click here to download.
Rosh Hashana Greetings from the Temple Institute for the New Year of 5771
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE wishes to all our friends and supporters, to all the House of Israel, and to all who love the G-d of Israel, a very sweet new year.
MAY THIS YEAR of health and happiness, peace and prosperity for all, also be the year of the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service.
The Temple Institute Mourns Together with All of Israel
As the so called "peace talks" were restarted this week in Washington, (September 1), accompanied by the usual cynical pageantry and self-serving speechmaking, the enemies of Israel were busy pursuing their own agenda, brutally murdering four holy Jews in a drive-by slaughter, south of the ancient city of Hevron, the City of the Patriarchs, in the historic land of Judea.
The quadruple murder made varying degrees of mention in the worldwide press, due to its proximity to the above-mentioned gathering in Washington. Yet, invariably, the four Jews murdered were described merely as "four settlers." For much of the mass media today, Jews living in their historic homeland of Judea and Samaria are nothing more than faceless, nameless intruders. Calling these Jews "settlers" serves to dehumanize them, legitimizes attacks against them, and ultimately justifies their murder.
But like all human beings, these four murdered Jews have names: Yitzchak and Talya Imas, Kochava Ben Meir, and Avishai Shindler are their names. Yitzchak and Talya Imas were parents to six children, aged two to twenty-four, and the grandparents of one. Talya was nine months pregnant with the couple’s seventh child. To learn more about Yitzchak, and see pictures taken of him on the Temple Mount, please click here.
A fund has been established in Israel to care for Yitzchak and Talya's six children. If you would like to donate to this fund and provide money for the Imas children, please contact Rabbi Richman. Arrangements can be made for an IRS recognized deduction.
Revisiting the King in the Field: Field of Dreams, or Field of Blood?
The month of Elul is one of introspection and drawing closer to G-d. We would certainly hope that this reality would be reflected in the holiest spot on earth, the Temple Mount. Yet this year the Moslem month of Ramadan coincides with Elul, and a message of hate and incitement against Israel and disdain of the place of the House of G-d has hijacked the Mount. To learn more and see pictures, please click here.
A Guide to the Month of Elul
The month of Elul, last month of the Hebrew calendar year, is an auspicious time for repentance, prayer and introspection. These are special days of Divine good will and mercy, and the very essence of these days bespeak the basic human need for closeness with the Holy One, blessed be He... and His immediate and unequivocal response.
Elul has a history of being a time prepared for forgiveness:
Following the episode of the Golden Calf and G-d's subsequent forgiveness of the people, Moses ascended to Mount Sinai again on the first day of the month of Elul and remained there for 40 days. He descended on the 10th day of Tishrei – Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement – with the second set of tablets and the message of atonement and forgiveness. Every year, this 40-day period is repeated and brings with it the opportunity – and the challenge – to prepare ourselves for the awesome experience of the fast-approaching High Holy Days, when every nation, and each and every human being, will be judged.
The word Elul in Hebrew is actually an acronym, an abbreviation of the Hebrew words Ani l’dodi v’dodi li, "I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine" (Song of Songs 6:3). This verse from the Song of Songs is actually the theme of this very special month: realizing how beloved we are to G-d, and how precious our relationship with Him is. Elul reminds us that G-d constantly beckons us to return to Him. During this month, we seek to improve our relationship with G-d and with each other.
Although a person can repent at any time of year, still, because the days of Elul are days of special mercy and Divine good will, it is a time that is especially conducive to repentance and making amends: "Seek the L-rd when He is found, call Him when He is near" (Isaiah 55:6). Elul is the time "when He is near." Our great sages call Elul the time when "the King is in the field." The analogy is to a great and powerful king who pays a surprise visit to his subjects while they are at work in their fields. For the average man, the king is so inaccessible; away in his palace, distant and removed. He never dreams he will actually see the king, let alone speak with him. Then suddenly, one day, while this man is bent over his menial labor in the field, he feels a gentle tap on his shoulder... he turns around and to his shock, it is the great king himself who is standing over him; he has come to visit, explaining that he wanted to be close to his loyal subjects, to investigate their situation and give them the opportunity to ask for their needs. This is the true meaning of Elul... this is the time to call out to Him!
This is the time for repentance of every sort... on an individual level, a national level, and a global level. And the science – or rather, the art – of "repentance" isn’t about just moving away from "sin," from negative actions. True repentance is constant, daily spiritual growth. Within the heartbeat of all creation, a feeling of thankfulness and humility is beating in unison, in constant awe and wonder of the greatness of the Creator. The repentance of Elul is manifest by the desire to deepen the recognition of our relationship with G-d; to grow closer every day.
As another year draws to its conclusion, and we begin preparing to enter a new year, we at the Temple Institute pray that this coming year bring many blessings to you and your family, and to the entire world! We extend our heartfelt thanks to our friends and supporters for everything that you continue to do to help the Temple Institute with its holy work of rebuilding. Together, may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for this New Year, and merit to stand together in the rebuilt Holy Temple... this very year!
THE RAPE of the HOLY TEMPLE
Everyone knows that the Holy Temple was twice destroyed on Tisha B'Av. But this year, we read of attempts that were already underway to destroy the Third Temple – even before it is built. As the New York Times reported (July 22nd), "This week, as Jews around the world observed the fasting day of Tisha B'av, commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Jewish Temples in ancient Jerusalem, a Brazilian megachurch received planning permission to build a 10,000-seat replica of Solomon’s Temple in the city of São Paulo."
"If the nations of the world would have only known what blessings the Holy Temple brings to them," states the Midrash, "they would not have destroyed it... they would have protected it so that it would never be destroyed." But alas, as the old saying goes, those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Today, the nations of the world have delegitimized Israel's connection to Jerusalem, so the next logical step would be... to delegitimize the significance of Jerusalem altogether. But the essence of Jerusalem is the presence of G-d, and that's not something that can simply be usurped and transplanted elsewhere. You can't copycat the Shechina glory of G-d. But it's an oft-repeated historical theme... ever since Israel’s inception as a people, the nations, declaring their contempt for the G-d of Israel, have unabashedly taken the G-d-given blessings the Jews have bequeathed the world, and then proceed to morph these blessings into whatever suits their own self-serving agenda and purpose.
Click here to view the Temple Institute’s video response to Brazil’s Universal Church of the Kingdom of God’s plans to build a $200 million mockery of the Holy Temple – a monument to megalomania which stands in diametric opposition to everything that the Holy Temple of Jerusalem stands for – in São Paulo, Brazil.
To read the N.Y. Times article, please click here.
Dany Danon of the ruling Likud party has emerged as the most outspoken voice among his fellow legislators against the discriminatory police practices against G-d fearing Jews who wish to ascend the Temple Mount and engage in prayer. On the 9th of Av Dany Danon ascended the Mount and witnessed for himself police animus toward religious Jews. Citing historical and spiritual Jewish ties to the place of the Holy Temple, and the principles of freedom of worship and equality for all people enshrined in Israeli law, Dany Danon pledges to do all in his power to advance the struggle for Jewish freedom of religious expression on the Temple Mount.
Hear Dany in his own words as he is interviewed by Rabbi Chaim Richman And Yitzchak Reuven on this week's TEMPLE TALK internet radio.
This is an opportune time to remind all who care about the integrity of the Temple Mount about the online petition begun some months ago with the purpose of attaining no less than 10,000 signatures, to be presented the Knesset members and the Prime Minister, calling for the inclusion of the Temple Mount in the Prime Minister's Heritage Site Plan. We still have many signatures to go, and your signature can help us to put the heart of the nation of Israel back on top of the national agenda.
Hundreds of Jews ascended the Temple Mount on Tish'a b'Av to commemorate the day of the destruction of the first and second Holy Temple, and to visit the site of the future Holy Temple, may we gather the courage, vision and faith to build it soon!
AS WE PREPARE to observe the fast day of Tisha B’Av, the day of mourning on which both the first and second Holy Temples were destroyed, and many other calamities befell the Jewish people, we recall that Zechariah the prophet (8:19) tells us that our days of mourning will be turned into days of gladness: "The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth will be to the house of Judah for joy and for gladness, and for happy festivals."
Click here to read more of Rabbi Chaim Richman's thoughts on the fast of the 9th of Av, and the Torah, historical and moral imperative to build the Holy Temple.
To hear Rabbi Richman speak about the three weeks, the nine days, and the need to rise up at once and as one to build the Holy Temple, click here for an interview he conducted with Radio Free Nachlaot.
Click here to view Rabbi Chaim Richman's interview with Israel National News, on the state of the Jewish nation, on the eve of Tish'a b'Av.
The people of Israel are longing for the Holy Temple, and ready to build it. Don't take our word for it. See for yourselves!
Jews, Take me to Your Leader... and to His House
Click here to read a powerful and eloquent statement, written by a righteous Gentile, beautiful proof that the entire world of G-d fearers anxiously awaits, prays for, and works toward the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, "a house of prayer for all nations." (Isaiah 56:7)
Learn about two thousand years of efforts to rebuild the Holy Temple.
NEWS FLASH:
After 2000 years, FRESH SHOWBREAD is being baked in Israel Today
Following intensive experimentation and in-depth research based on traditional Jewish texts, as well as other ancient sources, experts have succeeded in recreating the showbread that was placed by the priests on the golden showbread table inside the sanctuary of the Holy Temple, bringing Israel and the world one step closer to the renewal of the Divine service.
Members and supporters of the Temple Institute may now make (USA) tax deductable donations via PayPal
If you would like to join in the Temple Institute's efforts toward shaping our future together in accordance with the Torah commandment to "Build Me a Sanctuary" and the words of the prophets of Israel, you can now contribute with the convenience and comfort of PayPal.
Click on the PayPal icon to go directly to our PayPal donation page,
Or go to our Donate page for other donation options.
Thank you for your support!
Temple Talk Has a New Time Slot: Now Every Tuesday!
Beginning September 9th, TEMPLE TALK, With Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven will be aired every Tuesday from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Israel time. Your local time is listed below:
Eastern
8:00 AM
- 10:00 AM
Central
7:00 AM
- 9:00 AM
Mountain
6:00 AM
- 8:00 AM
Pacific
5:00 AM
- 7:00 AM
TEMPLE MOUNT RED ALERT:
Knesset Does Not Agree to Release Critical Comptroller's Temple Mount Report
(Latest news update posted August 28, 2011)
New! Report critical of police administration of Temple Mount to remain classified. For more details, click here.
New! Activist calls for change on Temple Mount. For more details, click here.
New! Sukkot worshiper arrested on Temple Mount. For more details, click here.
New! Jew arrested on Temple Mount for "crime" of bowing down. For more details, click here.
Knesset members on the Temple Mount. For more details, click here.
For the complete News Updates Archive, click here.
Latest Online Video Teachings
All glorious is the king's daughter, (bat melech), within the palace..." (Psalms 45:14)
Bat Melech, featuring the teaching of Rena Richman, wife of Rabbi Chaim Richman, and an experienced educator in her own right. Rabanit Richman's inspiration is, through the Bat Melech series, to highlight the Torah's message to women. As with their male counterparts, the Torah's intention toward women is one of empowerment, enabling women, through their unique strengths and through the commandments with which they have been entrusted, to achieve tikkun - rectification - in the world. The Rabanit's current teaching is entitled: "THE ATTRIBUTE OF AARON, TWO PARTS: Aaron, the brother of Moses, was, in truth, the brother to all Israel and to all humanity. Embodying the attributes of loving-kindness and peace, he devoted his life to bringing peace and unity to husbands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, the entire congregation of Israel." Rena Richman’s teaching was recorded in the Hebraic Center in Lubbock, Texas, in the spring of 2011. It is being presented online in two parts. To view this show, or to access earlier episodes on the online archive, please click here.
The new October 27th teaching of Rabbi Chaim Richman's Light to the Nations, weekly half-hour online television Torah study series is entitled, "THE LIGHT OF THE NEW MOON: The sighting of and declaration of the new moon, as well as the celebration of the new moon inside the Holy Temple and out, constitutes a very intimate aspect of G-d’s relationship with Israel." To view this show, or the October 17th episode, or to access earlier episodes on the online archive, please click here.
Light to the Nations is now available for sale on DVD. For more information, please click here.
To learn more about the Light to the Nations upcoming broadcast schedule, its availability on DVD, and how to personally dedicate an episode of Light to the Nations, please click here.
Stay in touch with Torah: Listen each week to Rabbi Chaim Richman's brief teaching of parashat hashavua - the weekly Torah reading. To view this week's teaching on parashat Chayei Sara, (Genesis 23:1-25:18), please click here.
Celebrate Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah with The Temple Institute!
The Temple Institute has prepared a brand new Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah program, especially designed for families from overseas who wish to celebrate their simchah here in Jerusalem. To learn more about the fun and educational experience that awaits you, please click here. (PDF file)
Click here to see pictures from our latest bar mitzvah celebration!
Want to learn more about how the Jewish festivals of Passover, Shavuoth, and Sukkot were celebrated during the time of the Holy Temple? How Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur were observed? Would you like to consult a timeline of the history of the Holy Temple? Come visit our Study Tools page.
To view features which have previously appeared on the Events page, please go to TI Digest.
Temple Talk
To hear Rabbi Richman speak about the three weeks, the nine days, and the need to rise up at once and as one to build the Holy Temple, click 
Click 
Eastern
