"HaShem's appointed holy days"(Leviticus 23:2) Iyar 14, 5783/May 5, 2023 Today is Twenty Nine Days, which are Four Weeks and One Day of the Omer The book of Leviticus is sometimes referred to in Hebrew as Torat HaKohanim - the book of the laws of the kohanim. And to be sure, much of the book of Leviticus is focused on the work of the kohanim: how to prepare and how to perform the many different types of offerings, not to mention different types of things to be offered - different animals, grains, oil, wine and incense. And then there is the preparation and kindling of the menorah, and the baking of the showbread and its placement upon the showbread table. These are just some of the many details concerning the work of the kohanim which we learn of in Leviticus. And then there are the requirements of the kohanim themselves, many of which we learn in this week's Torah reading, Emor. Whom they can marry and whom they can't; the level of physical fitness required of kohanim for the performance of the offerings, and the various tasks assigned to those whose physical limitations render them unable to perform the offerings. And so on… Yet we have also learned that the work of the kohanim within the Tabernacle is just the touchstone for Leviticus' teachings about the meaning and importance of pursuing holiness in our lives outside the Tabernacle, in our daily actions and relationships; how we can imbibe in and extend that holiness which emanates from the Tabernacle/Temple and infuse our own lives with it, raising ourselves and all that we touch, both physically and intellectually. As we progress through Leviticus we realize that another name for Leviticus might just be Torat haKedushah - the book of how to attain holiness. And while the meticulous work of the kohanim within the Temple sanctuary might be the gold standard of holiness, we, too, have the ability and the responsibility to strive for that same level of heightened holiness in our lives outside of the sanctified grounds of the Holy Temple. We have learned about the tremendous preparation and precaution the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) must take before entering the Holy of Holies on the day of Yom Kippur - the holiest and only day of the year in which he is permitted to enter into this inner sanctum of the Holy Temple. But we have also been told that we must "love your neighbor as yourself, I am HaShem." (Leviticus 19:18) This is no less holy an undertaking that that of the Kohen Gadol upon entering the Holy of Holies. To love our neighbor and to love ourselves is also to place ourselves within the Holy of Holies, directly before HaShem. It is also to put ourselves a great physical and spiritual risk. But just as the Kohen Gadol is required to do so, and to do so on behalf of all Israel, so are we required to love our neighbors as ourselves, as well as all of the other commandments that are intended to facilitate this very same level of love and concern and unity and holiness. Did not HaShem tell us in preparing us for receiving Torah at Sinai: "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:6) We are all kohanim! Some of us are eligible to pursue holiness within the four walls of HaShem's chosen Sanctuary, and all of us are eligible to pursue holiness outside of the four walls of the Holy Temple. When HaShem first asked Israel to "Build for Me a Sanctuary," (ibid 25:8), the people jumped at the opportunity without moment of hesitation. The entire nation poured all their energy into the task of building for HaShem a home so that He may dwell amongst them. And that, in itself, was Israel's first lesson in participatory holiness, by working together to fulfill G-d's word. It is at the moment of the completion of this task that the book of Exodus leaves off, leaving it to Leviticus to teach us how we can continue to bring holiness into our world, our lives and our relationships. In Exodus, Israel receives the Torah. In Leviticus Israel learns why: to make our lives holy, by being connected to HaShem and His creation, to ourselves and to one another, by becoming cognizant of what we all share in common - the knowledge of the presence of HaShem in everything and everyone. And so now, as we begin to approach the final chapters of Leviticus, and Israel has completed the building and inauguration of the Tabernacle, and has learned how to infuse life with holiness, the Torah begins to prepare Israel for its next great leap forward - entrance into the promised land! And to this purpose the Torah makes mention of the yearly cycle of appointed times, of Passover and the Omer offering, of Shavuot, of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, of Sukkot and of the Eighth Day Festival. It is this cycle of appointed times with HaShem in His chosen place that will shape life in Israel. These events, these holy trysts between HaShem and His children, His "kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation," are what await Israel. They are ready! Of course, we will discover in the book of Numbers that, in fact, the children of Israel were not quite ready. The disastrous loss of faith in HaShem exhibited in the sin of the spies and the mass hysteria that ensued, would cause a reset in HaShem's plans, effectively delaying Israel’s entry into the land for another thirty-nine years. But that tragic scene still lies in the future. As far as we are concerned, here in parashat Emor, we have been equipped and educated with all we need to know in order to enter the land HaShem has chosen for us and to become the holy nation that he expects of us. From the entering of the Kohen Gadol into the Holy of Holies to the holiness of loving our neighbors as ourselves - we have it all! . |
Tune in to this week's Temple Talk, as Yitzchak Reuven focuses on Pesach Sheni - The Holiday of 2nd Chances, and on the 15th of Iyar, when Israel complained, & on the 16th, when manna appears for the first time, and on Lag B'omer & Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai! We all deserve a second chance and no one knows that more than HaShem, who built 2nd chances (teshuvah) into the very fabric of creation. The miracle of manna, which began to appear on the desert floor on the 16th of Iyar teaches us the responsibility for earning a living and the purpose of our labors, a lesson Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai needed to be reminded of when he emerged from a cave thirteen years after entering. |
Sefirat Ha'omer: Today is Twenty Nine Days, which are Four Weeks and One Day of the Omer. Counting the Omer "Blessed are You, HaShem our G-d, King of the universe, Who sanctifies us with His commandments, and commanded us to count the Omer." 14 Iyar: Today is Twenty Nine Days, which are Four Weeks and One Day of the Omer. (Chesed within Hod) |
The Half-Shekel Offering: Partnership In The Holy Temple! This Shabbat is Shabbat Parashat Shekalim: "HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying: 'When you take the sum of the children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to HaShem an atonement for his soul when they are counted; then there will be no plague among them when they are counted. This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty gerahs equal one shekel; half of such a shekel shall be an offering to HaShem. Everyone who goes through the counting, from the age of twenty and upward, shall give an offering to HaShem. The rich shall give no more, and the poor shall give no less than half a shekel, with which to give the offering to HaShem, to atone for your souls. You shall take the silver of the atonements from the children of Israel and use it for the work of the Tent of Meeting; it shall be a remembrance for the children of Israel before HaShem, to atone for your souls.'" In these prophetic times when the building of the Holy Temple is nearer than ever, the Half Shekel offering is an unprecedented opportunity to be a partner in the building of the Temple, "a house of prayer for all nations!" (Isaiah 567:7). The current value of the biblical half shekel is $10.00. All half shekel donations made to the Temple Institute will go toward the physical, spiritual and educational preparations necessary for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple! |
The Temple Institute: Bringing The Holy Temple To Life! "Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering..." (Ex. 25:2) Thus begins Terumah, last week's Torah reading, in which HaShem reveals His desire that Israel "make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst." (Ex. 25:8) The Temple Institute is dedicated to making the Holy Temple a reality in our day, and toward this end, the Temple Institute has, for 36 years, been building and planning and researching and teaching and sharing with you our reconstructed sacred vessels and priestly garments, our books and paintings, our red heifer candidates, our teachings and insights and our love for HaShem and the Holy Temple! It is only through the generosity of your hearts that we are able to continue our important work. Only together can we build for HaShem a sanctuary and "a house of prayer for all nations!" |
Help To Build The Holy Temple In Our Time! Donate Generously To Help The Sacred Work Of The Temple Institute! Every contribution helps to rebuild the Holy Temple in our Time! |
Rav Gedaliah focuses on the popular holiday of Lag B'Omer, which occurs this coming week on Monday evening - Tuesday. Lag B'Omer is a holiday whose origins are shrouded in mystery, and celebrates the life and passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, to whom the Zohar, Judaism's most important Kabbalistic work, which explores the mysteries of creation and beyond, is attributed. In short, the tremendous popularity of Lag B'Omer is a living testament to humanity's fascination with the deep mysteries of life. Emor (Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23)
Parashat Emor is read on Shabbat:
Iyar 15, 5783/May 6, 2023 |
Haftara For Shabbat Parashat Emor Ezekiel 44:15-31: "But the kohanim, the Levites, the sons of Tzadok, who kept the charge of My sanctuary when the Children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, says HaShem G-d. They shall enter My Sanctuary, and they shall approach My Table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge..." |
Today: Pesach Sheni - 2nd Passover! Today is the 14th of Iyar, the day that Torah instructs all that were unable to bring the Passover offering its its appointed time, due to being ritually unclean, or unable to reach Jerusalem in time, to bring their Passover offering. This second chance at bringing the Passover offering was at the initiative of men in the wilderness who approached Moshe, as we read in Numbers 9:1-14. |
The Sacred Temple Vessels! Make an online visit to the Temple Institute's gallery of our recreated Temple vessels! Every sacred vessel used in the Temple service has been painstakingly recreated by the Temple Institute, in accordance with Torah commandments and more than 3,000 years of tradition! Each vessel is ready for use in the rebuilt Holy Temple, may it be soon! |
A Temple Mount Moment:Yom Ha'Aztma'ut (Israel Independence Day) On Yom Ha'Aztma'ut (Israel Independence Day) we celebrate the miracle of the birth of the modern state of Israel. The state of Israel came into being in 1948, unfortunately without the Temple Mount. But it wasn't for lack of trying. A secret military operation which could have liberated the Temple Mount and also kick-started the renewal of offerings on the Temple Mount, ended in failure. A Temple Mount Moment is the joint project of the Temple Institute and High on the Har. Temple Mount experts and co founders of High on the Har, Dr. Melissa Jane Kronfeld and Rabbi Yehuda Levi present each week fascinating facts and insights about the Temple Mount and the Holy Temple, its past, present and future! |
Parashat Emor: Sukkot - The Festival Of Booths Parashat Emor concludes its list of the festive seasons of the Hebrew calendar with the festival of Sukkot - which begins on the 15th day of the 7th month: "And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, is the Festival of Succoth, a seven day period to HaShem..." |
Parashat Emor: Yom Kippur This week's Torah reading, Emor, after it has made mention of Rosh HaShana, which occurs on the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei), goes on to mention Yom Kippur, which falls on the 10th day of the seventh month: "And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying: But on the tenth of this seventh month, it is a day of atonement [Yom HaKippurim], it shall be a holy occasion for you; you shall afflict yourselves, and you shall offer up a fire offering to HaShem... |
Parashat Emor: Rosh Hashana This week's Torah reading, Emor, after it has made mention of Passover and Shavuot, goes on to list the Torah mandated holidays of the month of Tishrei, beginning with what what would eventually become known as Rosh HaShana: "And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first of the month, it shall be a Sabbath for you, a remembrance of Israel through the shofar blast a holy occasion. You shall not perform any work of labor, and you shall offer up a fire offering to HaShem." (Leviticus Chapter 23:23-25) |
Levitical Choir Rehearsal Makhelat haLevi'im - the Levitical Choir of the Temple Institute - continues to rehearse in preparation for the opening day events of the inauguration of the Holy Temple - may we merit to rebuild it soon! The choir is still rehearing the psalms of the Hallel songs of praise, (Psalms 114-118), which form part of the song list of the Levitical Choir in the Holy Temple. In this video the choir is singing Psalm 114. |
Parashat Emor: 12 Loaves On The Showbread Table Immediately after describing the kindling of the menorah by Aharon, the Torah describes the commandments concerning the Showbread table: "And you shall take fine flour and bake it [into] twelve loaves. Each loaf shall be made from two tenths of an ephah of flour. And you place them in two stacks, six in each stack, upon the pure table, before HaShem..." |
Parashat Emor: Kindling The Menorah With Pure Olive Oil In this week's Torah reading, Emor, after listing and describing the annual festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, and the holy days of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, the Torah focuses once again on the work of Aharon the Kohen Gadol, (High Priest) in the Tabernacle: "And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, Command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually..." |
5054 Jews Ascended The Temple Mount In April. Not One Entered Al Aqsa Local Palestinian social media posts the high number of Jews who ascended the Temple Mount during the month of April. But of course, not a single Jew entered (or ever enters) into the al Aqsa mosque which is located in the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount. The Palestinians like to call the entire Temple Mount "al Aqsa" for their propaganda purposes, and to mislead uninformed people that Jews are entering into and "violating" a Muslim mosque, which they aren't. What Jews are doing is visiting their holiest place on earth - the Temple Mount, named so for the two Holy Temples that stood there for nine centuries, a thousand years before Mohammed or Islam. |
Parashat Emor: The Omer Offering This week's Torah reading, Emor, is the source for the Omer offering of barley, which took place on the day following the first day of Passover, and the forty-nine days of the counting of the Omer, which ensued. While we are not currently performing the Omer offering, because we are currently without the Holy Temple, the commandment to count the Omer (Sefirat HaOmer) has continued to be fulfilled from Temple times right up to today. Leviticus Chapter 23:1-16: "And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: HaShem's appointed holy days that you shall designate as holy occasions..." |
The Debt To The Jewish Rebels Against Rome - Part 2 - Opinion The journey of the First and Second Jewish Revolts through coinage. By Robert Silverman. The Jewish rebels against Rome left us virtually no records other than the political slogans inscribed on their coins. I call them ancient tweets because they pithily express the political ideology of these last expressions of Jewish sovereignty until the rise of Zionism in modern times, nearly 1,900 years later. |
Mikdash Monday - Shavuot (Part 3) “You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the first fruits of the wheat harvest; and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Hashem, the G-d of Israel.” (Shemot 34:22-23) |
This Week: Parashat Emor: Eligible And Ineligible Kohanim This week's Torah reading, Emor, (Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23), opens with many rules and regulations concerning the kohanim who serve in the Tabernacle/Temple. Only kohanim who pass the Torah's very strict demands concerning their physical fitness are eligible for performing offerings. just as the offering itself must be unblemished so must the kohen performing the offering be unblemished. "And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, Speak to Aharon, saying: Any man among your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect, shall not come near to offer up his G-d's food..." |
Shavua Tov From The Temple Mount! After two weeks during which Jews were not allowed on the Temple Mount, due to the conclusion of Ramadan, Jewish pilgrims returned in large numbers last week to the Temple Mount, marking Yom HaZikaron (Israel Memorial Day) and celebrating Yom Atzma'ut (Israel Independence Day). Every day is a good day to ascend the Temple Mount in purity! Shavua tov - have a very good week!_ |
Red Heifers Arrive In Israel! On Thursday, September 15, 2022, 5 PM, 5 perfect, unblemished red heifers arrived in Israel from the USA. A modest ceremony was held at the unloading bay of the cargo terminal at Ben Gurion airport, where the new arrivals were greeted and speeches were made by the incredible people who have put their hearts and souls and means into making this historic/prophetic day become a reality. |
The five red heifer candidates that were greeted at Ben Gurion airport this past summer, we are happy to relate, are healthy and thriving. One of the five, unfortunately, has grown some non-red hairs and is therefore disqualified from becoming the red heifer which can provide the much longed for ashes. The remaining four, however, are still viable candidates. These recently taken photographs show that they are healthy, happy, and growing! |
Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem!
Yitzchak Reuven
The Temple Institute |
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