"Make for Me a sanctuary"(Exodus 25:8) Adar Rishon 7, 5784/February 16, 2024 Even before "In the beginning..." G-d's intention was for His presence to dwell within creation and to bless creation with His goodness. For this reason G-d placed man - Adam - the crown of G-d's creation within the Garden of Eden to dwell in intimate proximity to HaShem. And there the story would have ended, but for Adam's defiance of G-d's single stipulation. So when G-d asked Adam, "Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" and Adam refused to accept responsibility for his actions and cast the blame on G-d, saying "The woman whom You gave to be with me she gave me of the tree; so I ate," (Genesis 3:11,12) and it became clear to HaShem that this arrangement could not endure, He cast Adam and Eve from the garden. And thus begins what we call history. Man carried on in a world of "thorns and thistles" (ibid 3:18) and G-d, His plan for creation confounded by the wild card called man, had to find a new approach to His beloved creation. So G-d waited patiently for man, endowed with the freewill first exercised by Adam, to willingly turn his heart to HaShem. And this, of course, is the story of Avraham, who G-d refers to as "Avraham, My beloved," (Isaiah 41:8). But Avraham, as we know, was just the beginning of the story of man's return to HaShem and HaShem's endeavor to renew His presence in creation. This is the backstory behind HaShem's forty day private meeting with Moshe atop Mount Sinai. Having brought Israel out of Egypt and blessed her with Torah, opening with the Ten Commandments and continuing with the rules and regulations designed to enable the formation of a just and loving society, the time has come for G-d to share with Moshe his chiefest desire: to dwell amongst His people. At last HaShem can unburden Himself to Moshe and relate to him all the details of His age old dream of an earthly Sanctuary within which His presence can dwell. But HaShem's great take away from Adam's primordial rejection of G-d's will, was that this time, the initiative, the desire, the longing and the hands-on effort to bring HaShem back into our lives must come from man. And so G-d opens His discourse with Moshe, saying, "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. And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper; blue, purple, and crimson wool; linen and goat hair; ram skins dyed red, tachash skins, and acacia wood; oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense; shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen. And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst." (Exodus 25:2-8) HaShem knows that His long deferred dream can only be realized if man's heart desires it. It's no longer enough that HaShem wants to be with His children. His children must want to be with Him. The only way to let HaShem into our hearts is to open our hearts with generosity, to create a space for G-d to fill. And just as individuals must possess a heart inspired to generosity to let G-d in, so must a nation redeemed by HaShem, and told that it will be a "kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation," (ibid 19:6), possess a heart and a place for HaShem to fill with His presence. HaShem is calling on us to be His partner in perfecting creation. HaShem wants a dwelling place within our midst, to be our neighbor, to be part of our lives, not just as individuals, but as a people, and, ultimately, as a family of nations. This is what G-d is telling Moshe on top of Mount Sinai. Building a Sanctuary for HaShem, a Tabernacle in the wilderness, and a Holy Temple in Jerusalem is nothing less than an act reclaiming responsibility for our own actions in G-d's creation. It was Adam's refusal to accept the responsibility for eating from the tree of knowledge that first caused the rupture in man's relationship with HaShem and it is the positive response to G-d's call for "every person whose heart inspires him to generosity" by which we reclaim our responsibility, not only to ourselves, but to G-d. G-d is not commanding us to possess generous hearts, nor is he compelling us to build for Him a Sanctuary. Neither love nor generosity can be commanded. But only love and a spirit of generosity, of sharing our existence with G-d, and of giving of ourselves to make it happen, can build a house for HaShem so that He may dwell amongst us. HaShem is appealing to man to lift ourselves up, (the root meaning of the Hebrew wore terumah - offering), to make our highest aspirations HaShem's highest aspirations, and He is telling us that He can't do it alone! Only we, frail mortals that we may be, can roll up our sleeves, wipe the sweat from our brow and build a physical house of wood and stone and silver and gold for HaShem to fill with His supernal presence. This is the place that the world will stream to at the end of days, to bask as one in the presence of G-d's love and blessing. This relationship, that G-d first forged with Avraham, His beloved, is what G-d desires for all mankind. We will soon discover that the children of Israel in the wilderness were up to task, and together with one heart swiftly and lovingly build the Tabernacle in perfect accord to HaShem's desires. Are we up to the task today? Can we set aside our petty differences and open our hearts to one another and to HaShem? Are we willing to give of ourselves and of the gifts that G-d has blessed us with in order to create a place on earth where all G-d's children can share our humanity and open our hearts to HaShem's blessings? It's truly all that G-d is asking of us. Are we up for it? . |
Take For Me An Offering! "HaShem spoke to Moshe saying: 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... And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst!" Today, HaShem still longs to dwell among His people, here in the holy city of Jerusalem, atop the Temple Mount, where both the first and second Holy Temples once stood. The Temple Institute is dedicated to doing everything in our power to help make HaShem's dream come true in our day. Join us as we work together to make for HaShem "a house of prayer for all nations!" |
Tune in to this week's Temple Talk, as Yitzchak Reuven contemplates HaShem's call to Israel to "build for me a sanctuary," and talks about opening our hearts & fulfilling HaShem's wish and becoming G-d's partner in creation! HaShem confides to Moshe His greatest desire - to dwell amongst His people - and we get to listen in! But listening in is not enough: we need to make it happen! Even today HaShem is waiting for us to open our hearts and open a space on earth for His presence to dwell and bless all mankind! |
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Individuals, families, nations and even religions possess objects that they consider to be sacred. Everyone according to their tastes and beliefs. But one sacred object is universally considered to be holier than any other, and that is the Ark of the Covenant, first mentioned in this week's parashat Terumah. The fact that it disappeared long ago from history and has yet to be found only adds to its sacred mystique. Terumah (Exodus 25:1 - 27:19)
Parashat Terumah is read on Shabbat:
Adar Rishon 8, 5784/February 17, 2024 |
Haftara For Shabbat Parashat Terumah
Kings I 5:26 - 6:13: "And HaShem gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they both made a league together. And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men...'" |
Become a Member of the Temple Institute! Introducing the Temple Institute's new membership card, in PDF format to conveniently download onto your phone. We are issuing the new membership cards to all new donors and will soon be sending the new card to our veteran donors, as well! (If you are expecting to receive your card, please check your spam folder!) |
Support The Work Of The Temple Institute! Recreating Temple vessels - fit for use in the rebuilt Holy Temple! Recreating the garments of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) and other priestly garments - ready to be worn by kohanim serving in the rebuilt Holy Temple! More than 100 paintings and dozens of books describing and teaching about the sacred service in the Holy Temple, in its glorious past and in our near future! Our Jerusalem Old City exhibition where 100's of 1,000's of visitors from around the world come to see and learn about the Holy Temple! |
Galilee Hiker Stumbles Upon 2,800-Year-Old Assyrian Scarab Seal Antiquities Authority says recent winter rains helped expose buried antiquities, urges public to be aware and to turn over finds. A rare scarab amulet from the First Temple period was recently discovered by a hiker in the Nahal Tabor Nature Reserve in the Lower Galilee and turned over to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). |
The Chambers In The Southern Part Of The Court: The Chamber Of Avtinas In the southern part of the Court - above the Gate of Water - were two chambers: The Chamber of Avtinas, and adjacent to it the Kohen Gadol's Immersion Chamber. The Chamber of Avtinas was situated in the southern part of the Court. In this chamber, the incense which was made of the 11 spices, was prepared and stored. The Avtinas family was the only family who knew the secret of how to prepare the incense and especially how to identify a particular herb called ma'aleh ashan, literally "that which causes smoke to rise." It was this ingredient that caused the smoke from the incense to rise up in a straight column. |
Blow A Teruah With The Trumpets! Just another video peek at the silver trumpets the Temple Institute is producing for the soldiers of the IDF, to be sounded before entering into combat, as instructed by Torah: "If you go to war in your land against an adversary that oppresses you, you shall blow a teruah with the trumpets and be remembered before HaShem your G-d, and thus be saved from your enemies." (Numbers 10:9) |
Support The Work Of The Temple Institute! The Nezer HaKodesh school for training kohanim (Temple priests) so that they will be ready to renew the sacred service the moment the Holy Temple is rebuilt! The Levitical Choir, rehearsing and publicly performing the psalms to be sung accompanying the daily and festival offerings in the rebuilt Holy Temple! Research and raising of red heifers for the preparation of the purifying ashes of the red heifer, enabling the renewal of the Temple service! Producing Torah mandated trumpets of pure silver to be sounded by IDF soldiers before entering into battle! |
The Place of the Spark Above the Gate of the Spark, which was also called Yechoniah Gate, was the loft of the Place of the Spark. According to one opinion, the Place of the Spark was named after the perpetual fire that was kept burning there, from which fire was taken in the event that the fire of the woodpile on the mizbeach was extinguished. This loft was one of three places guarded by the priests. (Source: Midot 1:1). |
"They Shall Make An Ark Of Acacia Wood" The first sacred vessel HaShem instructed Moshe to make was the Ark of the Covenant. Ironically, the Ark of the Covenant is the one sacred Temple vessel that the Temple Institute hasn't recreated for the third Holy Temple. This is because ancient Jewish tradition maintains that the original Ark was hidden away in a subterranean chamber beneath the Temple Mount before the destruction of the first Holy Temple by the Babylonians. Till this day it has been impossible to conduct a proper search for the Ark. The Ark of the Covenant that the Temple Institute has created is a model, based on the instructions we read in this week's parashat Terumah. |
The New Moon Of Adar Rishon! Gadi Eidelheit of The Israeli New Moon Society has posted this photo that he took of the new moon of Adar on February 11. The reappearance and growth of the new moon each month is symbolic of our own ability for repentance and return, renewal and growth! Chodesh tov - have a good month! |
The Place Of The Hearth: The Immersion Chamber The northwest chamber in the large Place of the Hearth was called the Chamber of the Place of the Hearth. From this chamber, the kohanim would descend to the "winding passage" - a spiral staircase that led to the Immersion Chamber. In the Immersion Chamber, the priests would immerse themselves in a ritual bath before performing their service in the Mikdash. There was also a lavatory in the Immersion Chamber referred to as "the seat of honor" for reasons of modesty. (Source: Tamid 1:1). |
"And They Shall Make Me A Sanctuary And I Will Dwell In Their Midst." This week we read parashat Terumah, (Exodus 25:1 - 27:19), which takes place in its entirety atop Mount Sinai, as HaShem speaks one-on-one with Moshe, revealing to Moshe His greatest desire - to dwell among His people! It will be another forty days and only after the debacle of the golden calf that Moshe will convey HaShem's wishes to His people, but we, the readers, are privileged to "listen in'' to HaShem's words to Moshe atop Mount Sinai... |
Mikdash Monday - Shana Me'uberet (Leap year) - Part 2 “These are the set times of Hashem, the sacred occasions, which you shall celebrate each at its appointed time.” (Vayikra 23:4) |
The Place Of The Hearth: The Chamber Of The Seals The Chamber of Seals was where individuals who came to the Mikdash to bring an offering would purchase a seal showing the amount of libations they would need to bring along with their offering. The individual would then hand this seal to the official in charge of distributing the libations, and the latter in turn would give fine flour and wine according to the amount designated by the seal. (Sources: Midot 1:1,6). |
Argentinian President Javier Milei: Rabbi Akiva & The Rebuilding Of The Holy Temple Speaking at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial for the six million Jewish victims of the holocaust, newly-elected Argentinian President, Javier Milei, who is currently visiting Israel, and last week prayed at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, cited the ancient account of Rabbi Akiva and his fellow rabbis who visited the Temple Mount not long after the destruction of the second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. Thank you President Javier Milei for your support and love of Israel! |
Shavua Tov From The Temple Mount! In the UN's recent report on "settler violence," they listed no less than 1,300 incidents of "settler violence" that amounted to nothing more and nothing less than 1,300 Jews ascending the Temple Mount in purity! We have news for the terror supporting UN: The Temple Mount is not a settlement. It is the location of the first and second Holy Temple, and is considered by Jews the holiest place on earth. Shavua tov - have a very good week! |
Build a House for HaShem! "Be strong and have courage! Build a House for HaShem!" In this scene from a film soon to become an integral part of the Temple Institute's Jerusalem based Visitors Center experience, the prophet Samuel charges King David with the task of building the Holy Temple! |
The Glory of this Last House Shall be Greater than the First! "The Glory of this Last House Shall be Greater than the First!" In this scene from a film soon to become an integral part of the Temple Institute's Jerusalem based Visitors Center experience, Zerubavel from the house of David and Kohen Gadol (High Priest) Yehoshua consult with the prophet Haggai who instructs them to waste no time in rebuilding the Holy Temple! |
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. |
Biblical Red Heifer Could Bring Million Visitors To Samaria The Ancient Shiloh heritage site will soon host a Red Heifer research center. Hundreds of visitors flocked to Shiloh in Samaria’s Binyamin region on Thursday to welcome a biblically pure red heifer. The 22-month-old cow, which was brought to Israel from the United States, found a new home at the Ancient Shiloh heritage site, where the biblical Tabernacle once stood. |
Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem!
Yitzchak Reuven
The Temple Institute |
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