Temple Institute
Encyclopedia
The Temple Institute, known in Hebrew as Machon HaMikdash , is an organization in Israel
focusing on the controversial endeavor of establishing the Third Temple
. Its long-term aims are to build the third Jewish temple
on the Temple Mount
, on the site currently occupied by the Dome of the Rock
, and to reinstate sacrificial
worship. It aspires to reach this goal through the study of Temple construction and ritual and through the development of actual Temple ritual objects, garments, and building plans suitable for immediate use in the event conditions permit its reconstruction. It was founded and is headed by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel
. Its current Director General is Dovid Shvartz, and the International Department is headed by Rabbi Chaim Richman
.
As part of its ongoing effort to prepare for a future rebuilt Temple, the Temple Institute has been preparing ritual objects suitable for Temple use. Many of the over ninety ritual items to be used in the Temple have been made by the Temple Institute.
As of June 2008, a major current project of the institute is the creation of the sacred uniform of the Kohen Gadol
, the High Priest, and the ordinary priest
s. This project, the culmination of years of study and research, has been underway for several years. The High Priest's Hoshen
(breastplate) and Ephod
have already been completed. The Tzitz
, the golden crown of the High Priest, was completed in 2007. http://universaltorah.com/programming/2007/11/29/the-golden-crown-of-the-high-priest.htm The Temple Institute is designing the garments for the lay priests intended for purchase by Kohanim
.
publications, and conferences, as well as the production of educational materials. Online educational tools include the Institute's website http://www.templeinstitute.org/, educational videos and video conferencing.
) consistent with the requirements of Numbers
19:1-22 and Mishnah
Tractate Parah for purposes of taharah (purification) necessary to enter the Temple sanctuary proper in most circumstances. In recent years, the institute identified two candidates, one in 1997 and another in 2002. The Temple Institute had initially declared both kosher, but later found each to be unsuitable.
will and should be rebuilt, there is a substantial disagreement about whether this should occur by human or divine hands. The Temple Institute interprets the opinion of the Rambam (Maimonides
) as saying that Jews should attempt to build the Temple themselves, and have a mitzvah
(obligation) to do so if they can. The Rambam's opinion, however, is a controversial one and has aroused substantial opposition.
The Temple Institute's view of the Rambam's opinion is not universally accepted by Maimonides scholars. According to seventeenth-century Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller in his commentary on the tractate Yoma, the Rambam did not say that any Jew can build the future Temple, only the Messiah. http://jewsagainstzionism.com/parsha/docs/terumah2.pdf According to Maimonides, any Jew who starts rebuilding the Temple is a potential Messiah.
for Jews to visit parts of the Temple Mount
and periodically organize groups to ascend and tour the Mount. The view that Jews may ascend the Temple is highly controversial among Orthodox
rabbis, with many authorities completely prohibiting visiting the Mount to prevent accidental entrance into and desecration of the Holy of Holies
or other sacred, off-limits areas.
The Temple Institute conducts aliyot (literally, "going up"; "making a pilgrimage") to the Temple Mount.
The institute claims that these aliyot are conducted in accordance with halachic requirements. They take place during
weekday mornings, as these are the only hours that Jews are presently allowed to frequent the Mount.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
focusing on the controversial endeavor of establishing the Third Temple
The Third Temple
The Third Temple, or Ezekiel's Temple , is a temple architecturally described in the Book of Ezekiel...
. Its long-term aims are to build the third Jewish temple
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
on the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
, on the site currently occupied by the Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock is a shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The structure has been refurbished many times since its initial completion in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik...
, and to reinstate sacrificial
Korban
The term offering as found in the Hebrew Bible in relation to the worship of Ancient Israel is mainly represented by the Hebrew noun korban whether for an animal or other offering...
worship. It aspires to reach this goal through the study of Temple construction and ritual and through the development of actual Temple ritual objects, garments, and building plans suitable for immediate use in the event conditions permit its reconstruction. It was founded and is headed by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel
Yisrael Ariel
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel was the chief rabbi of the evacuated Israeli settlement of Yamit in the Sinai desert during the years when the Sinai was controlled by Israel. His brother, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, served as the rosh yeshiva in the yeshiva in Yamit and is currently the chief rabbi of the city of...
. Its current Director General is Dovid Shvartz, and the International Department is headed by Rabbi Chaim Richman
Chaim Richman
Chaim Richman is a rabbi in Israel, the International Director of the Temple Institute, which is dedicated to the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and a member of the current effort to revive the Sanhedrin...
.
Building of Temple ritual items
| Temple Institute - Ritual Objects | |
| Item | Purpose |
| Copper laver | For Kohanim Kohen A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron.... to wash at start of day |
| Mizrak | Holds blood from sacrificial animals |
| Large mizrak | Holds blood from larger animals |
| Three-pronged fork | To arrange offerings on the altar |
| Measuring cup | To measure meal offerings |
| Copper vessel for meal offerings | To prepare meal offerings |
| Silver shovel | To remove ashes from the altar |
| Silver vessel for wine libation | For wine accompanying offerings |
| Lottery box | For Yom Kippur Yom Kippur Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue... |
| Silver altar cup for water libation | For Sukkot Sukkot Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days... |
| Silver libation vessels | For Sukkot |
| Sickle | To reap the Omer Counting of the Omer Counting of the Omer is a verbal counting of each of the forty-nine days between the Jewish holidays of Passover and Shavuot... barley |
| Other offering implements | To offer the Omer barley |
| Abuv | To roast the Omer barley |
| Menorah cleansing vessel | To clean the Menorah |
| Oil pitcher | For replenishing the Menorah |
| Small golden flask | For replenishing individual Menorah lamps |
| Frankincense censer | |
| Incense chalice | For Ketoret Ketoret The use of incense in Judaism was related to perfumed offerings on the altar of incense in the time of the Tabernacle and the First and Second Temple period, and was an important component of priestly liturgy in the Temple in Jerusalem.... or incense offering |
| Incense shovel | For Ketoret or incense offering |
| Menorah | See Menorah. |
| Table of the Showbread | See Showbread Showbread Showbread , in the King James Version: shewbread, in a biblical or Jewish context, refers to the cakes or loaves of bread which were always present on a specially dedicated table, in the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to God... . |
| Incense altar | For Ketoret or incense offering |
| Ark of the Covenant (mock up) | See Ark of the Covenant Ark of the Covenant The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed... . |
| Crown | Crown worn by the High Priest Kohen Gadol The High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem... |
| Garments of the High Priest | See High Priest Kohen Gadol The High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem... . |
| Silver trumpets | Announce special occasions and offerings |
| Gold-plated shofar | For Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn... . See Shofar Shofar A shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.Shofar come in a variety of sizes.- Bible and rabbinic literature :... . |
| Silver-plated shofar | For fast days. See Shofar Shofar A shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.Shofar come in a variety of sizes.- Bible and rabbinic literature :... . |
| Harp | Used by the choir of Levites singing psalms Psalms The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible... |
| Lyre | Used by the choir of Levites singing psalms |
As part of its ongoing effort to prepare for a future rebuilt Temple, the Temple Institute has been preparing ritual objects suitable for Temple use. Many of the over ninety ritual items to be used in the Temple have been made by the Temple Institute.
As of June 2008, a major current project of the institute is the creation of the sacred uniform of the Kohen Gadol
Kohen Gadol
The High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...
, the High Priest, and the ordinary priest
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
s. This project, the culmination of years of study and research, has been underway for several years. The High Priest's Hoshen
Hoshen
The priestly breastplate was a sacred breastplate worn by the High Priest for the Israelites, according to the Book of Exodus...
(breastplate) and Ephod
Ephod
An ephod was an article of clothing, and a worship object, in ancient Israelite culture, and was closely connected with oracular practices....
have already been completed. The Tzitz
Tzitz
The priestly crown or frontlet was the golden plate or tiara worn by the Jewish High Priest on his mitre or turban whenever he would minister in the Tabernacle or the Temple in Jerusalem.-Etymology:...
, the golden crown of the High Priest, was completed in 2007. http://universaltorah.com/programming/2007/11/29/the-golden-crown-of-the-high-priest.htm The Temple Institute is designing the garments for the lay priests intended for purchase by Kohanim
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
.
Education programs
The institute's educational efforts include raising public awareness about the Holy Temple, and the central role that it is believed to occupy in the spiritual life of mankind. These efforts include a full-time research staff (kollel), seminars,publications, and conferences, as well as the production of educational materials. Online educational tools include the Institute's website http://www.templeinstitute.org/, educational videos and video conferencing.
Red Heifer
In addition to a variety of items required for service within the Temple, the institute has attempted to locate a parah adumah (Red heiferRed heifer
The red heifer or red cow was a sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible the ashes of which are used for the ritual purification of an ancient Israelite who had come into contact with a corpse.- Hebrew Bible :...
) consistent with the requirements of Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
19:1-22 and Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
Tractate Parah for purposes of taharah (purification) necessary to enter the Temple sanctuary proper in most circumstances. In recent years, the institute identified two candidates, one in 1997 and another in 2002. The Temple Institute had initially declared both kosher, but later found each to be unsuitable.
Rebuilding a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount
Although Orthodox Judaism generally agrees that the Temple in JerusalemTemple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
will and should be rebuilt, there is a substantial disagreement about whether this should occur by human or divine hands. The Temple Institute interprets the opinion of the Rambam (Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
) as saying that Jews should attempt to build the Temple themselves, and have a mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
(obligation) to do so if they can. The Rambam's opinion, however, is a controversial one and has aroused substantial opposition.
The Temple Institute's view of the Rambam's opinion is not universally accepted by Maimonides scholars. According to seventeenth-century Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller in his commentary on the tractate Yoma, the Rambam did not say that any Jew can build the future Temple, only the Messiah. http://jewsagainstzionism.com/parsha/docs/terumah2.pdf According to Maimonides, any Jew who starts rebuilding the Temple is a potential Messiah.
Ascending the Temple Mount
The rabbis associated with the Temple Institute hold (also following the Rambam) that it is, under certain conditions, permissible under Jewish lawHalakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
for Jews to visit parts of the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
and periodically organize groups to ascend and tour the Mount. The view that Jews may ascend the Temple is highly controversial among Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbis, with many authorities completely prohibiting visiting the Mount to prevent accidental entrance into and desecration of the Holy of Holies
Holy of Holies
The Holy of Holies is a term in the Hebrew Bible which refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem where the Ark of the Covenant was kept during the First Temple, which could be entered only by the High Priest on Yom Kippur...
or other sacred, off-limits areas.
The Temple Institute conducts aliyot (literally, "going up"; "making a pilgrimage") to the Temple Mount.
The institute claims that these aliyot are conducted in accordance with halachic requirements. They take place during
weekday mornings, as these are the only hours that Jews are presently allowed to frequent the Mount.