Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Temple Institute: They Shall Make Me a Sanctuary

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

The Temple Institute?

So that through them The האור Light, רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוה Yeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

"They shall make Me a sanctuary"
(Exodus 25:8)
Adar 1, 5772/February 24, 2012
Rosh Chodesh Adar

Pssst! Want some good advice? If you're looking to get a glimpse into how G-d created the world, don't begin by reading Genesis, chapter one. Oh, it's a beautiful description of the first six days of creation and the sabbath that followed. But if you're looking for insight into how G-d did it, and why, that's not the first place to look. The first place to look is in this week's Torah reading of Terumah, (Exodus 25:1-27:19). Parashat Terumah describes the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. We are taught by Midrash that the Holy Temple, (and its prototype, the Tabernacle), was in G-d's thought, as it were, even before creation was begun. It therefore follows that the construction of the Sanctuary is nothing less that the final step, the completion and perfection of creation. And since G-d reserved that final step of creation for man to achieve, we can gain direct insight into how G-d began the creation of our world by studying how G-d commanded us to complete His creation.

Terumah opens with the following: "Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity." (Exodus 25:2) G-d precedes His commandment to build for Him a sanctuary with this appeal for the spirit of generosity to fill each person's heart. So it was before G-d began the work of creation. G-d was perfect and lacked nothing. So what inspired Him to create? G-d was good and desired to fulfill His goodness by bestowing goodness on an "other" that wasn't G-d. But there was no "other" so G-d had to create an "other" by causing a void within His own being. This void became the place and the space for creation, and G-d has been bestowing His goodness on His creation ever since.

Now G-d is teaching us how to do the same. We are encouraged to allow ourselves to be inspired to bestow goodness on another, (to possess a "generous heart"). Our willingness to give of our time and our talents and our material wealth testifies to the sincerity of our desire to bestow goodness upon an "other." Then G-d commands us, "they shall make Me a sanctuary." (ibid 25:8) Now we are being instructed to follow G-d's lead and create a space and a place that is not us and is not about us. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word Mikdash, (Sanctuary): to be set aside, to be separate. Once we create a space that doesn't contain us, that isn't filled with our presence or our ego, then we have created a place where G-d can enter. G-d Himself testifies to this in the conclusion of our above quoted verse, "and I will dwell in their midst." (ibid) Create a void and I will fill it, just as I, once upon a time, created a void within My being and filled it with your world. However, in our world, by creating a space in our existence where G-d can fit in, we are also creating an opening within our selves where G-d's presence can dwell. This is why G-d says, "and I will dwell in their midst." "In their midst," within the hearts of those that filled their hearts with the desire to bestow good upon an other.

Do you see how it works? Creation, that is? The moment we place a limit on our desire to see everything through the prism of our own wants and wishes and instead make a clearing for another to occupy, we have emulated G-d in His method of creating. When we do this as individuals for one another we create a more perfect society, a society that aspires toward G-dliness. When we act together with one heart and create a space where G-d's presence is welcome, we create a more perfect world. In fact, we perfect creation, and the perfection of creation is the completion of creation. G-d saved the final piece in the puzzle of creation for us to put in place as His ultimate expression of love, (bestowing goodness), for us - His creation. By taking up G-d's offer and creating for Him a Sanctuary in the very world that He created for us, the very space within His being that He set aside for us, we are returning His love and perfecting His creation.

All the rest is detail. The silver, the gold, the bronze, the acacia wood - it all falls into place. The mystery of how to build for G-d a sanctuary disappears the moment our hearts say yes, let us do it. Imagine if all the nations in the world were to agree to rein in their desire to rule over one another, to be sovereign over every grain of sand, over every inch of soil. Imagine if the competing civilizations were to retract their sharp talons from the single parcel of land that G-d designated as His desired abode on earth. We could build the Holy Temple in a heartbeat if only we could emulate G-d for one single instant and commit ourselves to something other than ourselves. By opening up our hearts and committing ourselves to G-d we complete and perfect His world, and He completes and perfects our world. This is the gift of the Holy Temple: G-d's gift to mankind, and our gift to G-d.

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk, as Yitzchak Reuven and special guest host, Tzvi Richman contemplate what just might be G-d's most simple request and most modest proposal, "Build for Me a Sanctuary." It's all our world and all G-d wants is a way in - He wants to be in our neighborhood. Tzvi & Yitzchak discuss the nuts and bolts of building a house, a Tabernacle, a Holy Temple for G-d, as spelled out in this week's Torah reading of parashat Terumah. No Torah portion better captures the purpose and mission of the Temple Institute than parashat Terumah, and there is no better occasion than now to exhort and encourage all who wish to live in a world with G-d, to lend your hands and hearts and support our efforts. How do we build a house of wood and skins and stone for a G-d who transcends all creation? What is the subtle subtext of love and unity that informs G-d's call for universal involvement and the detailed descriptions of the Tabernacle and its vessels that follows?

COMING SOON: THE 3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY ONLINE SIX HOUR STREAMING VIDEO HAPPENING! On March 25th, the second day of the month of Nisan, the first of our months, from 5 PM - 11 PM, Israel time, (10 AM - 3 PM Eastern time), The International Department of the Temple Institute will be hosting out third annual International Temple Mount Awareness Day Online Six Hour Streaming Video Happening! Our guests will include Moshe Feiglin, Rabbi Nachman Kahana, Tziporra Felitz, Yisrael Medad, Rabbi Mois Navon, and live musical entertainment by Yehudah Katz. Co-hosting the event with Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven of the Temple Institute will be Lorelai Lehrer and Steve Levine of Radio Free Nachlaot. For more details, please click here.

If you would like to be a sponsor of this year's 3RD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY ONLINE SIX HOUR STREAMING VIDEO HAPPENING, please click here.

The Month of Adar: The Month of Joy: 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!

Temple Mount News: A lot has been happening on the Temple Mount this week. If you want to keep up with events, please visit our Temple Mount News updates.

This week's all-new Bat Melech teaching by Rena Richman, is entitled, "The Well of Miriam, Part II: The prophet Miriam: Sanctified and dedicated to her people. In this all-new series, Rena explores the life and work of this great leader of Israel." Click here to view.

This week's Return of Prophecy teaching by Rabbi Avraham Sutton, is entitled, "Day Five: The Leviathans: What are these sea dragons and why did G-d create them?" Click here to view.

"And they will build Me a sanctuary and I will dwell amongst them." (Exodus 25:8) "Build it for ME," G-d says. For My names sake. I want to dwell amongst man in this world. Such is My desire. G-d is not asking for perfection from mankind. Only for a welcome into this world. Click here to view Rabbi Richman's teaching on parashat Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19).