Friday, October 12, 2012

The Temple Institute: In the Beginning

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

The Temple Institute?

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

"In the Beginning"
(Genesis 1:1)
Tishrei 26, 5773/October 12, 2012

Read below for an important announcement and personal invitation to
the Temple Institute's 25th Anniversary Gala in Dallas, TX!

Today, with the help of increasingly powerful telescopes embedded in space, robotic vehicles successfully landed on Mars, and other technological advances far beyond this layman's ability to understand, contemporary scientists are coming closer and closer to discovering how the world was created. Unsurprisingly, to anyone familiar with the creation narrative which opens the book of Genesis, especially in the original Hebrew, modern scientific orthodoxy ever more adheres to an understanding of the creative forces and cosmological chronologies first set out in the opening verses of Bereshit, (Genesis). Once upon a time, not so very long ago, science was at odds with the Torah presentation of our universe's opening moments, and was determined to prove the falseness of the biblical account. But, lo and behold, as their knowledge increases, so do their intensely researched discoveries and explanations sound more and more like "In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

But there does exists one great, unbridgeable gap which divides centuries of scientific pursuit of the origins of the universe with the self evident, fundamental truths of the Torah account of creation. Scientists are forever seeking to answer the question, "How? How was the universe created. How did it come about?" Torah, on the other hand, for all its detailed timeline describing creation and division and distinction and separation and refinement and definition in exquisite and all inclusive detail, is not primarily concerned with how it came about, or with how the world was created. The entire account of creation that Torah lays before us is subordinate to the real secret which Torah wishes to share with us: The purpose of creation.

Scientific exploration of our world most certainly serves to increase our awe and profound appreciation of all that G-d has created, and this is a fine and worthy goal. But the question of why G-d created the world, which can't be answered without determining the purpose of G-d's creation, is admittedly beyond the scientist's purview. Science is about facts, not motivations.

So what is the purpose of G-d's creation, as per the opening chapters of Genesis? Genesis describes the creation of and then harnessing of great and momentous forces, which are then, in turn, directed by G-d to serve as life giving and sustaining forces for the living creatures that are to follow in the timeline creation. The trees and vegetation and the fishes and flying creatures and crawling creatures and the beasts of the earth which are the created to populate the earth form the backdrop for what would be G-d's final and most perfect creation: man.

So was man, then, the ultimate purpose of G-d's creation? If so, then why did G-d observe in each of the six days of creation that what He had created was "good," yet in the aftermath of man's creation, G-d declared that "It is not good that man is alone?" (ibid 2:18) Having breathed into man the "soul of life," (ibid 2:7) G-d was now breathing into man a desire to extend beyond himself, to reach out and touch the reality of creation into which he was placed. G-d made this an intrinsic part of man's nature by creating woman from within man himself. "Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh," (ibid 2:23) man was no longer a self contained entity, but one which could only (re-)complete himself by reaching out to others.

And so man, the crowning achievement of G-d's creation is deputized, as it were, by G-d, to carry on with G-d's work of creation, and to perfect the achievements of the first six days of creation by seeking and ultimately realizing an affinity and harmony with all of G-d's creation, and beyond this, by achieving a unity with G-d Himself. Only once we realize that this is the ultimate purpose of creation and that man has been empowered by his Creator with the awesome responsibility of bringing creation to its intended perfection, can we then look back at the entire process of creation which preceded man and truly understand its majesty and magnitude.

Just as scientists can describe much of the "how" of creation, but none of the "why" of creation, so too, modern technology has laid before us an ever increasing choice of iPods and iPads and iPhones and Androids and Bluetooths and Tablets, and on and on, all of which all greatly enhance technically our ability to communicate with one another, but no app created by man can ever supply us with the "why" we should communicate and how to truly do so. The answer to this question lies with G-d and it is in our hearts for each of us to discover. Beginning with "In the beginning," Torah sets out to reveals to us the answer. It is G-d's gift to His beloved creation: the one and only GPS to our purpose and ultimate destiny as the sons of man here on this good earth.

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk, and join Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven as they emerge from their elevated spiritual Sukkah cocoons and are back on dry land, just in time to witness once again the creation of the world in this week's parshat Bereshit! It seems that while we were busy basking for seven days in our well earned Sukkot rest and relaxation, after all our spiritual efforts of the past two months, G-d was even busier, creating the world! And what a perfect world it is, well, was... until man was created and things began to get complicated. But with the imperfections, G-d also blessed man with the tools to perfect himself and all of creation, as well.

The Sukkot holiday saw record numbers of devout Jews ascending the Temple Mount, the greatest number of all going up with Rabbi Richman on Isru Chag - the special quasi-festive day the follows the conclusion of Shmini Atzeret, (Simchat Torah). 59 Jews from Ranaana accompanied Rabbi Richman, and pledged to come again. The place of the Holy Temple is returning to the hearts and minds of the people of Israel, a crucial precondition for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple - soon in our days!

An Evening To Honor The Holy Temple: You Are Invited To Come And Join In The Celebration!: November 14th 2012 – Dallas, TX: On November 14, 2012, the Temple Institute will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a gala to be held in Dallas, TX. The evening will include a festive banquet, exciting speakers and special surprises. A number of seats are currently available and we extend this personal invitation to you. If you would like to attend this special event please contact us immediately for reservations and payment details, at this address: TIdinner25@gmail.com

If you are not able to attend, you can still participate in this historic event and help the Temple Institute build the future by purchasing a tax-deductible greeting in the 25th Anniversary Dinner Journal. The Journal will be a very special keepsake and memento of the Temple Institute's Jubilee Celebration. It will feature special messages and exclusive photographs. A PDF copy of the entire Journal will be available to download for all who place a greeting. For more details, please click here.

Exclusive Online Temple Art Auction! As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, the Temple Institute is making available an exclusive and original oil painting commissioned especially by the Temple Institute by the noted Israeli artist, Ofer Yom Tov. This exquisite artwork, depicting the artist’s conception of the future pilgrimage of the nations to the rebuilt Holy Temple in modern day Jerusalem, is entitled, "GOING UP TO THE THIRD TEMPLE."

The stunning, one-of-a-kind painting, oil on canvas, measures 1.5 meters by 1 meter (approx. 60” x 40”) and is unframed. Additional close-up details of the painting can be seen by clicking here.

The Temple Institute is making this modern masterpiece available to the highest bidder in an online auction. The auction has officially been opened with a starting bid of $3,000. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will directly benefit the holy work of the Temple Institute. Bids can be placed by email to this address: TI25onlineauction@gmail.com

This auction is open to the worldwide public. There are no preconditions for participation. All those interested in acquiring this painting are invited to participate by submitting a bid to the above email address. The current highest bid will be posted on http://www.templeinstitute.org/

The auction will conclude at the Temple Institute’s 25th Anniversary Gala in Dallas, TX on November 14th, 2012. The highest bid will be announced during the course of the evening.

The painting will be shipped to the auction winner at the Temple Institute’s expense upon receipt of payment confirmation.

The Temple Institute's 25th Anniversary is an event of historical import, placed as it is, upon the timeline of the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. We strongly urge anyone who is able to take part in our celebration via any of the above options, to seriously consider doing so. Together we can make this happen!

An all-new parashat hashavua Bereshit/Noach video teaching will be posted next week. Well worth the wait!