The Field and the Cave

"And the field and the cave within it were established to Avraham as burial property, purchased from the sons of Heth." (Genesis 23:20) Cheshvan 21, 5771/October 29, 2010 Avraham avinu - Abraham our father - is renowned for the gracious manner in which he invited wayfarers and hosted them in his tent. In fact, his tent, as our sages tell us, was a square tent with entrances on all four sides, so that any travelers passing by would see the open entrance and immediately feel welcome to stop in and rest, receive a hearty meal, be refreshed and be tended to by Avraham himself. The most famous of these occasions is, of course, that which is documented in Torah, in which three passing sojourners are approached by Avraham, still weak from his circumcision. Interrupting an encounter he is experiencing with G-d, Avraham runs to meet these three passing strangers, (whom he imagines to be idol worshippers, based on their appearance), bathes their feet, and invites them for a meal. While Sara prepares cakes for them Avraham runs after a young calf among his livestock, in order to slaughter it and prepare for them a meal. Of course the three strangers prove to be three angels with a special message for Avraham and Sara, but had Avraham not run to greet them and bless them with his hospitality, the rest of the story would never have occurred. We are taught that the actions of the fathers, (the patriarchs), are signs and instructions for the children, (the descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov). We are meant to learn from their example, in how we treat one another, how we deal with the nations, and in our relationship with G-d. Certainly we are to learn from Avraham the importance of hospitality and welcoming guests into our home. What truly marked Avraham was not simply that he was a friendly and gracious host, always welcoming an opportunity to greet a new face and make a new friend, but the energy and initiative, determination and persistence that characterized, not just the manner in which he pursued his three heavenly guests, but how he pursued all the challenges and goals of life that G-d set before him. Avraham employed the same zeal and unwavering determination when carrying out G-d's command to bind and offer up his son Yitzchak, the supreme and most perilous challenge of Avraham's life. And it is with the same meticulous attention to detail and respect and concern for others that Avraham purchased the burial cave of Machpelah as a final resting place for Sara. And leaving nothing to chance, Avraham instructs his servant Eliezer to travel abroad to find a bride for his son Yitzchak. But why was Avraham so concerned and proactive in purchasing a plot of land in Israel and finding a suitable bride for his son? After all, had not Avraham already secured G-d's promise that his progeny would inherit the land? Why work so hard to accomplish a promise that you have already pocketed? Avraham understood intuitively that the Divine promise he received from G-d was not a carte blanch or a one-way all-expenses-paid ticket, but a covenant, a contract which required that both parties work toward the achievement of the common goal. G-d's promise is eternal, G-d's promise is irrevocable, G-d's promise is unassailable, but G-d's promise will only be fulfilled through the undaunted efforts of His children. Actively engaging G-d and actively pursuing their common aim of making G-d a welcome "guest" in this world was what personified Avraham, from his rebel days in Ur, and later, his "making of souls" in Haran, and finally his laying down of the spiritual cornerstone for the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah, (the binding of Yitzchak), and his laying of the physical cornerstone for Jewish settlement and possession of the land of Israel in Hevron, (the purchasing of the Machpelah). This is the legacy of Avraham that he has bequeathed to his children. We are not to rest until we have secured our place in the land of Israel and G-d's place in this world via the building of the Holy Temple on Mount Moriah and the renewal of the Divine service. This is G-d's promise and this is our challenge. Nothing less!

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss this week's Torah reading of Chayei Sarah, which opens up with our forefather Avraham's purchase of the "Double Cave" in Hevron. Why does Torah emphasize this so much, and what is our connection to this mysterious, ancient place whose very name, Hevron, means "connection?" All this in the light, (or darkness), of this week's statements issued by the Synod of Catholic bishops which essentially "cancels" promises made by G-d to our father Avraham, to all the patriarchs, to Moses and to the entire people of Israel. What exquisite timing! What better week to cast doubt on the Biblical connection to our homeland, than the very week in which Torah testifies to that connection!

This week features the new Bat Melech video teaching with Rabbanit Rena Richman, entitled, "Avraham & Sara: United in their search for the One G-d, united against all the odds of a world hostile to the knowledge of the One G-d, and united in their love for one another, the source from which they drew their strength, Avraham & Sara are to be emulated by all who seek out the love and guidance of G-d in their lives." Click here to view.

This week also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "The Prayers that Bind: What is the nature of true prayer? Do our words and thoughts have the power to effect change? True prayer in its rarest and most precious form is the yearning of the heart. These feelings of yearning form an unseen yet tangible connection between us all, binding us to each other and in turn to every aspect of creation." Click here to view.

We are pleased to introduce a new feature on the Temple Institute website: TI Digest, which consists of an archive of articles, videos and slide shows which have formerly been listed on the Events page. It is our hope that this will ease navigation on our site and make it easier to find the features that you are looking for. Please click here to go to TI Digest.

The celebration and the sanctification of life are the keys to the gates of the Garden of Eden through which we can pass into life eternal. Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Chayei Sara (Genesis 23:1-25:18).

Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,   Yitzchak Reuven   The Temple Institute

Yitzhak Rabin

Shimon Peres Came to Power Over Rabin's Dead Body
I met Yitzhak Rabin in the Israeli Parliament in 1982 during Hanukkah. I was able to talk with him briefly and mention I was associated with Ambassador College in Pasadena, California.

Avishai Raviv, Eyal, and Yitzhak Rabin
Avishai Raviv was an Israeli government agent provocateur (whose code name was "Champagne" for the bubbles of incitement he created to tarnish the right-wing Israelis) who goaded Yigal Amir to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (although this is hotly disputed by investigative reporters like Barry Chamish)...

Vatican Linked to the Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin?
The dark powers of the European Union, under evil influence of the very real German-Jesuit cabal, are intent on ripping out the heart of Israel and sacrificing Israeli sovereignty to their wannabe divine emperor about to take the world by storm, pimped by the sorcerer-pope.

And They Both Walked Together

"And They Both Walked Together" (Genesis 22:6) Cheshvan 14, 5771/October 22, 2010 These past weeks we have been learning about Avraham Avinu - Abraham our father. Avraham was an outgoing man, a man of action, a man of tremendous passion. We learn this from the written word of Torah and we learn it from our Midrashic sources. Whether he was "making souls" in Haran, (Genesis 12:5) waging war in Damascus, (ibid 14:15) or hosting a trio of angels in Alonei Mamre, (ibid 18:2) Avraham was brimming with leadership and initiative. He was charismatic and personable. He was accessible. Avraham's son Yitzchak, (Isaac), on the other hand, seems to embody all the opposite attributes. He strikes us as passive. He is more a reactor than an enactor, as was his father. Whereas Avraham was making souls and waging war, Yitzchak was digging wells and staying one step ahead of Avimelech and his contentious shepherds, avoiding conflict at any cost. (ibid 26:15-31) Yitzchak is a model of introspection. The very act of digging wells suggests something that is under the surface, hidden from the light of day. The love of his life, Rivkah, (Rebecca), was brought to him while he was in his field meditating (ibid 24:63). Yitzchak embodies the inner life. The worldly Avraham, friend to G-d and friend to man, has given birth to Yitzchak, so much his father's opposite. Yet, in what will be known as the greatest of the ten tests with which G-d tested Avraham, Avraham and Yitzchak walked and acted as one. This is the test of the binding of Yitzchak, known in Hebrew as the akeidah. The test is, of course, the test of Avraham, who was called upon by G-d to perform a commandment that contradicted everything that Avraham thought he know about the nature of G-d; everything that he had been teaching to his fellow man. Avraham had to subjugate his will to the will of G-d, and by doing so, prove to every witness of his act, that he was indeed a servant of the One G-d. But this was only half of the balancing act that was required of Avraham. He also had to include Yitzchak in this act of selflessness and solidarity: solidarity between man and G-d, between father and son, between patriarch and each and every generation of the people that he fathered. The site of this test, of this great binding of hearts and souls, was Mount Moriah, named, albeit somewhat mysteriously, for the first time in Torah. The akeidah (binding) narrative (ibid 22:1-18) refers to the place alternatively as "the land of Moriah," (ibid 22:2) and, in Avraham's own words, as "the mountain where HaShem will be seen." (ibid 22:14) And it was on this very spot that one generation later, Yaakov, the son of Yitzchak, would lay down his head and dream a dream in which a ladder stretched from the heavens to the earth. (ibid 28:12) This is the site of the Holy Temple. And just as Yaakov inherited both the extroverted qualities of his grandfather Avraham, and the introverted qualities of his father Yitzchak, and synthesized these opposites, harmonizing and balancing them, so too would the Holy Temple eventually come to embody and perpetuate this unity of opposites. The Holy Temple is a "house of prayer for all nations," (Isaiah 56:7) open and welcome to all who come to worship the One G-d. Yet the inner courtyards of the Holy Temple are open only to Israel. The Temple Sanctuary, (the Kodesh), is open only to the Kohanim, (Priests), and into the Holy of Holies only the Kohen Gadol, (High Priest), can enter, and only on one day of the year, Yom Kippur. The Holy Temple is the place from which Israel connects to all the nations, where offerings are made on behalf of all the nations, and where all the nations can bring offerings and offer up their prayers. And the Holy Temple is the place where the nation of Israel is most intimately united with the G-d of Israel. In the Holy Temple Israel defines itself, fulfills its potential and sends forth Torah to the four corners of the earth. The Holy Temple is a mountain for uniting hearts and minds, a field for quiet meditation and a place of dreams and their realization. It is our patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, who, with their own unique strengths built the foundations of the Holy Temple, and bequeathed its healing and harmonizing powers to Israel and all the nations.

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss today's news headlines as they were first reported thousands of years ago by Torah in the lives of Avraham and Yitzchak. The binding of Yitzchak on Mount Moriah provides the real subtext to the conflict between Yitzchak and Yishmael, and between Torah and Islam which today is being clarified and rectified in that very place... "as it is said, on the mountain HaShem will be seen." (Gen. 22:14)

This week features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "For He Desires Kindness: The sixth of the thirteen attributes of mercy, as described in the Tomer Devorah: The acts of kindness that we bestow upon one another are "recalled" by G-d and sweeten whatever harsh judgment we may be otherwise deserving." Click here to view.

Maimonides Ascends the Temple Mount: Commemorating the 835th anniversary of Maimonides historic ascent to the Temple Mount: The incomparable Rambam (Maimonides), of blessed memory, was a giant of Jewish law who journeyed from North Africa to the land of Israel, braving storm and sea and an inhospitable land under crusader domination for one purpose: to visit Jerusalem, ascend the Temple Mount and pray at the place of "The Great and Holy House," the site of the Holy Temple. In doing so Rambam performed the positive commandment of "mora mikdash," showing reverence to G-d in the place of His Holy Temple. We can and must perform this same commandment today. If you have not yet watched this four minute video, please click here.

Every newborn baby is a miracle. Yet the birth of Yitzchak, (Isaac), defied all the rules of reason and biology. Rather than bow their heads in awe of the enormity of the miracle that G-d wrought, the pundits and gadflies of the day cast doubt upon the veracity of Yitzchak's origins. Fast-forward to today,replace "Yitzchak" with "the state of Israel" and gain some insight into Israel's contemporary denigrators and their pathetic denial of truth and reality. Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24).

Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,   Yitzchak Reuven   The Temple Institute

Avraham My Friend

"Avraham My friend" (Isaiah 41:8) Cheshvan 7, 5771/October 15, 2010 "The darkest hour is just before dawn." That's what they say. When was mankind's darkest hour? Was it the generation of the flood, when man's iniquity forced G-d's hand, and the devastating flood occurred? Was it the generation of the dispersion and the mixing of tongues when man's meteoric rise in self-deceiving narcissism led to his attempt to elbow G-d out of this world? Or was it the generation into which Avraham avinu - Abraham our father - was born? "I am HaShem, Who brought you forth from Ur of the Chaldees..." (Genesis 15:7) Ur, the name of Avraham's native city, also bears the meaning, in Hebrew of "light" or "fire." Midrash refers to this when describing how Avraham, still a young man, was thrown into a fiery furnace on account of his belief in the One G-d. We can also learn from this another truth: That if it hadn't have been for the light of Avraham, the flame that he kindled while still in the city of Ur, darkness would have overcome creation for a third time. But unlike the generation of the flood or the generation of the tower of Bavel, Torah doesn't describe to us what great peril humanity found itself in during the generation of Avraham. What changed? Concerning the generation of the flood, a corrupt and despicable generation, G-d called upon Noach, "righteous among his generation," (ibid 6:9) to build an ark and save all living creatures. In the generation of Bavel, there was no one there to call out to. Or could it be that the time of G-d calling out to man was over? G-d had already called out twice to man. He called out to Adam, asking, "Where are you?" (ibid 3:9) and He called out to Noach, saying, "Build an ark." (ibid 6:14) But G-d only called out to Noach when it became clear that Noach wasn't going to call out to G-d. And by then it was too late for the great mass of humanity. For G-d's instructions to Noach came with a price: the life-destroying waters of the flood. And G-d concluded His covenant with Noach with the promise that a second flood would not occur. G-d would no longer express His disappointment with mankind by threatening man's existence. He would let man imperil himself, as man did in the generation of the dispersion. So G-d waited. And within generations the dark clouds of corruption and cynicism and deception; of a totalitarian, one-world government ruled by thought police, which pervaded and permeated every aspect of life, gathered once again to blacken the skies and threaten man's future. And then Avraham came and called out to G-d. Midrash tells us that Avraham smashed his father's idols, and by doing so, caused such a sensation and such a scandal in society, threatening both those in power, and the very all-embracing false orthodoxy that kept them in power, that he had to be eliminated. Hence the fiery furnace. But the fire was just as phony as everything else in society and Avraham walked out unscathed. And if Torah doesn't relate any of this explicitly, and begins the chronicle of Avraham's life with G-d's word, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you," (Genesis 12:1) this is because Avraham, by calling out to G-d, and by reintroducing G-d to his fellow man, pre-empted the chaos and devastation that was surely to come. Dawn had arrived. Avraham blazed a new trail, and forged a new relationship with G-d. Twenty generations earlier it was G-d who came looking for man, who was hiding from Him. Now it is Avraham who has come looking for G-d, when G-d was hiding His face from man. This is why G-d refers forever to Avraham as, "Avraham My friend." (Isaiah 41:8) For Avraham rescued man, the crowning glory of G-d's creation, by reintroducing man to G-d. And that, as they say, "was the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss the month of Mar Cheshvan, the Torah reading of Lech Lecha, the Rambam, who this week, 835 years ago, ascended the Temple Mount, all under the rubric of the "Faith Connection." For the concept of faith shows up everywhere, all around us: It’s the backdrop of everything associated with Mar Cheshvan, as well as the Torah portions and the career of our illustrious forefather Avraham. And the great Maimonides’ historic pilgrimage to the Temple Mount was also an aspect of his undying faith that the Holy Temple would be rebuilt.

Maimonides Ascends the Temple Mount: Commemorating the 835th anniversary of Maimonides historic ascent to the Temple Mount: The incomparable Rambam (Maimonides), of blessed memory, was a giant of Jewish law who journeyed from North Africa to the land of Israel, braving storm as sea and an inhospitable land under crusader domination for one purpose: to visit Jerusalem, ascend the Temple Mount and pray at the place of "The Great and Holy House," the site of the Holy Temple. In doing so Rambam performed the positive commandment of "mora mikdash," showing reverence to G-d in the place of His Holy Temple. We can and must perform this same commandment today. Click here to watch this four minute video.

This week features the new Bat Melech video teaching with Rabbanit Rena Richman, entitled, "Avraham was One: Avraham and Sara were two individuals that sought out the One G-d and worked tirelessly as a couple to impart that all-encompassing oneness to mankind." Click here to view.

This week also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "The Attribute of Anger, Part II: Our sages tell us that when we lose our temper and allow ourselves to act out of anger, we are succumbing to a form of idolatry. Conversely, by emulating G-d, and allowing our anger to be transformed into patience and forbearance, we are elevating ourselves and bringing G-d into our lives." Click here to view.

For the entire week we have been celebrating The Week of the Rambam, in commemoration of the 835th anniversary of Maimonides' historic ascent to the Temple Mount: Each day this week we have posted articles describing the Rambam’s life and times, his visit to Israel and the Temple Mount, and the commandment of mora mikdash - showing reverence for G-d on the Temple Mount. To get started learning about this giant of Jewish thought and scholarship, please click here.

The book of Genesis opens, and the generations of man just whir by. By the time the reading of Lech Lecha begins twenty generations have passed. And then the pace slows down as Torah begins to describe the life and work of our father Avraham. What made Avraham unique? How was he different from all those that had come before him? Why was G-d pleased with Avraham? Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Lech Lecha (Genesis 12:1-17:27).

Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,   Yitzchak Reuven   The Temple Institute

God commands Israel to build the Temple!

God commands Israel to build the Temple!


Will the pope act like Belshazzar or Cyrus?Will Rome learn from history and receive instruction from the Bible or harden their hearts and be destroyed like pharaoh and Babylon? 

A House of Prayer For All Peoples?
Jewish guards prevent Christians and Jews from exercising their religious right to pray on the Temple Mount? That's right! Only Muslims have unlimited access to Judaism's most holy site. Only the Koran is permitted within. The Tanach (Jewish Scripture, known to much of the world as the "Old Testament") and Christian Scriptures (the New Testament) are forbidden. Yet Israel claims to respect the religious rights of all people.

Major Upheaval in Israel?
Will an EARTHQUAKE shake Israel to its foundations and rock the world? Would the destruction of the Western/Wailing Wall and the demolition of the "Dome of the Rock" and Al-Aksa mosques—by an ACT OF GOD—serve further notice that it's time to build the Temple?

Third Temple Coming Soon to Jerusalem!
"And let them make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8). This holy command in the Scriptures seems clear enough, so what's the problem? Why has Israel tolerated Jerusalem’s "abomination of desolation" — a Temple Mount without a Temple? Why haven't the religious leaders encouraged the people to do what they can in fulfilling this mitzva?

The Temple of God in Holy Jerusalem
Paul, speaking of the imminent Third Temple, the holy TEMPLE OF GOD (the Temple of God - not just of the Jews or any other conspiracy theory that contradicts Scripture), that Europe's wannabe divine emperor will pollute, coveting it since Satan knows (even if some religious folks don't) it is the TEMPLE OF GOD...

Jews Must Demand Rights to Temple Mount
During a 1995 Root and Branch lecture in Jerusalem, Professor Nahum Rakover, author and then Deputy Attorney General of Israel, publicly agreed with me that it isn't illegal for Christians or Jews to pray upon the Temple Mount, even though it is forcibly prevented by the police.

The Issue of the Temple MountThe common knowledge of our time is that the vast majority of Rabbis of this generation have prohibited the Jewish people from entering the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit), the holiest site in Judaism. The Temple Mount is the site of where the Beit HaMikdash (the Jewish Temple) once stood and the place where the Moslems have erected one mosque, the al-Aqsa and a site of pilgrimage, the Dome of the Rock.





Restore Israeli Sovereignty Over Temple Mount
The Wakf, the militant Muslim authority that oversees Jerusalem's Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and Islam's alleged third holiest site (following Mecca and Medina) continue to show blatant disregard for Jewish, Christian and biblical history and non-Muslim sensitivities.

Where's the Temple On the Temple Mount?
Something's missing. Rome is synonymous with the Vatican, Mecca with the Kaaba, and Jerusalem's known for its Western Wall. But why should we stand before the wall, letting it obstruct our vision, when we could be praying in a Temple? Why should Jews continue to bow before an illegitimate Gentile decree that tells them where to pray? (Isaiah 10:1).

The Vatican Must Return the Temple Treasures
The Jews have prayed for 2,000 years to again see the Temple upon the Temple Mount. It's past time for prayers alone: ACTION is necessary to put faith into practice!

G-d Doesn't Listen to Jewish Prayers at the Western Wall
Gershon Salomon warned Israel and its leadership that as long as the shameful situation on the Temple Mount continues, and as long as they do not obey the call of G-d, peace will not come to the land. The enemies of Israel will continue to desire her land and will pressure those in power to divide it. Obedience to the call of G-d will bring peace, all of Israel's enemies will be removed and no one will wish to divide or desire the land.

Why Edward Abington, Jr.  Must Be Investigated!
"The American Diplomat in Arafat's Corner," published in The Jerusalem Report, came as no surprise to me. It was referring to Edward Abington, Jr., the United States' former consul general in Jerusalem who is now "guiding the Palestinians through the labyrinths of Washington. And his firm is being paid $2.25 million for his expertise."

Israel's Unjust Deportation of David Ben-Ariel
As a Christian-American member of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement, I had been privileged to participate in their legal demonstrations during my 10-month stay in Jerusalem awaiting dual citizenship. Israeli television often showed me with my Jewish friends carrying Israeli flags throughout the Old City.

Blow Up the Mosques or An Expired Visa?
Once again, an attempt to spread DISinformation about my unjust deportation from Israel, only provides me with another opportunity to clearly state my case and continue to highlight the plight of the Temple Mount suffering under a Nazi-Muslim occupation...

From Toledo to Jerusalem
You could say I have a God-given love for the Jews and the nation of Israel (Isaiah 62:6-7). That sacred bond has been strengthened over the years by the fact that I've been blessed to have lived all over Israel, getting to know its land and people quite well.

Dangerous Ideas?
During my brief appearance before Israel's High Court, the prosecution charged that I hold "dangerous ideas." I suppose the short-sighted prosecution would ban the Bible if he could since it contains the "dangerous ideas" that millions believe in! What are those "dangerous ideas?"

American Detained in Jerusalem's Russian Compound
Nobody arrested me. I was detained when I faithfully reported to the police office at 9 a.m. Monday morning, January 9, 1996 (day before my birthday) the day after The Jerusalem Post published on their front page an article shedding light on what they were doing in the dark: "GSS Seeks to Deport American Citizen for Plot to Blow Up Al Aksa Mosque."

G-d Called the Light Day

"And G-d called the light day, and the darkness He called night" (Genesis 1:5) Rosh Chodesh Mar Cheshvan, 5771/October 8, 2010 Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, the Days of Awe, are now behind us. We have emerged from the protective embrace of the sukkah, a new year has begun, and we are back in the world. The sukkah is designed as a temporary dwelling, with spaces in the roof through which we can see the stars. The wind, the cold, the heat and the rain can all be felt inside the sukkah. Yet when the seven days of Sukkot have concluded, and we prepare to return to our well-built, insulated, climate-controlled houses, it is with a certain degree of trepidation. The sukkah, for all its flimsiness and impermanence, provides for us, from the moment we first enter it to the moment when we must take leave of it, an overwhelming, and at times even giddy, sense of physical safety and spiritual security. Suddenly our permanent dwellings seem insufficient as we face the new year. Why is this? The sukkah, not in spite of, but because of its impermanence, reminds us that beyond our own four walls lies G-d, and that it is His will which keeps our walls standing and our roof intact. The spaces in our roofs of leaves and branches through which the stars shine remind us that G-d also will shine into our lives if we only allow Him an entry point. It is essential to experience our sukkot once a year in order to remind us that the world really does belong to G-d and is not our personal property, and that living a life of G-dliness begins with letting G-d into our lives. The momentary trepidation that we feel upon leaving the sukkah and re-entering our homes is the fear that we might forget these verities. But this is the very intention of the sukkot experience - to inoculate us against forgetfulness, and to fortify us for the upcoming year. It is no coincidence that on Simchat Torah, the very day we emerge from our sukkot, we begin anew the yearly reading of Torah, starting with the opening verses of Genesis, describing the world's creation. The very same sense of G-d's presence and purpose in the world that we felt from inside our sukkah, is echoed in these words. The sukkah is literally a microcosm of the world which G-d created. Both owe their existence to G-d's will. It is He who sustains our sukkot for seven days, and it is He who sustains the world, each and every day. But there is a quid pro quo for G-d's benevolence. We are given tasks to perform within our sukkot, such as the waving of the four species, eating, sleeping and rejoicing, as well as looking beyond our sukkah walls and roof and seeing there G-d's presence. Likewise, we are entrusted with the fulfilling of G-d's commandments in this world. And no less importantly, we are expected to peer out into the world around us and see G-d's presence and feel His nearness. Our role in maintaining and sustaining the world is no less essential than G-d's role. This truth is made terrifyingly clear in parashat Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32), which we will be reading this coming Shabbat. The generation of Noach was a generation that saw all around it a world of plenty. They lacked nothing, they had no want. But rather than properly attribute the world's bounty to G-d, they lost sight of G-d. When they peered out into their world, they saw not G-d. Even after the cleansing and healing effect of the flood, man strayed again, banding together and building a tower designed to pierce the heavens. But this time man's sin was even more reprehensible. This time man didn't overlook or forget G-d. This time man actively and with determination sought to banish G-d from man's world. The generation of the tower of Bavel was one of instant communication. A single governing body ruled over all mankind. The technology to reach the stars was theirs, as was their assumed ability to be able to determine for themselves what is right and what is wrong. They had no need for G-d and they were determined to shut Him out. The walls of Bavel were impervious to G-d's beckoning. The tower's vast roof was sealed against G-d. No one peered out. No one saw the distant stars shining in. Ultimately, the generation of Bavel succeeded not in shutting G-d out of their world, but in shutting themselves out of G-d's world. The parallels to today's world are undeniable. Our generation is building a tower whose bricks are baked with anarchy and whose mortar is a deadly mix of narcissism and hedonism. Ultimately it will all come tumbling down. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to remember that our permanent homes, our possessions and jobs, our health and well-being, just like our frail and unsubstantial sukkot, are entirely in the hand of G-d. And that truly is cause for the same overwhelming, and at times even giddy sense of physical safety and spiritual security that we feel in our sukkot. Welcome back to the world!

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven, out of the sukkah and back in the rain, welcome Mar Cheshvan, a month of great potential and the month of the third Holy Temple. As we reflect upon the Sukkot that was and its theme of water, and as we read this week’s Torah portion of Noach and the flood, we also realize that this month of Cheshvan begins the rainy season in the Land of Israel. It is also the month that the floodwaters began to fall back in the days of Noach. But the Land of Israel brings the blessing of water to the entire world, and will one day serve as the "Noah’s ark" for all humanity.

The Temple Institute would like to thank all those who have donated to the special fund for the Imus Children, the seven orphans whose parents were brutally murdered by Palestinian terrorists on August 31. Those who would still like to contribute funds for these children may contact Rabbi Richman.

Today also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "The Attribute of Anger, Part I: Our sages tell us that when we lose our temper and allow ourselves to act out of anger, we are succumbing to a form of idolatry. Conversely, by emulating G-d, and allowing our anger to be transformed into patience and forbearance, we are elevating ourselves and bringing G-d into our lives." Click here to view.

The Week of the Rambam, Commemorating the 835th anniversary of Maimonides' historic ascent to the Temple Mount: October 10 -15, the Temple Institute will be celebrating Maimonides’ 6th of Cheshvan (Oct. 14th) ascent to the Temple Mount with articles posted daily describing the Rambam’s life and times, his visit to Israel and the Temple Mount, and the commandment of Mora Mikdash - showing reverence for G-d on the Temple Mount.The week-long event will conclude with an ascent to the Temple Mount, retracing the Rambam’s steps. To keep abreast of our daily article, visit our Events page, join us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. Meanwhile, click here to download our Week of the Rambam artwork.

All of creation is informed and animated by an overwhelming yearning for G-dliness, and man is no exception. This elemental necessity of existence binds and unifies our world. It is present in the final words of Deuteronomy, which we read on Simchat Torah, and it is present in the opening words of Genesis. It is when the generation of Noach loses its way and seeks to create a world without G-d that the trouble starts. Click here to view Rabbi Richman's teaching entitled The Secret of Yearning: The Torah Readings of Vzot Habracha, Bereshith & Noach (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).

Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,   Yitzchak Reuven   The Temple Institute