Among the Captives

"and you see among the captives a beautiful woman..."
(Deuteronomy 21:11)

Elul 6. 5769/August 26, 2009

War... victory... POWs... a beautiful woman... The opening verses of this week's Torah reading , Ki Teitzei, read like a movie trailer to Hollywood's latest blockbuster. Or do they? The answer depends on how we read them. One prevalent interpretation of our sages is that Torah, understanding the ambivalence of human nature, realizing that base passions can be aroused by the chaotic, life or death exertion of warfare, presents a way by which the triumphant warrior can channel his instincts. By following the path prescribed by Torah, rather than commit a grievous sin, the warrior, now citizen, can be directed back to his pre-battle upright life. Understanding the verses in this light is a great testimony to the Torah's holistic approach to man, and the dignity with which it regards man, after all, the magnum opus of G-d's creation.

Another approach chartered by the beloved sage, Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar, otherwise known as the Ohr HaChaim - the Light of Life - describes not an outward battle, but an inner one. For the soldier fighting in G-d's army, risking his life to defend the land of Israel, is not simply engaging in a mundane war, but is performing with all his being a great commandment of Torah. And as with all commandments, the fulfillment of the commandment bestows upon the performer of the commandment a heightened spiritual awareness. So it is that our heroic warrior, having engaged his entire being in the performance of G-d's commandment, has been blessed with a spirit of prophecy and a sharpness of vision. It is not the captive woman's outward beauty that he sees, but her inner beauty, the pure spark of the Divine that is captured within her. It is this that his soul longs for, as the Hebrew reveals: "Vechashakta bah," "and you desire what is [contained] within her." (ibid)

The Torah goes on to prescribe a month-long process of testing the purity of this attraction, and only after fulfilling the conditions set out, does the former warrior, if his desire has proven to be of the highest spiritual motivation, as we suspect, take the woman for his wife.

We may not all have the privilege of being real-life warriors defending the land of Israel against her enemies, but we all do have the privilege and responsibility to perform those commandments that are within our grasp. By doing so with the same intensity and passion as the righteous warrior of our Torah passage, we too can heighten our spiritual consciousness and increase our awareness of the holy sparks entrapped within our own souls and the holy sparks entrapped within others. We can then redeem and liberate these sparks within ourselves through discipline, hard work and sincere effort, and help others to recognize their own inner beauty by treating them with the same patience and respect prescribed by Torah for our warrior.

Every day of our lives we are engaged in a battle against our lesser natures, and every day our efforts to seek out the holy within ourselves and within others are rewarded with an enhanced attachment to G-d. Perhaps the month of Elul is best seen as the final engagement before the beginning of the new year. By mustering all our spiritual forces we can surely conquer our own inclinations that keep us distant from G-d and blind to His honor in this world. By storming the enemy within we can release our our own captive souls, set them free and let them shine.

Tune in to the week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss the "woman of beautiful form," the righteous warrior, the marriage ceremony, King David and the great horned beast - the fantastical re'em - and the unexpected twists and turns that sometimes await us as we ascend the Temple Mount today.

An ancient tradition of visiting the Holy Temple on the eve of one's wedding has been revived in our days. The day leading up to one's chatunah - wedding - is, for the bride and groom, a day of introspection, deep thoughts, and teshuvah - repentance, and what better place on earth is there to prepare spiritually for these goals than the Temple Mount in Jerusalem? Click here to view pictures.

This week features the Bat Melech video teaching with Rabbanit Rena Richman, entitled, "Rachav, Profile in Repentance, parts I & II: : Rachav: Profile in Repentance, Part I & II: Rachav, the woman of “ill-repute” who lived in the wall of Jericho not only hosted the two spies sent by Joshua, but used the opportunity their presence afforded her to repent of her past deeds, and become herself a righteous woman of valor. (This two part series was originally aired during the ten days of repentance, October, 2008.) Click here to view.

Today also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "Thoughts on the Stone Altar: Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss the historical and spiritual significance of the stone altar which is currently under construction in the land of Israel. Click here to view.

“For you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord, your God, will deliver him into your hands…” (Deut. 21:10) Some wars are guaranteed victories, while others, (“If you go to war in your land against an adversary that oppresses you…” Numbers 10:9) threaten to be unmitigated disasters. What basic military doctrines is Torah teaching us, and what basic attributes of love for the land and faith in G-d are required of our leaders? Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Ki Teitzei (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19).

Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,

Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
http://www.templeinstitute.org/

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God commands Jews to pray upon Temple Mount

Arab League Furious over Jewish Prayer on Temple Mount
by Maayana Miskin

The Arab League reacted with fury on this week to reports that a small group of Jews had prayed on the Temple Mount on Sunday. Secretary-General Amr Moussa termed the spontaneous prayer gathering “a violation of international law.”

Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, head of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, led the guided tour on the Temple Mount. While guards on the mount have a policy of preventing Jewish prayer or religious gestures such as kneeling or bowing, Rabbi Ariel's group managed to briefly pray at the site.

"This is the first time since 1967 that Jews have conducted prayers on Al-Aksa during the month of Ramadan,” Moussa declared. “We condemn this act,” he added, in the name of the 22 countries belonging to the League.

The prayer session was “a serious blow to the holiness of the site,” Moussa claimed, adding that Jews should not be allowed to pray at the site "whether it is Ramadan or any other time of year...."

To read the rest of this story, click here!

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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.

I was unjustly detained for quietly reading my Bible and silently praying upn the Temple Mount.
Read all about it: A House of Prayer For All Peoples?

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).

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.

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.

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...

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.

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?

The Issue of the Temple Mount
The 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.

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?"

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!

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?

CFR Netanyahu abandons Temple Mount

Netanyahu: Jerusalem is ours, deal with it

Israeli PM to carry firm message on control of Jerusalem to European leaders, but offer to freeze Jewish settlements more»

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The CFR tool Benjamin Netanyahu can talk tough all he wants, but as long as he enables the Temple Mount to remain under Nazi Muslim occupation, failing to respect the religious rights of Jews and Christians, his words ring hollow.

Benjamin Netanyahu: CFR Member

Who is Bibi Netanyahu working for?

CFR Netanyahu is all talk and no action when it comes to loving and preserving the Jewish homeland. He cannot be trusted! He’s proven it. Bibi failed to make Oslo null and void, Bibi surrendered Hevron, and most wickedly - Bibi failed to open the Temple Mount to *Jewish worship as he said he would!

*Benjamin Netanyahu: “The right of the Jewish people to its holy place - the Temple Mount - cannot be questioned…I believe it is necessary to arrange for Jewish prayer on the site, especially given that we permit freedom of worship to all the religions in Jerusalem…”. And his office charged Palestinian officials with “disparaging Jewish holy sites and threatening potential worshippers” (in flagrant violation of Israel’s 1967 Law for the Protection of the Holy Places and the Oslo Accords). His deputy director of communications, Michael Freund, responded to the PA mufti’s declaration of war (that Jews “…must absolutely forget about having any rights over the Temple Mount…the Western Wall is just a fence belonging to a Muslim holy site”) by saying “these statements are repugnant and they betray a contempt for Judaism’s most sacred sites and beliefs. They are an affront to history and insulting to Jews everywhere.”

Dangerous Ideas?
EU to Conquer Anglo-Saxons and Jews
Israel’s Only Way Out: Follow Kahane!

http://www.davidbenariel.org/

The Month of Elul: Busy Being Born

The Month of Elul: Busy Being Born
Av 30, 5769/August 20, 2009

We are entering the month of Elul, the month which precedes the new year, Rosh HaShana. Rosh HaShana celebrates the world's creation and more specifically, the creation of the first man. In this respect, Elul is imbued with the characteristics and potentials of a pre-creation process, and in this light we can see Elul to be a month in which who we are, and who we have become can and should be examined and explored. We are all the children of Adam haRishon - the first man - and that makes Rosh HaShana the day of our creation, our collective birthday.

These next four weeks, then, are fertile ground for us, the fertile ground of our own selves, waiting to be plowed and planted, watered and weeded. By rolling up our sleeves, by getting ourselves dirty, as it were, we can begin to return to the person that G-d "had in mind" on the day of our creation.

The unique spiritual reality of Elul is captured in the saying, "The King is in His field." That is, the great king who resides far away in his impregnable castle, and who is never seen by his subjects, has decided to venture forth into the valleys and fields of his people. His visit is unannounced and without fanfare. He wants to surprise us, to see as we are, to touch us. No frills.

The simple metaphor being illustrated here is of G-d, infinite, omnipotent, vastly remote from His creation, deciding to check up on His final work of creation. In other words, on you and me. G-d wants to do away with the distance that time has wrought, and even with the formality of repentance, supplication and prayer. He just wants to see us as we really are, as on the day He created us. No psychic frills, no guilt, no regrets.

But on a deeper level our allegory is telling us something even more profound. The field where G-d seeks us is not at all distant from His abode. For this field in which we toil, this field in which our lives unfold, is none other than Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden, the very place in which we were created. This earth that we plow is not some profaned base material reality, but it is the very stuff from which we were fashioned. By returning to who we are, to what we are, we are reconnecting to the spark of the Divine within us. Our spirits sprout up from this earth and reach heavenward. It is we who are drawing near to the King. For the Almighty One never was remote. He never was inaccessible. It was we who created the illusion of distance. Through our own shortcomings the walls were built. Through our own failings the path to Him was littered with impediments.

While we wait to be created - again - we have the power to strip off all the extraneous baggage we've picked up along the way. When we go up before a flesh and blood king, it's the externals that count: pressed clothing, clean nails, polished shoes, proper etiquette. But standing before the King of kings, we need only to be ourselves, no trappings necessary. Just as we were born naked, as we busy ourselves in this month of Elul for our own upcoming birth, we need to strip away the dross. We need to trust in who we are. After all, the King is in the field, and we are G-d's children.

Tune in to the week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss the month of Elul and the Supernal King in his earthly civvies, mixing among us mud-stained potato pickers. Yes, G-d wants to see us just the way we are. So it's time to drop the airs, and be ourselves! And speaking of positive attitude, this week's Torah reading of Shoftim describes the preclusion of certain preoccupied individuals from participating in warfare because, as Torah teaches us, negative thoughts can bring down negative results, and that must be avoided at all costs. Also, building the stone altar. From the dirt of this spot we were created, and through the dirt of the mizbeach - the altar - we can transcend our humble beginnings and lift our selves heavenward!

"An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall slaughter beside it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. Wherever I allow My name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you." Exodus 20:21

On the 9th of Av, 5769, (2009), the Temple Institute began the construction of the stone altar. When completed, this altar will be ready to be transported to the Temple Mount, where the Divine service will be renewed. This six-minute video provides background information and first hand impressions of perhaps the most significant step taken yet towards the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service.

"I will bring them to My holy mount, and I will cause them to rejoice in My house of prayer, their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." Isaiah 56:7

Click here to view the video.

To learn more about building the altar, and to see pictures, please click here.

Today also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "Elul: The Purity Within: The month of Elul: A heaven-sent opportunity for us to reflect upon our relationship with G-d, and to remove the distance and the stumbling-blocks that we have placed between ourselves and the Holy One Blessed be He. Click here to view.

“You shall appoint judges and officers for yourself in all your portals…” (Deut. 16:18) We welcome the month of Elul, the month of taking stock and re-evaluating who we are and where we are in relationship to G-d. By “appointing judges and officers” over our eyes and ears, nose and mouth, we regain control over ourselves, our thoughts and our actions, and can begin to make our way back to Hashem. Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9).

Rosh Chodesh blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,
Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
www.templeinstitute.org

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TempleInstitute
Fan us on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nxv784
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"See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse"

"See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse."
(Deuteronomy 11:26)

Av 23, 5769/August 13, 2009

A blessing and a curse imply both the freedom (privilege), and the responsibility of choice. It is our privilege to choose good or bad, right or wrong, blessing or curse, but it is our responsibility to choose always the former. The freedom of choice is a gift outright from G-d, who created man in His image and endowed him with the ability, (by choice), to emulate G-d by doing His will and walking in His ways.

Thus begins this week's Torah reading of Re'eh, a word which means "See! Envision! Understand!" Torah sharpens the picture for us some verses later when it states simply, "You are children of the L-rd, your G-d." (ibid 14:1) Yes, as children of G-d we too have a share in the eternal, notwithstanding the mortal clay from which our our bodies are fashioned. But to exist beyond our own finite selves, we need to focus, to see ourselves in the context not of our own limited lifetimes, but in the context of the generational continuum of mankind. For what we choose to do, or not to do, in our lifetimes resonates and reverberates in the generations that will follow. By doing what is right in G-d's eye, by embracing the blessing and rejecting the curse, we truly become His children, transcending death and time itself.

Elsewhere in the portion of Re'eh, the portion of "seeing clearly," we are presented with another choice. This time, however, the choice in not defined as our choice, but as G-d's choice:

"But only to the place which the L-rd your G-d shall choose from all your tribes, to set His name there; you shall inquire after His dwelling and come there. And there you shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the separation by your hand, and your vows and your donations, and the firstborn of your cattle and of your sheep. And there you shall eat before the L-rd, your G-d, and you shall rejoice in all your endeavors you and your households, as the L-rd, your G-d, has blessed you." (ibid 11:5-7)

How are we to understand this? The entire Torah is predicated on the principle of man's freedom to choose. The entire Torah is dedicated to teaching man to choose responsibly. This Torah imperative can be seen in the very creation of man himself, and in the first actions taken by Adam and Eve, right up to the final words uttered by Moses on the day of his death, at the close of the book of Deuteronomy. Man's choice, not G-d's! G-d's will is fixed, immutable. Yet now we are told that G-d will choose a single place on earth where His commandment, "Build Me a sanctuary and I will dwell amongst them," (Exodus 25:8) will be fulfilled.

We are G-d's children, and our Father only wants what is best for us. Just as any father has a vision of what is best for his children and tries to imbue them with that vision, so too, G-d places before us the clear vision of what He knows is best for us. By making G-d's choice our choice, by seeking out that "place" where His presence dwells, we become the children He desires. This is the very place that Avraham called, "The L-rd will see, as it is said to this day: On the mountain, the L-rd will be seen." (Genesis 22:14)

Let's try seeing things G-d's way, making His choice our choice. Today we know precisely the location of the mountain where "the L-rd will be seen:" Mount Moriah, Jerusalem. By making our own presence felt there, by going up and being seen by G-d on that spot, we will at last be making His choice our choice, embracing His blessing, and gaining our share in His eternity.

Tune in to the week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven examine the two episodes wherein Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Tablets of the Law, and explore the cycle of birth, life, and death, the continuum of parents and children, and the true nature of our relationship with G-d.

This week features the latest Bat Melech video teaching with Rabbanit Rena Richman, entitled, "King David & Batsheva, Part II: King David, the slayer of Goliath, the champion of Israel, the man who laid the foundations of the Holy Temple, and the father of Moshiach, made the mistake of his life when he attempted to summarily dispatch Uriah, the husband of Batsheva. But it was this mistake when led him to become the master of repentance, and made him a figure that would span the millennia." Click here to view.

Today also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "Guarding the Holy Temple, Part III: Twenty-four teams, (three priestly and twenty-one levitical), each comprised of ten sentries, were assigned to guard the Holy Temple. Specific guard posts were assigned and each squad leader assigned shifts." Click here to view.

G-d commands us not to be overwhelmed by our own mortality; not to diminish our physical selves in the realization of our own finiteness, but to find strength and comfort in His eternal embrace: You are children of the L-rd, your G-d. (Deut. 14:1) Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17).

Blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,
Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
www.templeinstitute.org

Tu b'Av: Happiest Day of the Year

"There was no happier day thanthe 15th of Av..."
(Ta'anit 4:8)Av 15 (Tu b'Av), 5769/ August 5, 2009

Just when you think things can't get any worse - they get better! Welcome to the seven day once-and-future festival which begins with the 9th of Av and concludes on the most beloved of days - Tu b'Av - the 15th of Av. The dramatic change begins even on the day of the 9th itself, for the day of the destruction of the Holy Temple in 586 BCE, and again in 70 CE, is also, according to tradition, the day that the soul of messiah enters the world.

But, as we know, the 9th of Av is a day that from the beginning of creation was ripe with the potential for calamity. In fact, its first manifestation in our history was the sin of the spies who had been sent by Moses to gather spiritual intelligence from the land of Israel, and instead delivered their evil report on this day.

Their punishment, and the punishment meted upon the entire nation of Israel for accepting this report was, as we know, thirty-nine more years wandering in the desert, until the last of the generation had died out. Only then would their children eventually enter the land with Yehoshua.

Midrash tells us that the condemned generation did not gradually drop off throughout the days of the years, but that each year, on the 9th of Av, all the adult males would dig their own graves, and then lay down in them. The following morning only those whose survived the night would step out of their graves. So it was for thirty-eight years. But on the thirty-ninth and final year in the desert, all who had laid down in their graves on the 9th, rose and stepped out of them on the 10th. The decree was over. But rather than feel relief or exoneration, the people felt uncertainty. Maybe their timing was off? Maybe they miscalculated the date? So the men continued to lay down into their self-dug graves each night for the next seven nights until by the night of Tu b'Av, the 15th, they could see by the full moon that they couldn't be wrong: the decree of death was over!

In other words, the grievous sin of the spies was ultimately manifested in a nation-wide fear that the entire children of Israel were somehow out of sync. The very first commandment that the Israelites had received while still in Egypt was to observe the new moon and fix the calendar, yet within the course of one generation they had seemingly lost track of the days. Great was their fear. It was on Tu b'Av, the day of the full moon, that G-d reassured them that all was well. It was on Tu b'Av that they synchronized their spiritual watches and were once again at one with G-d.

The Talmud Tractate Ta'anit asks why Tu b'Av is considered the happiest day of the year, and receives several different answers from several different sages. The answers initially seem unrelated to one another, but now we can understand all the various facets of Tu b'Av in this new light: Concerning the generation of the desert, death stopped the moment they were realigned with G-d. Concerning the lifting of the ban against inter-tribal marriage after the Israelites had settled the land according to their tribal inheritances, having accomplished this, having remained faithfully in step with God's historical plan, they could now mix freely and with unity. And of course the lifting of the ban against intermarriage with the tribe of Binyamin, after the breakout of internecine violence had faded into history, marked a new resynchronization and harmony of spirit for the children of Israel. And yes, even the lifting of the Roman ban against the burying of the dead at Beitar, Bar Cochba's last stronghold, marked a reconciliation between G-d and His people.

Needless to say, the beloved custom of Tu b'Av which took place during the time of the Holy Temple, in which the unmarried girls of Jerusalem, dressed in borrowed white robes, danced in a circle while the young men looked for their future brides, bespeaks of unity, purity and perfection. As for today's popular custom of marrying on the 15th, there is no moment in life that so exemplifies the perfection of timing, or of being in perfect sync with God's world, as the bride and groom marrying under the wedding chuppah.

The three weeks of mourning, know as the "between the straits," (bein hameitzarim), the three weeks of feeling out of step with the universe, not at all in harmony with God's desire to dwell among us, have concluded. Now as we turn our thoughts to the approaching New Year, and to the spiritual stock taking and introspection that our upcoming rendezvous with G-d requires, He has blessed us with the most precious of gifts: We, God's children, are back in perfect sync with Him.

Mystical tradition tells us that it was on Tu b'Av, forty days before the work of creation was commenced, that G-d, in His infinite love and wisdom, determined the betrothal of Israel to the eternal Torah. The 15th of Av: Being in the right place at the right time!

Tune in to the week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven wash off their mourning ashes and discuss the building of the stone altar, their 9th of Av ascent to the Temple Mount, parashat Eikev, the perfect day of Tu b'Av, and the growing support among the Jews in Zion for the speedy rebuilding of the Holy Temple!

On the 9th of Av, in the blazing heat of a desert afternoon, the Temple Institute, and all mankind, took a great leap forward. The beginning of construction of a small and transportable stone altar - mizbeach - whose ultimate purpose is to be used for the bringing of offerings in the Temple Courtyard on Mount Moriah, was commenced. This bold initiative, which took place on the very day marking the destruction of the Holy Temple nearly two millennia ago, struck a nerve among G-d fearers the world over. The spontaneous outpouring of goodwill and support for our efforts was unprecedented. To learn more about the actual events and to see photographs, please click here.

Today also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "Guarding the Holy Temple, Part II:: The Priests and Levites were entrusted with the task of providing 240 sentries to man twenty-four guard posts throughout the Temple Mount." Click here to view.

Love and fear. Torah exhorts us to love G-d and Torah also teaches us to fear Him. Are love and fear not mutually exclusive? How do we access both qualities in our service of HaShem? Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Eikev (Deuteronomy 7:11-11:25).

Tu b'Av blessings from the holy city of Jerusalem,
Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
http://www.templeinstitute.org/

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TempleInstitute

Fan us on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nxv784

Find us on youTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/henryporter2

64% of Israelis want Temple rebuilt

64% of Israelis want Temple rebuilt

Thankfully, a growing number of Jews and Israelis are waking up to the fact that the Temple Mount must be restored as the TEMPLE Mount. Christian Bible-believers testify to this truth too and know that any foreign objects upon the Temple Mount are a perversion of its divine purpose to host a House of Prayer for All Peoples to worship the God of Israel (not Ishmael). I was unjustly deported from Israel for writing an article, published in Jerusalem, that highlights the plight of the Temple Mount suffering under Nazi Muslim occupation. In it I expose Israeli hypocrisy for professing to guarantee "freedom of access" to religious sites while looking the other way while militant Muslims illegally deny Christians and Jews their religious rights daily upon the Temple Mount. This deplorable and unnatural situation must end!


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."

Jumping on the runaway bandwagon of disinformation, Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry shamefully repeated the big lie:

Is David Ben-Ariel a Terrorist?
(Apparently Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry would mislead you to believe so!)

The Temple Mount Faithful is not a terrorist organization!
(Although Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry strongly insinuate it is, to their shame)

I'm not a terrorist

Walking in faith with the Temple in sight!

Many peoples, nations and Gentiles will soon literally be walking in faith with Jerusalem and its holy Temple of God in sight!

Others lack this vision and will perish.

New International Version (©1984)
Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Then many nations will come and say, "Let's go to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them." The teachings will go out from Zion. The word of the LORD will go out from Jerusalem.

King James Bible
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

American King James Version
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

American Standard Version
And many nations shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem;

Bible in Basic English
And a number of nations will go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will give us knowledge of his ways and we will be guided by his word: for from Zion the law will go out, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And many nations shall come in haste, and say: Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob: and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth out of Sion, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem.

Darby Bible Translation
And many nations shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and Jehovah's word from Jerusalem.

English Revised Version
And many nations shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Webster's Bible Translation
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

World English Bible
Many nations will go and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion will go forth the law, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem;

Young's Literal Translation
And gone have many nations and said, Come and we go up to the mount of Jehovah, And unto the house of the God of Jacob, And He doth teach us of His ways, And we do walk in His paths, For from Zion doth go forth a law, And a word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.

Yet some still just don't get it, as God's apostle Herbert Armstrong warned.

www.davidbenariel.org

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Video Tour of City of David - Preparing for Tisha B'Av

by Israel National News TV

Video Tour of City of David - Preparing for Tisha B'Av

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I'm grateful for those who share the City of David's past and future with us and feel honored that I was witness to the beginning of the Jewish restoration of Ir David.

Conflict in Jerusalem
They've placed barbed wire all around their "yard," freshly tarred their roof, have an Israeli flag flying & are still clearing out all the junk the Arabs threw in there for the past 7 years. It was exciting to drive through that Palestinian village as they looked on. Earlier, being hot as usual, I started to roll down my window when they reminded me it's better to be hot than get a stone in the face!

Tisha B'Av Videos

Tisha B'Av - Rectifying the Sin of the Spies on Tisha B'Av - What Does it Mean Today?
Traditional Recital of Eicha (Lamentations) Next to Temple Mount

Video: Why Do We Mourn on Tisha B'Av? with Rabbi Chaim Richman

Video Tour of Ancient Jerusalem: From Destruction to Liberation

Video Tour of City of David - Preparing for Tisha B'Av

Interview - The Tisha B'Av Before the 2005 Expulsion

Watch Gush Katif Videos

Stone Vessel with 'Priestly Inscription' Uncovered In Jerusalem

(IsraelNN.com) A rare 2,000-year-old ritual earthenware vessel inscribed with 10 lines of text has been discovered in an excavation near the Zion Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is an unprecedented find, according to Dr. Shimon Gibson, the archaeologist who heads the University of North Carolina team conducting the dig."Such stone vessels were used in connection with maintaining ritual purity related to Temple worship, and they are found in abundance in areas where the priests lived," Gibson reported. "We have found a dozen or more on our site over the past three years. However, to have ten lines of text is unprecedented. One normally might find a single name inscribed, or a line or two, but this is the first text of this length ever found on such a vessel," he said.

Survey: Israelis Want to Rebuild the Temple

(IsraelNN.com) A survey conducted by the Panels Institute revealed that 64 percent of the Israeli public, and half of secular Israelis, want the Temple rebuilt. Ninety-seven percent of respondents knew that the Temple was destroyed on Tisha B'Av (Ninth of Av).
The survey's second question queried the public’s desire to rebuild the Temple. Sixty-four percent responded favorably and 36 percent said no. Analysis of the answers revealed that not hareidi-religious and other religious Jews want to rebuild the Temple, (100 percent and 97 percent respectively), but also the traditional public (91 percent) and many secular Jews (47 percent) do as well.

Temple Institute to Build Sacrificial Altar on Tisha B'av

Temple Institute to Build Sacrificial Altar on Tisha B'av
by Yehudah Lev Kay

(IsraelNN.com) The Temple Institute will begin building the sacrificial altar on Thursday, Tisha B’av, a fast day when Jews mourn the destruction of the Temple some 2,000 years ago.

The sacrificial altar was located in the center of the Temple, and upon it the Kohanim (priests) offered the numerous voluntary and obligatory sacrifices commanded in the Bible.

The Temple Institute, which has already built many of the vessels for the Holy Temple, such as the ark and the menorah, has now embarked on a project to build the altar. Construction begins Thursday in Mitzpe Yericho (east of Jerusalem) at 5:30 p.m.

“Unfortunately, we cannot currently build the altar in its proper place, on the Temple Mount,” Temple Institute director Yehudah Glick said. “We are building an altar of the minimum possible size so that we will be able to transport it to the Temple when it is rebuilt."

Click here to continue

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It's great to see faith and works put into practice.

May the Third Temple soon grace the Temple Mount, restoring the Temple Mount as the TEMPLE Mount and ending its foreign occupation.

Third Temple Coming Soon to Jerusalem!

Jews Must Demand Rights to Temple Mount

The Issue of the Temple Mount

Restore Israeli Sovereignty Over Temple Mount

Where's the Temple On the Temple Mount?

The 9th of Av

"Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there."
(Zechariah 8:4-5)

Menachem Av 8, 5769/ July 29, 2009

It is a basic tenet of Torah study that, "there is no chronological order in Torah," or literally, that there is no "before" and "after." It is the exclusive prerogative of the Torah itself to determine the order of its own narrative, and it is the challenge, responsibility and great privilege of Torah scholars and students alike, to learn out from this what the Torah is intending to impart.

Tonight begins the twenty-five hour fast of Tish'a b'Av, (the ninth of Av), commemorating the destruction of the first and second Temples. Here in Israel, even before the sun sets and the fast day officially begins, tens of thousands of Jews will begin streaming into the Western Wall Plaza. From the four corners of the land of Israel they will arrive and congregate together in the shadow of the place of the Holy Temple. Many will stay for the twenty-five hour duration. Others will pay what they feel to be an essential visit to the site and then move on. By the time the fast ends with the appearance of the stars in the Thursday evening sky, hundreds of thousands will have passed along the western wall of the Temple Mount complex.

A stranger from another planet, or even from another country, could be excused if, upon witnessing what transpires, expressed utter bewilderment: The white bearded elderly arrive, often carrying a mattress to stay the night. Young men and children arrive. Women and girls arrive, some in the modest dress indicative of their religious upbringing, others in the latest fashions. Infants in buggies, perhaps their first trip to the wall. Young men in kippot, other with jell and spiked hair. Kids with piercings and kids with tattoos. Religious men with broad hats, others donning the cardboard yarmulkes which can be obtained at the Wall. Groups of men and groups of women sitting upon the ground are wailing in lament. Boys are high-fiving, girls are embracing. Young people are talking excitedly, laughing, not having seen one another for months or years, this one in the army, that one at university. One great cacophonous mass of Jewish humanity together in the shadow of the Holy Temple, where the heavens greet the earth, where G-d's presence, the shechinah, shines forth touching all humanity.

How can this be our visitor enquires? Are you people not mourning for your Holy Temple? Shouldn't your mood be somber, shouldn't your voices be hushed?

Every Jew is taught, and imbibes with his mother's milk, that Tish'a b'Av, the sorrowful day of our nations greatest calamities, will someday be celebrated with unbridled joy, when the Holy Temple is standing once again in its place upon the holy mount. There is no "before" and "after" in Torah. And in the life of the nation of Israel, as perceived in the light of the truth of Torah, and the destiny and destination assigned to this people, there is certainly no "before" and there is certainly no "after!" The kids, the younger generation assembling and greeting one another at the gates to the Holy Temple, for them the future has arrived, the Holy Temple is within their grasp, it is so close! The old folks? They, too, are part of the Torah time warp. They wail with great heartfelt emotion, but they too know in their heart of hearts that the day of the Holy Temple is drawing near.

Our perplexed guest can be excused if, from within this sea of unity and good will, he cries out in consternation, "But where is the gratuitous love that your sages say must precede the building of the Holy Temple?" It swarms and pulsates all around him!

Our guest can be excused if he points to the mosque that sits on the southern extremity of the Mount, or to the Dome of the Rock that is perched upon the site of the Holy of Holies, and expounds, "The reality has changed, the Holy Temple can no longer be!" But it is only the mosque that crowds his spirit, and the Dome that covers his heart that form an obstacle to the will of G-d from becoming manifest, to the pure energy of this people from maintaining its course!

"Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there." (Zechariah 8:4-5)

Yes, the old men uttering lamentations, and the boys and girls who gather at nightfall on the 9th, and with joy and with laughter will greet the new dawn, together they are the living words of the prophet. Shoulder to shoulder, and with one heart, the Holy Temple will be rebuilt.

Tune in to the week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven get honest about the 9th of Av. Why are we still mourning? Back in the land of Israel after 2000 years of exile can we afford to let ourselves simply mourn the loss of the Holy Temple, year after year? Moses saw it crystal clear over 3000 years ago: the Jew, every Jew, belongs in the land of Israel. The Jew in the land, the Jew who has truly returned, will rise up and build the Holy Temple. It's time to let the exile go, from our hearts and from our souls, and attach ourselves to the Torah of the land of Israel.

DARE TO DREAM/DARE TO BUILD: Are we ready to put an end to the mourning forever? The real people of Israel are ready, and poised in their hearts to rise up and build the Holy Temple. Obama may be calling for a building freeze in Jerusalem, but the Jewish heart is burning to build! But don't take our word for it. If you haven't yet viewed our 2-minute inspirational video, then, by all means, do so now!

Building a Holy Temple begins with the first stone. With this in mind, the Temple Institute has embarked upon building the mizbeach - the stone altar. Stones have been gathered from an area of the Dead Sea, where it can be safely verified that no metal tool has ever touched the stones' surfaces. The altar is being constructed on Tish'a b'Av, the day that the nation of Israel fasts in commemoration of the destruction of the first and second Holy Temple. Observing the fast day does not preclude making preparations for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. On the contrary, there is no better occasion than the 9th of Av for building the altar upon which the Divine service will be renewed. Click here to learn more.

IBA News Interview: Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute talks about the 9th of Av, the Holy Temple, its importance to the entire world, and the moral and spiritual imperative to build the Temple now! Click here to view.

This week features the latest Bat Melech video teaching with Rabbanit Rena Richman, entitled, "KING DAVID & BATSHEVA, PART I: King David, the slayer of Goliath, the champion of Israel, the man who laid the foundations of the Holy Temple, and the father of Moshiach, made the mistake of his life when he attempted to summarily dispatch Uriah, the husband of Batsheva. But it was this mistake when led him to become the master of repentance, and made him a figure that would span the millennia." Click here to view.

Thursday, July 30th, (9th Av), also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled,"ALL ABOUT AV, PART II: Will We Mourn Forever? The beautiful month of Menachem Av - the month of the Comforting Father begins with rebuke and crescendos with consolation, carrying us from the bitter to the sweet. The month of Av, full of a calamitous past, and bursting with potential for a glorious future. It's all in how we see it, learn from it, and are willing to invest of ourselves in it." Click here to view.

Moses prays 515 prayers beseeching G-d to allow him in the promised land of Israel. Simply to see “this good mountain and the Lebanon,” (Deuteronomy 3:25), that is, Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, this is all that Moses desires. Just to experience the land of Israel firsthand, even in the form of a bird sailing in the sky. But, alas, it was not to be. Today, every Jew can fulfill the dream of Moses, and by doing so, bring this people closer to its destiny. Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Ve’etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11).

Blessings from Jerusalem,
Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
http://www.templeinstitute.org/

Pray for the Temple

IsraelRadio:
What We are Guilty of:
The Tamar Yonah Show
Pray for the Temple, and TALK to others about it. We shall be deemed guilty if we who know we need the Temple remain silent about it. Tamar then talks about her week going and test driving cars in Jerusalem, and doing some PR for the Temple to car salesmen at the same time. Their responses will astound you. Plus:
The Eidelberg Report, "What is a Jew and What is a Jewish State?"


http://tr.im/uaLc

Eim HaBanim Semeichah

Eim HaBanim Semeichah

Eretz Yisrael, Redemption and Unity
written in Budapest during the Holocaust
HaRav Yisachar Shlomo Teichtal zt"l

Contents
start
Subject
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Page
Title
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a
Publisher
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b
Photo of the Author
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c
Original Title Page
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d
Dedications and Approbations
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e
Translator's Preface
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ix
Historical Introduction
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xiii
R. Chayim Menachem
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xxv
Letter from R. Shlomo Dov Heller
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1
Approbations [Preface]
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2
Author's Preface
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21
First Introduction
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33
The Merit of Eretz Yisrael Protects Us
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33
The Author's Vow
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35
Second Introduction
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41
The Factors That Prompted the Writing of this Volume
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41
The Purpose of our Afflictions is to Arouse us to Return to Eretz Yisrael
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45
This Work is Intended Only for Those who Seek the Absolute Truth
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48
The Call of Aliyah to Eretz Yisrael
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51
The Reason for this Title
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56
Foreword
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60
Torah as a Heritage
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60
Eretz Yisrael as a Heritage
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69
To the Pioneer Builders of Eretz Yisrael
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82
Chapter One:Persecution and the Pangs of Mashiach
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91
Adversity is a Sign of the Advent of Mashiach
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91
Why Must Mashiach Come by way of Afflictions?
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94
Even the Wicked will be Redeemed
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101
HaShem will Arouse us to Repent only when we Return to Eretz Yisrael
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116
Redemption will Come at a Time of Extreme Hardship and Poverty
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123
An Expression of Gratitude to American Jews for Their Support
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126
Chapter Two:Deliverance and Redemption
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131
The Ways of Redemption
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131
Why Have our Prayers for Redemption not been Answered?
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150
Redemption Through Sinners
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167
The Beginning of Redemption
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199
Chapter Three:Settlement and Rebuilding
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214
The Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael
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229
Redemption and yishuv Eretz Yisrael
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252
Sinners and Yishuv Eretz Yisrael
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282
The Importance of Settling the Land
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298
A Plea to the Survivors: Return to Your Motherland
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315
Refuting the Antagonists
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346
The Exile-Jew
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369
The Unification of Israel through the Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael
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379
Our Age-Old Debt
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396
Words of Admonition to Today's Pioneer Builders
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417
Our Obligation to Support and Build the Land
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422
Essay: The Sanctuary of HaShem
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436
Conclusion
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457
Addendum to Chapter Three
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463
Chapter Four:Unity and Peace- Israel's Restoration
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474
Addendum
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521
Glossary
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527
Index
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531
last
contents
next
to Tsel Harim Torah Library to Sharei Shechem Torah Resources

Jerusalem and Jews belong together forever!

Why Should Israel Have Jerusalem?

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The Israeli Jews, stewards for all Twelve Tribes of Israel, must acknowledge their biblical right, first and foremost, to the biblical city of Jerusalem, and seal it with the liberation and restoration of the Temple Mount. What other people or holy book have made Jerusalem famous worldwide? To shy away from this clear biblical mandate to liberate and annex, to go and grow, survive and thrive, in every area of the Promised Land of Israel, capital Jerusalem, undermines their blessings from God and begrudging respect from the nations.

Regardless of pressure from the bloody Vatican and unclean birds like Shimon Peres and dangerous UNJews, the few faithful Jews must do all they can to withstand Jerusalem’s betrayal and rape.

www.davidbenariel.org

Rabbis warn president usurper

250 Rabbis Sign Letter to Obama: Hands off Jerusalem
Heads of the Pikuach Nefesh rabbinical committee have begun collecting the signatures of rabbis in Israel on a letter to United States President Barack Obama. The letter demands that Obama cease talking about ending Jewish construction in Jerusalem and stop pressuring Israel in that direction.

In a reference to the upcoming “nine days” which culminate in Tisha B’Av, the rabbis tell Obama that “during these days, in which the Jewish people mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and marks the disgraceful memory of its destroyers, we are certain that you, Mr. Barack Obama, do not want to enter that disreputable list of those who raise their hand to strike Jerusalem and those who live in it.”
Click here to continue

Let the esteemed rabbis remind the world that president usurper Obama/Soetoro/Obama has failed to bring any of his documents to light, especially his long form birth certificate, keeping America in the dark, and that such a shady character has little credibility and undermines it all the more with his shaky stance against Jerusalem and Jews.

Let the rabbis go pray on the Temple Mount and make a statement Jerusalem is Jewish forever and those who oppose such facts always become so much history.

Obama's failure
Emperor Obama

Restore Israeli Sovereignty Over Temple Mount

www.davidbenariel.org

You Are as The Stars of the Heavens

"Behold, you are today as the stars of the heavens in abundance."
(Deuteronomy 1:10)

Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, 5769/ July 22, 2009

The book of Deuteronomy in its entirety, is made up of the words of Moses which he addresses to the children of Israel on the eve of their entering the land of Israel, the land promised them by G-d. Moses himself won't be entering the land with them, and these are his final words. Much of what Moses delivers is rebuke. He couches his words carefully, often alluding to past misdeeds of the Israelites subtly and modestly, so as not to cause his people excessive anguish or embarrassment. His words of chastisement are meant to be corrective and not punitive. Nevertheless, they are sufficiently harsh and their sting surely smarted.

How odd that Moses should choose to rebuke. Farewell addresses and retirement speeches, even when delivered under duress, or after a particularly troubled relationship, almost always strike a positive note. Past achievements, rather than disappointments, are recalled. Moments of rancor are omitted, happier occasions are noted. After all, we all like to part on amicable terms.
However, Moses was not simply retiring from public life. He wasn't interested in summing up his own spectacular rise to prominence. He was not writing his memoirs. Moses had one concern, and one concern only. It was the same concern that had thrust him from the life of privilege in Pharaoh's court to a life of public service and self-sacrifice eighty long years ago. It was the same concern that carried him through ridicule and disappointment when he returned to Egypt upon G-d's command. And it was the same concern that inspired him to stay the course for forty years in the wilderness, despite the frustrations and provocations that confronted him along the way. This concern was for the children of Israel. His people. His flock. It was this profound, prophetic concern for the children of Israel which spoke from the lips of Moses.

If his words were harsh, it was because he knew how far his people could stray. If his criticism stung, it was because, seeing far into the future, he knew the great challenges and deadly pitfalls that awaited them. These were not the words of an embittered, disillusioned leader. These were the words of a loving, caring father. For every word of rebuke, there appears in Deuteronomy, words of praise and encouragement. Moses' love for his people knew no bounds. For him, they were, individually, and as a people, like "the stars of the heavens..." (Deuteronomy 1:10) Each individual a world, each soul a source of light. United as a people they would light up the firmament, illuminating the way in a world often shrouded in darkness. These were the people which Moses led.

Little wonder that the opening chapters of Deuteronomy are read each year on the Shabbat preceding Tish'a b'Av - the Ninth of Av. The month of Av is properly known as Menachem Av, literally, "the comforting father." Despite the great and bitter rebuke G-d's children received on the Ninth of Av, the day of the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples, and the great pain that we endure to this day, we must bear in mind and in our hearts, that this is the rebuke of a caring, loving father, a Menachem Av - our loving Father in heaven. The rebuke having past, it is now time for reconciliation. Great things await us!

Tune in to the week's Temple Talk as Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven discuss the opening verses of Deuteronomy, Moses' farewell address to his people, Rashi, the redoubtable repository of Torah wisdom, Moses' poignant and sensitive words of rebuke tempered with love, as only a loving father could, and the new month of Av, chiefly identified with bleak mourning, but which, if we understand why we mourn, we can begin to change the darkness into light.

Dare to Dream/Dare to Build: As we enter the month of Av we intensify our traditional mourning for the Holy Temple, but are we really in touch with what we are mourning for? Are we ready to put an end to the mourning forever? The real people of Israel are ready, and poised in their hearts to rise up and build the Holy Temple. Obama may be calling for a building freeze in Jerusalem, but the Jewish heart is burning to build! See for yourselves...

Today also features the new Light to the Nations teaching by Rabbi Chaim Richman, entitled, "All About Av: Part I: Will We Mourn Forever? The beautiful month of Menachem Av - the month of the Comforting Father begins with rebuke and crescendos with consolation, carrying us from the bitter to the sweet. The month of Av is full of a calamitous past, and bursting with potential for a glorious future. It's all in how we see it, learn from it, and are willing to invest of ourselves in it." This teaching premiers Thursday, July 23rd. Click here to view.
All About Av: Part II will be aired on the Ninth of Av, July 30th.

Bilaam, the certified hater of the children of Israel sings their praises, but this week, as we read the first chapters of the book of Deuteronomy, Moshe rabbenu - Moses our master - who loves his people more than life itself, deals them harsh rebuke. How can this be? Click here to view Rabbi Richman's short teaching on parashat Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22).

Blessings from Jerusalem,
Yitzchak Reuven
THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500
www.templeinstitute.org

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