Adar Newsletter 5783

The Jerusalem Prize for the year 2023 was impressively awarded this year to Rabbi Shimshon Elboim, who leads the administrative organization for the Temple Mount visitors, this prize is exceptional.

It is an award for Jewish heritage on the Temple Mount, a place that was visited much less for generations. Today, the Temple Mount has entered into a consensus, its importance and centrality to the people of Israel and to humanity as a whole can no longer be ignored. A small step for Israel is a big step for all humanity.

"This is a celebration of the Temple Mount Visitors, and also another and important starting point for Israel's return to the Temple Mount until we can rehabilitate it for its purpose as promised by the prophets" says Rabbi Elboim.
The Third Temple that will be built, a place of prayer for the people of Israel and all the nations. The Third Temple will be the Holy place where God chose to reveal to all, His presence in the world.

In 2023, 3047 Israeli Jews and 36,200 tourists ascended the Temple Mount.
What about you?
(Credit Journal Makor Richon)

(Credit journalist in Maariv Ofira Alevi)

In the first year of his reign, Ahasuerus revoked the approval of the construction of the Temple as appears in the book of Ezra (4:6): "At the beginning of his reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem". After calculating 70 years since the destruction of the Temple and it still not being built, "since he saw in the third year of his reign that the work on the Temple has stopped, he immediately made a feast for all his ministers and servants" (Esther Raba 1:10). And not only that, he took out the Temple utensils and put on the priestly clothes.

And the Jews? Participating in the feast (albeit crying) and forgetting the Temple. This is the reason for the decree.

On the other hand, when the people fast and repent, the decree is annulled. The enormous revolution wrought by the Jews at the time towards seeing life on a spiritual level, was followed by a dramatic preference of spirituality over the material. And the bad decrees turned into joy. The verse that concludes the scroll "And the Jews accepted what they had begun to do and what Mordechai had written to them" (Esther 9:23) declares their intention to continue what they had begun to do - to build the Temple.
The story of the scroll expresses the connection to the Temple and what happens when it is forgotten.

(According to the Temple Siddur, Rabbi Israel Ariel)