Between the excavations of Jerusalem and the blossoming of the almond tree | Shevat 5786 (February 2026) | Third Temple
This newsletter is dedicated to the souls of the fallen and the murdered Israelis, along with the safe return of all the Israeli citizens held in captivity.
Hello friends, the month of Shevat is here, and nature around us is beginning to whisper secrets of renewal.
It’s still winter outside, however deep within the trees, the resin is beginning to rise.
Shevat is a month of inner growth – the moment when potential begins to become reality, even before the first flower on the almond tree (Shkedia) is seen.
If Tevet was a month of enduring the siege, Shevat is the month in which we begin to prepare for the blossoming. And in the Temple? The preparation begins with purification.
Many are sure that the courthouse is the main barrier to Jewish prayer on the Mount, but our new video reveals a completely different picture.
Activities
The purification bath which was uncovered in the Western Wall perimeter
A moving tribute to the days of the Second Temple was recently discovered: a rock-cut purification bath was uncovered in excavations beneath the Western Wall perimeter. The bath was found "sealed" under a layer of burnt ash from the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.
Why does this move us? Within the layer of destruction were found pottery and stone tools typical of the Jews who lived in Jerusalem just before the fire arrived. This mikveh, located near the main entrances to the Temple (Robinson Arch and the Great Bridge), reminds us that Jerusalem was not just a city – it was a city of a Temple.
The ashes of the destruction may have covered the mikveh, but they could not erase it. This find is living evidence that the purification preceded the destruction, and it is what awaits us there beneath the surface, ready to be used again.
Photo: Emil Aljam, Ari Levy and Yuli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority
The Priests prepare
Not only in books – also in the field. The "Priests' Watch" initiative turns the study of Halacha into practical practice on a model altar of real height.
Insights from the field:
• The taps in the sink: must be extremely long in order to be able to wash hands and feet at the same time.
• Wearing the sash: The quickest way is to pass it from hand to hand while it is rolled around the body.
• Accuracy in incense: requires high physical skill so that the powder does not spill from the hands.
"We are doing our utmost to be prepared," the watchmen say. Just like the resin that rises in the trees of Shevat – this is a practical awakening towards building.
Credit: Haim Goldberg and the Talk of the Week website
The Song of the Sea bears witness to an ineffable moment of spiritual elevation of the Israel People. The outburst of singing stemmed from a vibrant joy that could no longer remain contained within their souls, and the nature of the singing, which praises and glorifies God, teaches that it is holy joy, joy over the revelation of the Supreme Providence.
Why wasn't singing sung before?
Chazal provide a historical overview, revealing that since the creation of the world, this was the first time singing was sung for God. The first man Adam, and our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, believed in God, but they did not sing even after their salvation. Until now, there was no reality of a People, there were individuals, and each individual revealed his faith.
Since for singing, a complete general and collective reality must be established. As long as the nation did not reveal its faith, the power of singing was not revealed in the world. But now, at the time of the parting of the sea, the power of the nation's faith was revealed. "And the People saw it and believed in It."
What was the true source of the power of women's singing?
The Song of the Sea marks the moment of ultimate liberation of the Bne Yisrael, when after the drowning of Pharaoh and his chariots in the Red Sea, a mighty Song of Thanksgiving to God broke out. Singing did not precede this, since until that moment the people had been in constant fear; only when they realized that the danger was completely over, “never again,” true joy was facilitated.
The Torah describes two choirs: the men’s singing led by Moses, and the women’s singing led by Miriam. While the men sang only using their mouths, the women sang, danced, and played drums – hence their singing is described as more powerful and impressive.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the power of the women's singing stemmed from the depth of suffering they experienced in Egypt. While the men endured hard but bearable hard labor, the women experienced a terrible tragedy: the kidnapping and drowning of their children, alongside a daily struggle to maintain the Jewish identity and education of their daughters within a corrupt Egyptian culture. He who experiences deep hardship – his joy at salvation is greater.
From this a fundamental principle is being learnt: difficulty and joy are not opposites, but are interconnected. True joy is born from coping and work. The Torah does not promise an easy life, but a life of meaning, creation and effort.
Even in education, it is hard work and coping that ultimately lead to true satisfaction.
It is difficult in daily life, to discern God's touch at work, and we often wonder how the multitude of seemingly chaotic events occurring day by day, can fit into a coherent Divine plan. In light of suffering and evil, it is hard to believe that they are forwarded by a merciful God. Rarely, however, does a flash of lucidity reveal that all the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly. In such moments, we understand that each musical note, each instrument, each musician playing the divine symphony is performing their part. It is from this perception that the Hymn is created, springing forth when we understand that all seemingly unrelated, even contradictory events merge into a coherent, merciful, and logical whole.
The conclusion is: that there are no shortcuts to joy. Those who are willing to invest and toil – will gain joy, harmony and sweet fruits.
Beneath the ashes and destruction, the springs of Jerusalem still flow, and the mikvahs still await the pilgrims.
May we be blessed to turn anticipation into real flowering and we all be blessed to see satisfaction in our labor, so that we may come to sing the New Song in the Third Temple in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount, in peace and soon.
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