May We be Sealed in the Book of Life!
(from the Yom Kippur prayer service)
Tishrei 9, 5774/October 3, 2014
A Yom
Kippur Message from
Rabbi Chaim Richman,
International Director of the Temple Institute
International Director of the Temple Institute
Yom
Kippur,
the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year, and man's closest
brush with the Divine. On this day, with sincere repentance and
resolution
for the future, we can merit a whole new beginning. The experience of
standing before our Creator on this potent day is absolutely awesome.
"For on this day He shall provide atonement for you to
cleanse you; from
all your sins before Hashem you shall be cleansed" (Lev.
16:30). On
this day, the judgment of every individual, every nation, indeed of the
whole world, is sealed. But before it is sealed, we can still change
the
decree, such is the unparalleled power of repentance.
This is
our chance to make things right; to come clean, to make amends and mean
it.
But sincere and heartfelt repentance does not come easy; our task on
this
day requires intense inner honesty and recognition. True repentance is
based on sincere remorse, admitting mistakes, confronting ourselves and
resolving to change. The potential of this day is so great that it can
become a life-altering experience. But the real proof of whether we
will
have achieved anything will be yet to come: when confronted with the
same
situation again we will have the opportunity to demonstrate whether we
have
changed, or whether we have merely gone through the
motions.
In the
time of the Holy Temple, when the people standing in the Temple court,
hear
the ineffable Name of G-d uttered by the High
Priest, they
fall on their faces and prostrate themselves completely, totally
overwhelmed by the reality of His presence in their lives. Yet despite
the
awe-inspiring nature of the day which lends it an almost surreal
quality,
at the same time Yom Kippur is the most joyous day of the year as well.
In
the Holy Temple that joy is palpable. Our sages teach that on Yom
Kippur
and Tu’ B’Av, the 15th of the month of Av,
the
daughters of Jerusalem would dance in circles in the fields, reflecting
the
concept of love and unity.
What is
the source of this great joy? It is nothing less than the revelation of
the
true nature of our relationship with G-d .
Everybody knows how
essential it is to believe in G-d . But who
knew that
G-d also believes in us?
In the
book of Lamentations (Chapter 3) we find the verses, "The
L-rd's
kindness surely has not ended, nor are His mercies exhausted. They are
new
every morning; great is Your faithfulness! Hashem is my portion, says
my
soul, therefore I have hope in Him."
What is
meant by the words, 'great is Your faithfulness?'
Shouldn't it read,
'great is my faithfulness?' What does G-d's
faithfulness refer to – His faith in Himself.
Yom
Kippur requires not only faith that G-d
forgives us. It also
requires us to forgive ourselves; to reassert our faith in ourselves,
just
as G-d has faith in us.
In 1817
the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge coined the phrase 'willing
suspension
of disbelief.' He suggested that if a writer could infuse "a
human
interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the
reader
would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative.
In
other words, it's possible to 'suspend,' or put
aside, the fact that
you really don't believe that this could be happening.
Can
this really be happening? Will G-d really
forgive us; will we
forgive each other – and ourselves? Can we suspend our belief in our
own failure and inadequacy long enough to reconnect with who we really
are... who we really could be... who we really want to be? Can we
suspend
our disbelief in ourselves, our disbelief in humanity, long enough –
just for this one day – to put aside the lenses of jaded vision
through which we view ourselves and one another, and take a chance on a
new
beginning?
The
transformation that takes place on Yom Kippur, the Divine embrace that
holds us on this day, requires us to believe it is possible for us to
change, from this moment on, forever. That's G-d's
promise of
Yom Kippur: It's never too late to begin life anew.
May
we blessed with newness, forgiveness, and belief. May we be sealed in
the
Book of Life for a Good and Sweet New Year!
Shalom
from
Jerusalem!
Rabbi
Chaim
Richman
let's
Build The Third Temple! The Temple Institute is proud
and humbled to announce that it reached and even exceeded its Build the
Third Temple Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign on the very final day of
the
campaign! The final amount raised was $104,814.We
heartfully
acknowledge the generous contribution of each and every one of the
hundreds
of donors who made this campaign a success.
The
Temple
Institute's Build the Third Temple campaign was not only a financial
success. Even more significantly, it delivered a statement to the world
that we are ready, willing and able to move forward together toward the
building of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, a "house of prayer
for all
nations" and a place of peace for all humanity.
We have
already begun working with a highly respected architectural firm in
Jerusalem, a team of architects who share the vision of the Holy Temple
and
are learned experts concerning the physical layout of the Temple
complex
and the visions of the prophets of Israel.
Thank
you once
again, and may we all be blessed with a good year of peace and progress
toward the fulfillment of G-d's commandment
to build for Him a
Sanctuary, that He may dwell among us.
Tune in
to this week's Temple
Talk, As Rabbi Chaim Richman and Yitzchak Reuven focus on Yom
Kippur in
the Holy Temple, the repentance of love, and this year's propitious
opportunity for returning to roots: The super confluence of Yom Kippur,
Shabbat, & the Sabbatical Year!Smack
in the middle of the propitious Ten Days of Repentance, this week's
edition
of Temple
Talk, the first of the new year 5775, explores
the mechanism of
repentance, and examines the amazing process of re-calibration and
spiritual responsibility that all of Israel focuses on during this
special
period.
Recreating
Temple Purity in Our Day: On Tuesday, September
30th, an historic event took place in the Samarian town of Ofra: A
ceramic
cruse was prepared for the storing of pure olive oil for the kindling
of
the golden menorah in the Holy Temple. Click here
to read more and view a photo album.
The
Muslim Obsession with Jews on the Temple Mount: One could
be forgiven for mistaking the hundred or so Jewish worshipers who
ascended
the Temple Mount today for ten thousand, based on the dedication with
which
Muslims film and post the Jewish worshipers, harassed and heckled
constantly while the police watch passively. Click here to view a
short
video.
Israel's
Deputy Minister of Education visits the Temple
Institute: Deputy Minister of Education, Knesset Member Avi
Wertzberg
was a guest of the Temple Institute Tuesday. Institute founder Rabbi
Yisrael Ariel and Director David Schwartz welcomed Wertzberg and guided
him
through the Temple Institute's exhibition in Jerusalem's old city. Read
his impressions of the work of the Temple
Institute.
Police
Policy Contradicts Internal Security Minister's Call for
10's of 1000's of Jewish Worshipers on Temple Mount: In spite
of
Internal Security Minister Yitzchak Aharonovitch's recent statement
that he
would like to see tens of thousands of Jewish worshipers on the Temple
Mount, the police in place on the Temple Mount continue to be
'challenged
to the max' by the hundred or more Jews who arrive each day at the
security
entrance to the Mughrabi Gate entrance to the Temple Mount. Click here
to read more.
Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: Defend 
Temple
Mount Closed to Non-Muslims, October 4-7: Police have
announced that the Temple Mount will be closed to non-Muslims from
October
4th through and including October 7th due to the Muslim "Feast of the
Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha)" holiday. Click here
to read more.
Interested in Ascending the Temple Mount? Contact us via our website, email us at infotempleinstitute@gmail.com or via our facebook page. Rabbi Richman guides Jews and non-Jews on the Temple Mount every week.
For
more information on ascending the Temple Mount in purity, please click here.
Shana Tova From The Holy City Of
Jerusalem, Yitzchak
Reuven
the
Temple
Institute
help Us Build The
Future.click here.
the
Temple Institute
po
Box 31876
jerusalem,
Israel 97500
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follow Us On Twitter: http://twitter.com/templeinstitute
find Us On Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/henryporter2
video Teachings Available On universal Torah