The entire month of Nisan is imbued with the sweetness of renewal and redemption. A month which marks many beginnings, Nisan pulsates with the promise of the perfection of G-d’s creation.

It is in our power to change this reality. Join us on March 16th, (Rosh Chodesh Nisan), for THE FIRST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE MOUNT AWARENESS DAY. Whether you are living in Israel or you are living abroad, you can participate.

For more details: http://www.templeinstitute.org/temple-mount-awareness-day.htm

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The breastplate (choshen mishpat), of the High Priest is highly complex and intricate, both in its physical makeup, and in the spiritual and moral power it represents and possesses.

The joy of Purim is the joy of the pure, unmitigated intimate and direct relationship that each and every one of us has with G-d, the true King whose Divine will is the hidden force behind all that transpires in our lives. The Hamans in the world try to distance us from G-d and bluff and bully their way into positions of power over the nation of Israel. In this world of smoke and mirrors, masks and disguises, cloaks of deception, and garments of concealment, we must simply remain true to ourselves and to the One G-d whom we serve.

The joy we experience throughout the entire month of Adar is not solely in anticipation of the Purim celebration which marks the highlight of Adar. The joy is the joy of recognizing the hidden miracles that permeate our world, providing a window through which we experience G-d’s presence each and every day throughout the year.

We have just completed the Torah reading of Yitro, in which we received Torah at Sinai, and this week we are proceeding to the Torah reading, Mishpatim, in which we learn the details of Torah’s instructions for everyday living. How do we make such a fast and radical transition from the ethereal to the “mundane ” civil ordinances? The earthen altar, described in the closing lines of Yitro, provides the answer, and why the Temple Institute’s current Altar Project is so essential to mankind today.

The priests are commanded to wear the priestly garments in order to perform the Divine service. But first, it is a commandment which falls upon the shoulders of all Israel to participate in the creation of the garments, either by employing their particular expertise, or by financially supporting the acquisition of the raw materials for the garments and their manufacture.

Each detail of the priestly garments has a unique spiritual task, and forms part of an entire outfit which is designed to represent all of Israel before G-d.

Clothes do indeed make the man. In this introduction to a new series, Rabbi Richman explores the historic, midrashic and spiritual reasons behind the holy garments of the High Priest and the lay priests who serve in the Holy Temple.

Torah was given to man, not angels, and our sages tell us that one hour in this world is worth an eternity in the world to come. The Holy Temple is of this world, and it is our, and only our, responsibility to build it.