Red Mad Cow Disease
This news came in less than two weeks ago: the Temple Institute is trying to raise $125,000 to partially cover the cost of their project to breed a Halachic Para Aduma (Red Heifer.)
What? $125,000? I'm (almost) speechless. Such a misguided use of money and a distortion of the idea of anticipating the Redemption.
I can understand if you find a natural-born Red Heifer that fits all the Halachic requirements, you keep it and take care of it. Without trying to read signs and portents, there is at least a chance it was born for a higher cause than exciting all the fanatics, so you do what you can to preserve it and pray that Hashem will bring about the need for it.
But spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to breed more? No.
Anticipating the Yeshua doesn't mean sitting around waiting. It means working towards that end, and at the same time hoping and praying and believing that enough others are doing the same thing that at any second the balance could tip in our favor and we will hear the Shofar of Eliyahu.
What kind of work? Helping the poor. ($125K would do a lot of good there.) Stopping dishonesty and hatred among the frum community, because we are the ones Hashem is judging by. Changing our behavior so that we truly become an Or LaGoyim, and so that D'varim 4:6 comes true.
If we do all that, the Red Heifers and all the Kelim for the Mikdash will follow smoothly. If we don't, we can breed all the cows we want, and make all the vessels we want, and nothing will come of it.
I should mention that I've had a problem with the Temple Institute for years. Unfortunately, I no longer have exact links or articles, but I remember that during the Hitnatkut (10 years ago), someone very high up in the Institute made public remarks that were, in my opinion, very hateful towards the frum Jews who supported the frum soldiers who decided not to start a civil war and participate. They were not, obviously, the only ones making such comments, but it struck me as horribly ironic. Bayit Sheni was destroyed because of sinat chinam, and here we have people trying to build the third Mikdash while spouting the same sinat chinam! I would be horribly upset if such Kelim were used in Bayit Shlishi.
(Another side irony...I've seen the Menora they made...it looks just like the one on Titus' Arch. But I learned in my Yeshiva University art classes that there is evidence that the actual Menora had a 3-legged base, and the massive square base was fitted by the Romans as a travel base. So the new Menora intended for Bayit Shlishi was partially designed by the destroyers of Bayit Sheni!)
On this Tisha B'Av, let's keep our priorities straight. It's wonderful that we want to meet Eliyahu Hanavi with physical things prepared for the time of the Geula, but if we don't make the spiritual preparations he won't even be there to meet!
I'm still hoping for that barbecue next year. Together we can make it happen.
What? $125,000? I'm (almost) speechless. Such a misguided use of money and a distortion of the idea of anticipating the Redemption.
I can understand if you find a natural-born Red Heifer that fits all the Halachic requirements, you keep it and take care of it. Without trying to read signs and portents, there is at least a chance it was born for a higher cause than exciting all the fanatics, so you do what you can to preserve it and pray that Hashem will bring about the need for it.
But spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to breed more? No.
Anticipating the Yeshua doesn't mean sitting around waiting. It means working towards that end, and at the same time hoping and praying and believing that enough others are doing the same thing that at any second the balance could tip in our favor and we will hear the Shofar of Eliyahu.
What kind of work? Helping the poor. ($125K would do a lot of good there.) Stopping dishonesty and hatred among the frum community, because we are the ones Hashem is judging by. Changing our behavior so that we truly become an Or LaGoyim, and so that D'varim 4:6 comes true.
If we do all that, the Red Heifers and all the Kelim for the Mikdash will follow smoothly. If we don't, we can breed all the cows we want, and make all the vessels we want, and nothing will come of it.
I should mention that I've had a problem with the Temple Institute for years. Unfortunately, I no longer have exact links or articles, but I remember that during the Hitnatkut (10 years ago), someone very high up in the Institute made public remarks that were, in my opinion, very hateful towards the frum Jews who supported the frum soldiers who decided not to start a civil war and participate. They were not, obviously, the only ones making such comments, but it struck me as horribly ironic. Bayit Sheni was destroyed because of sinat chinam, and here we have people trying to build the third Mikdash while spouting the same sinat chinam! I would be horribly upset if such Kelim were used in Bayit Shlishi.
(Another side irony...I've seen the Menora they made...it looks just like the one on Titus' Arch. But I learned in my Yeshiva University art classes that there is evidence that the actual Menora had a 3-legged base, and the massive square base was fitted by the Romans as a travel base. So the new Menora intended for Bayit Shlishi was partially designed by the destroyers of Bayit Sheni!)
On this Tisha B'Av, let's keep our priorities straight. It's wonderful that we want to meet Eliyahu Hanavi with physical things prepared for the time of the Geula, but if we don't make the spiritual preparations he won't even be there to meet!
I'm still hoping for that barbecue next year. Together we can make it happen.
posted by meturgeman | 4:52 PM
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