A Gateway to the Holy of Holies – Continuing the Preparations for the Third Temple
On the 1st of Nisan, 5786 – the exalted day on which the people of Israel mark the erection of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the dwelling of the Shekhinah in Israel – a new and moving phase began in the work of the Artists of the Third Temple: building the Devir wall, the entrance to the Holy of Holies and its hand-carved pillars, alongside the continued weaving of the full-scale Parochet (the Veil).
It is no coincidence that the project began on this very day.
Our Sages teach that the day the Mishkan was erected was the day the Shekhinah descended to dwell openly in Israel. After months of preparation, masterful craftsmanship, artistry and toil, the moment arrived when the plan became a deed.
In our generation as well, out of anticipation for the building of the Third Temple, the Temple artists seek to turn study, longing and vision into real action.
A Direct Continuation of the Sanctuary Wall-Cladding Project
The Devir wall project does not stand alone. It is the direct, natural continuation of the great project of cladding the Sanctuary (Heichal) walls, in which sections of the walls were built and clad according to the descriptions in the sources – through research, planning, artistry and carving. As the work on the Sanctuary walls progressed, it became clear that the gaze is naturally drawn inward, toward the place to which all the Temple service is directed – to the Devir and to the Holy of Holies. If the Sanctuary walls represent the world of revealed service, the Devir marks the next step – drawing near to the place where the Shekhinah dwells. And so the vision was born: to continue the craft and begin building the Devir wall itself – the jambs (eilim), the lintel and the entrance leading into the Holy of Holies.
What Is the Devir?
The Devir is the area of passage and entry into the Holy of Holies. The sources sometimes use the name “Devir” for the Holy of Holies area itself; architecturally, however, the present project deals mainly with the Devir wall and the entrance to the Holy of Holies – the opening that both separates and joins the Sanctuary and the holiest place in the world. In terms of sanctity, the Devir and the entrance leading to the Holy of Holies carry an exalted, distinct holiness – yet the sanctity of the Holy of Holies itself is the highest in the Temple. That is why the entrance is not merely an architectural element. It symbolizes the passage between worlds: Between the revealed and the hidden. Between human effort and the dwelling of the Shekhinah. Between striving from below and revelation from above. When complete, the wall will be 20 amot (cubits) long – 9.60 meters – and 6 amot high – 2.88 meters.
Carving the Pillars – Masterful Craft of Wood and Holiness
The project began with the hand-carving of the first pillars: cypress-wood pillars, 2.70 meters tall, carved by hand as ornament for the wall. Like the Temple artisans of old, here too the work combines traditional craftsmanship, architectural research, great patience and precision in every detail. Each pillar begins as a raw wooden beam. Slowly, with traditional carving tools, the form hidden within it is revealed. The work is not fast. It demands hundreds of hours of planning, drafting, measuring and carving. Yet it is precisely this slowness that gives the craft its beauty. Just as the Temple itself is not built in a single day, so the preparation for it advances step by step.
The Month of Nisan – A Time of Growth and Redemption
The work began close to Birkat HaIlanot, the blessing recited in Nisan over blossoming trees. Our Sages saw this month as the month of redemption, renewal and growth. When a person stands before a blossoming tree after the winter months, he discovers how new life bursts forth from what had seemed dormant. So it is with the building of the Temple. First comes longing. Then study. Then preparation. And finally – building. The verse “In that day, the sprout of the Lord shall be for beauty and for glory” (Isaiah 4:2) teaches that redemption grows gradually, just as a tree brings forth its fruit. The Devir wall project is part of that growth.
A Combined Project – The Devir and the Parochet
Alongside the carpentry and the carving, one of the most special projects of recent years is under way: weaving the Parochet for the Holy of Holies at full scale.
A devoted group of women, guided by Orna Hirschberg of “Lishkat HaParochot” (the Chamber of the Curtains), meets regularly to weave the Parochet using traditional weaving techniques.
For this purpose, a large, dedicated loom was built.
Special heddle frames were prepared.
The wool threads were dyed and matched to the craft.
The warp system was set up, and many preparations were made to enable the creation of a full-size Parochet, according to the measurements planned for the project.
The weaving itself is done with great labor, thread by thread, using a pelekh (spindle) and traditional weaving tools – each gathering adding another layer to the long journey.
Two Projects – One Vision
The Devir wall and the Parochet are not two separate projects.
From the very beginning, both were born of a single shared vision.
The goal: by the end of the summer of 5786, God willing, these will stand together –
The Devir wall.
The entrance to the Holy of Holies.
The carved pillars.
The lintel and the frame.
The woven Parochet.
For the first time, a complete ensemble will make it possible to see, tangibly, the entrance to the Holy of Holies as it is described in the sources.
Not a scale model.
Not a painting.
A real, full-scale creation.
It’aruta d’Letata – An Awakening from Below
The Sages of Israel taught that redemption advances through it’aruta d’letata – an awakening from below.
When human beings do their part – working, learning, creating and preparing – they open a doorway to abundance and to an awakening from above.
This is the spirit that accompanies the entire endeavor of the Artists of the Third Temple.
Not to determine the future.
Not to claim to know the ways of Providence.
But to do what is within our power to do.
To prepare.
To build.
To learn.
And to act.
A Great Mosaic of Preparations
The Devir-and-Parochet project joins a broad series of initiatives:
The Third Temple model at Mini Israel.
Full-scale Sanctuary doors.
Cladding the Sanctuary walls.
The Ark of the Covenant and the Cherubim.
Research into the crafts of the Temple.
Training weavers, carpenters and artisans in the Temple disciplines.
Each one is part of a great mosaic.
This is not a single project, but a whole movement seeking to join longing with action.
Looking Ahead
When you look at a wooden beam not yet carved, or a woolen thread not yet woven, it can be hard to see the final result.
But that is exactly how every great thing is built.
First there is a vision.
Then work.
And finally – reality.
The pillars being carved right now, and the Parochet being woven these very days, express a simple faith: that a person must do their part, and prepare, as best they can, the vessels for the great day.
A Prayer
May it be the will of our Father in Heaven to grant success to the work of all who are engaged in this craft, to give strength and health to all the project’s partners, and may we soon merit to see the fulfillment of the verse: “And I shall return My Presence to Zion.”
And just as on the 1st of Nisan the Shekhinah descended to the Mishkan, so may we soon merit to see the building of the Holy Temple, the dwelling of the Shekhinah in Jerusalem, and the complete redemption of Israel.
“The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; He gathers the dispersed of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2)