The Dedication Of The Second Temple

Materials

chairs, and quite a few of them too, but I’m sure that most shuls have them. Chairs don’t have to be used though, if you want you can use any other objects as your building materials. A prize for the winning team will work too, you may also want to have more than one if you play the game a few times.

Method

Since it is kind of hard to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash in Shul on Shabbat, we will be playing a game called "See, Run, Build." After you play the game you are going to have to do a little thinking back to the peulah we had on discussing the importance of a Beit Mikdash (Don’t worry, its in the conclusion.) Then just fill the chanichim in on the background information.

See, Run, Build

Divide your group into teams of three. Each team, will have a seer, a runner and a builder. One Madrich should take all the seers out of the room to a place where he has assembled a Beit HaMikdash out of chairs. Give a chance for the seers to remember what it looks like, and where all the chairs are and how many of them there are. Then have the seers tell their runners exactly what the structure looks like. The runners in turn give the builders the description of the structure. By this point the description should be distorted enough to make the game fun. The builders then have to replicate the structure as best they can from the runners description. The team with the closest replica wins. (remember, only the seer can see the original, and only the runner can hear the description from the seer.)

Conclusion/ Discussion points

Why is it important to have a home/ safe haven?

Before the Beit Hamikdash was built the Jews had no place to run to in times of trouble. With the Beit Mikdash they could go and atone, or go to the Sanhedrin, they could seek advice from Kohanim. It was a spiritual safe haven for the Jews.

The Jews safe haven has been returned!

Background Information

After 18 years, Haggi and Zechari prophecize the continuation of the building. Zerubbabel then continues to work on the temple. Tattenai, then informs the new king Darius, that the Jews have continued to build. Darius then finds the edict of Cyrus, and allows the Jews to build, not only that but, he offers them protection from anyone who attempted to halt the building. The building, would also be financed by the royal treasury.

515 BCE- The Second Temple is dedicated and the Kohanim and Leviim are inducted. The Pesach offering is given in the new Temple. (Ezra, Vav)

444 BCE- Nechemiah builds the walls around Jerusalem. (Nechemiah, Gimmel)

Sanballat and Tobiah hear about the walls, and rally the nations to fight against the Jews. Nechemiah and the Jews remain strong, and do not allow their enemies to prevail!

The Jews once again have their land and their Temple.

Suitable for Shabbat