JD: Feast of Tabernacles the last of these seven Feasts are times when the priests will offer a blessing to all of those who gather there in the Western Wall Plaza. I think it was the Ambassador from the United States to Israel David Friedman he said he thought there were about a hundred thousand people there and with the priest offering the blessing to all of the worshipers.
WM: Many of the holidays of course that we do celebrate are both combinations of an agricultural aspect as well as a very religious and observant time and all with the holy Temple. Even though we do not have the Temple we try or attempt as much as possible to recreate scenes or acts that were done at that time as part of the renewed service here in Israel. So that’s what we do today and it’s a joyous time. In fact many people come from abroad just to be able to be at the Western Wall when this priestly blessing is recited.
JD: Now this priestly blessing was offered by the men who have been studying the priestly duties in order to be able to serve in the Temple that the Temple Institute and many of the Jews want to have rebuilt there on the Temple Mount.
WM: On Thursday there was a recreation of the Libation ceremony part of the Tabernacle festival was special pouring out of the water that was gathered at the Siloam pool and was brought up into the Temple Mount in a very special way on the top of animals. That in a certain sense is again an instructive and consciousness raising event that took place during the week of the Sukkot to try to highlight the centrality of the Temple and the Temple worship in the life of the people.
JD: Winkie Medad with the details of the priestly blessings given to the Jewish and Christian worshipers at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
