Temple Institute, Jerusalem

‘Huqat (חקתdecree), Numbers 19:1-22: 1.
ב זֹאת ַתּ הַתּוֹרָה, אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה יי לֵאמֹר: דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין-בָּהּ מוּם, אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָלֶה עָלֶיהָ, עֹל .
2 This is a decree of the law which the Lord hath commanded: Warn the children of Israel to choose unto thee a red heifer, intact, without any blemish, and which has not yet borne the yoke.

The Institute of Temple (מכון המקדש – Makhon HaMiqdash) located near the Western Wall (הכותל המערבי – HaKotel HaMa’aravi) is a museum and institute of research dedicated to the Temples. It was created in 1987 by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel. The Temple Institute has built many artifacts that can be used in the Third Temple. He also set up an ideal farm project, in a secret location in southern Israel, to create a small herd of cattle of the American breed Red Anguss1. Several red heifers (פרה אדמהParah Adumah) were born there. They receive a rich diet and rigorous veterinary control. Jewish laws concerning the red cow are strict: For example, it is forbidden to use this heifer for agricultural use or transport. In addition, the cow must have reached the age of two years, not have calved and have only red hair.

1 The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture does not allow the import of live cattle due to the threat of bovine diseases such such as foot-and-mouth disease or mad cow disease, so any farmer who wishes to breed a breed of cow not available in Israel must use frozen embryos.

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