“Science and Technology in the Holy Temple Service” was the theme of the 29th annual conference held by the Temple Institute on Wednesday in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Rabbis and scientists discussed the integration of technological advancements in the Third Temple. “There is no question that science and technology will help out significantly in the Third Temple,” said Mordechai Prince of the Temple Institute.

The Holy Temple plays a major role in the festival of Passover. The Paschal lambs – one for each family or group of families – are offered there on the eve of the holiday, and the Temple is crowded with Jews from all over the world bringing various sacrifices and celebrating the holiday in the holy city.

Among the conference speakers were Rabbi Prof. Daniel Herskovitz, Israel’s Minister of Science, who spoke on the mathematics of Temple utensils, and Machon Lev (Jerusalem College of Technology) President Prof. Noah Dana-Picard, who discussed Systems Planning in the Temple.

In addition, Rabbi Yehoshua Friedman of the Temple Institute presented the Halakhic [Jewish legal] pros and cons of using an electric oven to roast the Paschal sacrifice, and Tzomet Institute head Rabbi Yisrael Rosenne discussed the integration of electricity and electronics in the Temple.

Other topics included the use of an impurity-resistant car by which to ascend to Jerusalem, and a film showing the use of three-dimensional imagery to plan the Third Temple.

The Temple Institute is in the midst of preparing a series of 3-D films to teach about various aspects of the Temple and the Temple Service. “So far we have one showing what it would be like to actually walk through the permitted parts of the Temple,” Prince said, “and another one shows the sacrifices being offered on the altar.”

“We are commanded to build a Sanctuary in which G-d’s Presence may dwell,” Prince continued. Though this is a national commandment, “every individual is commanded to do what he can to this end. Today we cannot build the Temple for political reasons, but we can still build the utensils, which we have done; we have an exhibit with the holy utensils [such as the Menorah], and when the Temple is rebuilt, we will have utensils and Priestly garments ready for use. Everything was made and sewn according to the Halakhic standards that appear in Torah and Halakhic literature.”

Prince said that though production costs are high, “there are donors from around the world who appreciate the importance of the matter. We are not political; we are simply trying to prepare as much as we can for the new situation that will arise when the Third Temple is rebuilt.”