Tiyul

On Tuesday of this past week I went on my tiyul (trip). The first activity we did was to sift through dirt of an archaeological dig where they are trying to find archaeological stuff from the temple period. What happened was that the Arabs who have control of the temple mount asked permission to build a fire escape in case there was a fire. The Israeli government said fine and the Arabs proceded to take 300 bulldozers full of earth on the temple mount and dump it into the Kidron Valley. Once the Israeli's found out what happened they stopped the Arabs from destroying more of Jewish history. The City of David organization is attempting to sift through all of the dirt that was on the Temple Mount. They have already found amazing artifacts like writing from the Temple periods with last names of people from the Tanach and coins from all throughout history.
We then went to a cemetery on the Mt. of Olives and I saw the graves of people who I am learning about. There are Rabbi's who comment on the Talmud and their commentary is placed in the back of the book. The first commentary I ever looked up was a Rabbi named the Rashash. I got to see his grave at the cemetary. I also heard crazy stories about the cemetary. For example there was a man named the Orech Chaim who was a huge rabbi. When the Jordanians had control over the mountain where the cemetery is they destroyed a lot of the graves with bulldozers and such. When they got to his grave the bulldozer flipped, so they tried it with a second guy but that bulldozer flipped also and the driver died. His grave is in perfect condition while a lot of the graves surrounding his are completely destroyed.
After the cemetary we had lunch in the Old City. I bumped into my friend Danny, who is learning in the Old City, so we had lunch together. For those of you who have been in the Old City of Jerusalem you know how often you run into people you know. After lunch we went on a tour of the Third Temple Institute where the different vessels that will be used in the Third Temple (may it be rebuilt soon) are being built. They have already built the lechem hapanim (bread table) that always will have twelve loaves of challah on it, different vessels such as shovels for cleaning the alter after the offerings have finished burning. They have built silver trumpets and harps for the Leviim who will stand on the steps and play music while the offerings are being burned. They have also built the garments that the Cohanim will wear, complete with the gold tzitz (it goes on the Kohen Gadol's head and has the name of God on it) and the urim v'tumim (breastplate with twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel).
After the tiyul ended I went to the Western Wall and saw the newest soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces get sworn in to service. They are presened with a machine gun and a siddur. It was very amazing to see. Don't worry dad I am not joining.
This week is an in-shabbat which means all of the Yeshiva students are staying in town and we all have Shabbat together at the Yeshiva. I am very excited to spend Shabbat with all my new friends.

I will add pictures of the tiyul after Shabbat.