Less than one month ago, a red heifer was born in Israel. After the heifer's owner contacted the Temple Institute, on Friday, April 5th, 2001, Rabbi Menachem Makover and Rabbi Chaim Richman traveled to the farm where the heifer is located, to inspect and validate her status. The rabbis found her to be kosher and were satisfied that this heifer could indeed be a candidate to be used in the process of purification described in the book of Numbers, Chapter 19, a prerequisite for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

In 1997, another red heifer was born on the religious kibbutz, Kfar Hassidim, but by 1998 it had become unfit for ritual use when hairs on its tail were found to be whitening, rendering it not totally red.

Tradition records that a red heifer (parah adumah) in our generation is a herald of the Messianic era. It is certainly an important development towards the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Our sages taught that Israel?s redemption can be compared to the dawn: ?In the beginning, it progresses very slowly...but as it continues, it grows brighter and brighter.?

Pictures of the heifer may be viewed at:
http://www.templeinstitute.org/current-events/RedHeifer/index.html