In a historic event, on Monday, two Cohanim in priestly garments brought the Shavuot “two loaves” offering to the Temple Mount, Srugim reported. They hurried to the presumed site of the ancient altar and raised the loaves before being stopped by police and Waqf officials.
לראשונה מזה 2000 שנה – חודשה עבודת הכהנים בהר הבית!
במהלך החג, יהודים עלו להר עם קרבן שתי הלחם ויין לנסכים, והניפו את הקרבן במקום המזבח בבגדי כהונה.חידוש עבודת הקרבנות – הפתרון למלחמה ולהשבת החטופים. אנו קוראים לממשלה לאשר מיידית את חידוש העבודה בהר.
קרדיט סרטון לפי סעיף 27א pic.twitter.com/7ia4yazh5F
— חוזרים להר (@CozrimLahar) June 2, 2025
This marks the first time a sacrifice has been performed at the Temple site since its destruction. According to sources in the Temple Mount movement, “the offering of the two loaves was conducted at the traditional location, lifted according to halachic custom by a Cohen wearing priestly garments. The entire ceremony was carried out under the supervision and halachic direction of Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, head of the Temple Yeshiva and president of the Temple Institute.”
The two loaves of bread are a public offering on the Feast of Shavuot in the Temple by the Cohanim. The offering is a special commandment for Shavuot, and expresses its being the harvest festival and the Day of First fruits. The two loaves of bread were the first sacrifice brought from the newly harvested wheat and thus were considered the first fruits of the wheat harvest.
The offering of the two loaves of bread on Shavuot is a prerequisite for presenting offerings in the Temple from the new wheat. In this, the offering of the two loaves of bread is parallel to the offering of the Omer offering: both come to permit the new grain. The Omer permits it to be eaten by everyone everywhere, and the offering of the two loaves permits it to be offered in the Temple. As the Mishna put it (Menachot 10:6): “The Omer permits in the country and the two loaves in the Temple.”
According to the Temple Institute, “The Cohen sanctified his hands and feet at the site using a vessel of water, then received a bag containing the two loaves of bread from another individual who had managed to bring them to him. Despite attempts by the Waqf to prevent the ritual, the Cohen succeeded in waving the loaves before police intervened and removed him from the site.”
Is it any wonder that the Waqf invaders were terrified at the event? The Muslims have been dreading for centuries this first sign of Jewish return to the site of our Temple.
Following the offering, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, his voice thick with emotion, recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, to which the assembled congregation responded with a heartfelt Amen.
Baruch atah, Hashem Elokeinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh.
