intended to increase the knowledge, interest, and anticipation of the reader, thereby hastening the realization of our hopes and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.

The Kohein Gadol - Preparations for Yom Kippur
For reasons of ritual purity, "Seven days before Yom Kippur the Kohein Gadol was removed from his house to Lishkat HaPal- hedrin", a chamber in the Azara (Yoma 1:1). The Kohein Gadol was to live there until the conclusion of the Day of Atonement. "There in solitude, he could spiritually prepare himself for the Avodot peculiar to this holy day; soon he would enter the Kodesh HaKodashim and pray for K'lal Yisrael. He would come to understand before Whom he would be appearing and what kind of awesome place he was to enter; a place of fire and flame" (Aruch Hashulchan Ha'atid). But sadly, towards the end of Bayit Sheini, the Kohanim Gedolim were not necessarily the most "spiritual" nor the most qualified; some did not know Hebrew and possibly were not even familiar with the Yom Kippur Avoda. Since the Yom Kippur Avoda was valid only when performed by the Kohein Gadol himself, it was vital that he be taught "proper Mikdash procedure" so that he could perform the Avoda with at least a minimum of compe- tence. "Throughout the seven days, he must toss the blood (of the daily Tamid offering), burn the incense, trim the lamps of the Menorah… (Yoma.1:2). Though the Mishna does not say so specifically, no doubt the Kohein Gadol also received a "crash course" on Shechita. Many Korbanot were offered on Yom Kippur; the Kohein Gadol had to slaughter them all.

He also had to be proficient in the intricacies of the Ketoret (incense) offering. "The elders of the Court delivered him to the elders of the Kehuna, the priesthood, and they brought him to the upper chamber of the House of Avtinas." The Kohanim of Beit Avtinas were expert spice-apothecaries and were respon- sible for the production of the Ketoret offered in the Mikdash.

Their aromatic workshop was located above Sha'ar HaMayim (Water Gate) in the southern wall of the Azara. One of the eleven redolent ingredients, Chelbona (galba- num), was actually evil smelling. So why was it included with the rest of the aromatic sweet spices which comprised the Ketoret? "A fast in which none of the sinners of Israel participate is no fast. The spice, Chelbona, has an unpleasant odour and yet it is included in the spices for the incense offered in the Beit Hamikdash" (Keritot 6b). Rashi explains that the foul smelling Chelbona was included "to teach us that it should not be unimportant in our eyes to include among us, in the assemblies of our fasts, the sinners in Israel so they should numbered together with us" (Shemot 30:34). Avodat HaKetoret was considered the most difficult of all the Avodot of Yom Kippur and it required great skill. Before the Kohein Gadol entered the Kodesh HaKodashim to offer Ketoret, a Kohein gave him an empty ladle called a Kaf. Another Kohein brought a "shovel" filled with Ketoret.

The Kohein Gadol filled both hands with Ketoret from the "shovel" and poured it into the empty Kaf. He would enter the Kodesh HaKodashim with the Ketoret-laden Kaf and a Machta (fire-pan) filled with glowing embers which he had previously removed from the Mizbei'ach. Once in Kodesh HaKodashim, he placed the Machta on the Even Shetiya ("Foundation Stone"), that was part of the floor of Kodesh HaKodashim. So what was so difficult? Before spilling the Ketoret on to the burning coals, the Kohein Gadol, without any assistance, had to pour the contents of the Kaf into his two cupped hands. The Rishonim, the early mediaeval Sages, speculated on how he did this. Rambam postulates that "he grasped the rim of the full Kaf with either his finger tips or teeth and then maneuvered the Ketoret into his hands with his thumbs" (Hil. Avodat Yom HaKipurim 4:1). Rashi contends that "he balanced the hollow of the Kaf on his fingertips with the handle tightly secured between his elbows. Then very slowly, he would rotate it with his thumbs until the Ketoret spilled into his hands" (Yoma 49b, "Keitzad"). There are a number of conflicting views in the Yerushalmi. The Kohein Gadol bent over and secured the handle between his knees. Using his thumbs, he emptied the contents of the Kaf into his hands. Another Sage actually pictured the Kohein Gadol throwing the Kaf into the air and catching all the flying Ketoret in his hands! Yet another Yerushalmi Sage, perhaps more sedate then the others, questioned the need for all these strange contortions altogether. Simply let the Kohein Gadol pour the Ketoret straight from the Kaf onto the burning coals in the Machta!

Be it as it may, it was essential that the Kohein Gadol do exactly as he was taught. The Sages sternly admonished him, "We are delegates of the Court and you are both our delegate and the delegate of the Court. We adjure you by Him who made His Name to dwell in this House that you will not change anything of all that we have said to you" (Yoma 1:5). This oath was necessary because many of the Kohanim Gedolim in late Bayit Sheini times had Sadducee leanings. The Sadducees, a dissident group in opposition to the Sages, had an entirely different concept as to the correct procedure of the Avodat HaKetoret. The Sadducees interpreted the Pasuk, "For in a cloud shall I appear on the ark cover" (Vayikra 16:2) to mean: 'For I am to be seen only with the cloud of incense upon the ark cover.'

Therefore they argued that the Kohein Gadol should first pour the Ketoret on the burning coals in the Machta, thus raising a cloud of smoke, and only then, enter the Kodesh HaKodashim with the smoking Machta. The Sages contended that the correct form of the Avoda was for the Kohein Gadol to carry the Kaf with the Ketoret and the Machta with the glowing coals into Kodesh HaKodashim, and only there, inside the Kodesh HaKodashim, spill the Ketoret on the burning coals filling the chamber with columns of smoke. Because of the Sadducee predilections of many Kohanim Gedolim in late Bayit Sheini times, the Sages found it necessary to administer the aforementioned oath. After all, the Kohein Gadol entered the Kodesh HaKodashim alone and unobserved; no one could really be sure what he did there. "Our rabbis taught: 'There was a Sadducee Kohein Gadol who had arranged the Ketoret causing it to smoke outside and then brought it inside the Kodesh HaKodashim (the ruling of the Sadducees). When he finished, he was exceedingly glad. …He said, 'All my life I was aggrieved because of the Biblical verse 'For in a cloud shall I appear on the ark cover.' I used to say, 'When will I have the opportunity to fulfill it? Now that I have such an opportunity, should I not fulfill it?' It was said that after a few days, he died and he was thrown on the dung heap…" (Yoma 19b)

"On the eve of the morning before Yom Kippur, they make him - the Kohein Gadol - stand at the Eastern Gate and passed before him oxen, rams and sheep that he may gain knowledge and become versed in the Avoda" (Yoma 1:3). He was not just watching a parade of animals. The Me'iri said, "He was internalizing the lessons to be derived from the uniqueness of the Day…"<to be continued>

Catriel Sugarman (acatriel@netvision.net.il, 02-652-7531) gives illustrated lectures on the Beit Hamikdash and related topics. Catriel is in the process of writing a book:

The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim's Perspective: A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service.

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