SHEYIBANEH BEIT HAMIKDASH...
A series of articles on Beit HaMikdash-related topics
by Catriel Sugarman

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.

“...asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu...”
I had been meaning to dedicate a "column" to answer questions that have come my way concerning various aspects of the Beit Hamikdash. I had thought to address these questions in the order received, but it seems that a reference I made in last week's Torah Tidbits generated a minor avalanche of phone calls and Emails. I had written about the Avodah of Haktarat Ketoret on the Mizbach Hazahav. "The officiating Kohein did not commence sprinkling (the Ketoret) until the Memuneh instructed him to do so. The Kohein stood to the east of the Mizbach Hazahav with his hands full of Ketoret. It is likely that, at this time, he recited the special blessing over the offering of the Ketoret." We-e-elll! What special blessing was that? Were there Berachot in the Beit Hamikdash? What were they like? Are some of those Berachot still in use today? Hence this week's topic:

Berachot in the Beit Hamikdash
A Baracha is a blessing recited before the fulfilling of a Mitzvah. The Gemara explains that a Beracha should be recited before every Mitzvah. The Rambam rules that, "just like a Beracha is made when someone derives enjoyment or benefit from something (e.g. drinking water), so in the same way, one is obligated to make a Beracha before fulfilling any Mitzvah… The Nusach - the formulation - of all the Berachot were laid down by Ezra and his court and (a private person) may not change them, add to them or delete anything from them... And anyone who changes the form as instituted by the sages errs…" (Hilchot Berachot 1:3,5)

In the Beit Hamikdash, not only complete Mitzvot "rated" Berachot of their own; but possibly even secondary preparations for the actual Mitzvah had their own Berachot as well. When I first started to make a serious study of the Rambam's Hilchot Ma'aseh Hakorbanot, I was startled to note the first Mishneh Lemelech, (one of the major classic commentaries).

"The Ramban wrote in his glosses on the Sefer Hamitzvot of the Rambam (Ikar 12), that all the Avodot such as the Yetzikot (pouring oil into the prepared mixture of flour and oil for Menachot - meal offerings), Belilot (mixing the flour and oil), Petita (breaking up the Matzot of a meal offering) or Melikot (the bird-sacrifice equivalent of Sh’chita) and other things of this nature (necessary steps in the Avodah, but not the complete Avodah) require that the officiating Kohein make a Beracha since he is performing a Mitzvah. The sage, the Ba'al Lev Samei'ach, disagrees with the Ramban. The Ba'al Lev Samei'ach posits that one makes a Beracha only on a "Major Avodah" and all the "Minor Avodot (such as those listed above) would be included in the one Beracha. But I (that is to say the Ba'al Mishneh Lemelech) do not know how one differentiates between a "Major Avodah" and a "Minor Avodah"… Maybe if one Kohein performed the entire Avodah, he could make do with one Beracha. But suppose several Kohanim were involved and each one did one ("minor") Avodah, shouldn't each Kohein make a Beracha on the Avodah that he himself did? And the Nusach of the Beracha seems (to include) Asher Kid’shanu Bikdushato Shel Aharon - he who sanctified us (the Kohanim) with the holiness of Aaron and commanded us to..."

This is the same Nusach that the Rambam quotes in the end of Hilchot Terumah and the beginning of Hilchot Bikkurim. All Berachot in the Beit Hamikdash that are particular to Kohanim in the Beit Hamikdash included Asher Kid’shanu Bikdushato Shel Aharon. Even today, the Beracha recited by the Kohanim in the Beit Kenesset, the very same Beracha voiced by their forefathers in the Beit Hamikdash before Birkat Kohanim, includes Asher Kideshanu Bikdushato Shel Aharon. But there was another, unique, addition to the to the Berachot in the Beit Hamikdash. The Mishna reads, "Before the concluding phrase of every Beracha voiced in the Mikdash, they used to say Min Ha'olam - 'from this existence', but after the heretics (a variant reading is 'Sadducees') corrupted themselves and claimed that there was only one existence (the Sadducees did not accept the doctrine of future resurrection and denied the immortality of the soul) - it was ordained that they should say, "Min Ha'olam Ve'ad Ha'olam." (Berachot 9:5) 'from this existence to eternal existence' (lit. 'from this world to that world')."

"And why this (unusual) response? Because it was not customary to answer 'Amen' in the Mikdash. And from where do we know that they did not answer 'Amen' in the Mikdash? Because it is written, 'Stand up and bless the Lord your G-d Min Ha'olam Ve'ad Ha'olam - from this existence to eternal existence - and let them say, 'Blessed be Thy glorious Name that is exalted above all blessing and praise.' That is to say, "Give Him praise after every blessing." (Ta'anit 16b. The Biblical reference is from Nehemiah 9:5)
After the said enactment of the sages, all Berachot recited in the Beit Hamikdash had the added phrase, "Min Ha'olam Ve'ad Ha'olam". The Berachot which applied only to Kohanim and their Avodot had the additional phrase, Asher Kid’shanu Bikdushato Shel Aharon. A non-Kohein in the Beit Hamikdash, if he had reason, would recite the appropriate Beracha and would include the phrase characterizing Berachot in the Beit Hamikdash, Min Ha'olam Ve'ad Ha'olam, but not Asher Kid’shanu Bikdushato Shel Aharon.

The Rambam in his Sefer Hamitzvot lists the 613 Mitzvot in order; 248 of them are Mitzvot Asei - positive commandments and 365 of them are Mitzvot Lo Ta'aseh - prohibitions. The twenty-eighth Mitzvat Asei - as per Shemot 30:7,8 - is for a kohein to burn Ketoret twice a day - morning and afternoon in the Mishkan and the Mikdash. The Sefer Hachinuch includes it in the Mitzvot of Parshat Tetzaveh (103) The Ramban concurs. Certainly the Mitzvah D'oraita of offering Ketoret on the Mizbach Hazahav in the Beit Hamikdash rated a Beracha of its own.

The Kohein stood to the east of the Mizbach Hazahav with his hands full of Ketoret. A bit nervously perhaps, he recited the unique Beracha for this Mitzvah. "Boruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech Ha'olam, Min Ha'olam Ve'ad Ha'olam, Asher Kid’shanu Bikdushato Shel Aharon, Vetzivanu Al Haktarat Haketoret." And since this was going to be the first and last time in his life that he would have the privilege of offering the Ketoret, with joy in his heart, he probably also recited the Shehecheyanu.

Catriel Sugarman gives illustrated lectures on the Beit Hamikdash and related topics. He can be reached at (02) 652-7531 or by email: acatriel@netvision.net.il. Catriel is in the process of writing a book entitled: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim's Perspective: A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service.