Back to Basics, a Brief Description A "couple" of questions from Mike: "Do we know what was in the Temple? I mean, was it just a giant empty hall, or were there seats and benches to sit on like a shul, or carpets to prostrate ourselves on like (lehavdil!) a mosque? On Yom Kippur, we are supposed to put something on the floor when we bow down, right? So in the Temple...? How long did the "service" last? Did everyone just came in, the Kohanim did their job and everyone filed out? The everyday bringing of sacrifices - where did it take place? Was the "giant hall" used only during the Chagim?" The "Mikdash Compound" was comprised of two large courtyards with adjacent buildings and chambers. The courtyard to the east was called the Ezrat Nashim, the "Court of the Women" but the Mizbei'ach (the altar) and the Bayit, the main Temple building (the "giant hall") were located in the larger western courtyard, the Azara, the "Temple Court". The Azara was divided into two parts. The much smaller part to the east was called the Ezrat Yisrael, the "Court of the Israelites". Unless a Yisrael had a valid reason (e.g. to offer a Korban), that was as far he could go. No one was permitted to enter the Mikdash compound unless they were in a state of ritual purity. The Ezrat Yisrael could be very crowded especially during the Shalosh Regalim, the three festivals when untold numbers of Am Yisrael came on pilgrimage. Masses of Olei Regel (pilgrims) waited patiently (?) in the Ezrat Yisrael with their sacrificial animals. There were no "seats and benches to sit on like a shul" because no one, including the Kohanim, were permitted to sit in the Azara, with the single exception of "kings from the House of David." Nor were there "carpets to prostrate on like, lehavdil, a mosque". The entire Mikdash compound was considered holy ground and everyone, Olei Regel and Kohanim alike, went barefoot. The whole point of putting something on the floor when we prostrate on Yom Kippur, is to differentiate between the shul which is not holy ground and the Beit HaMikdash which is holy ground. The Ezrat Yisrael was set off from much the much larger western portion of the Azara, the Ezrat Kohanim, the "Priest's Courtyard", by the Duchan, a step-like structure upon which the Levitical Choir stood. The Mizbei'ach and the Bayit were located in the Ezrat Kohanim, to the west of the Ezrat Yisrael. The Korbanot were offered from the early morning to the early afternoon. The first and last Korbanot of the day were the morning and afternoon Temidin which were completely burnt on the Mizbei'ach. (Only Korban Pesach was after the afternoon Tamid.) Once the morning Tamid was offered, the people were able to offer their own Korbanot. The Korbanot were divided into two groups, the Kodshei Kodashim, sacrifices of a higher level of sanctity, and Kodashim Kalim, sacrifices of a lower level of sanctity. The most well-known Kodshei Kodashim are the Olah and the Chatat. The Olah, the "burnt offering" or "elevating offering", was completely consumed on the altar. An Olah could be offered as a thanksgiving offering but it could also be offered as an atonement for inadvertently violating Mitzvot Asei. The most important Avoda associated with the Korbanot was the blood offering on the Mizbei'ach because that, together with repentance, is what effected atonement. A Chatat,a sin offering, expiated for sins committed inadvertently which, had they been done purposely, would have entailed the spiritual punishment of Kareit, "being cut off". Another Korban, which atoned for specific sins, was the Asham, the "guilt offering." Only part of the Chata'ot and Ashamot were burnt on the Mizbei'ach,the rest was given to the Kohanim to eat as part of the atonement process. "The Kohanim eat and the Ba'alei Hakorban, people who brought the Korban obtain forgiveness." Sh'lamim and the Korban Pesach were Kodashim Kalim, and unlike Kodshei Kodashim, could be slaughtered anywhere in the Azara. (The Kodshei Kodashim could be slaughtered only north of the Mizbei'- ach.) Sh'lamim were unique among all the Korbanot; part was burned on the Mizbei'ach, part was given to the Kohanim, and the rest was eaten by the Ba'alei Hakorban. They took the sacrificial meat home (Jerusalem only) and made a festive banquet inviting families and friends to join them. Once the Oleh Regel's personal Korban was offered, there really was no reason for him to remain. And since it was so crowded, it was in his interest to come early so he could leave relatively early. The Bayit had two floors. The first floor was divided into three parts. The entrance, leading into the Ulam ("entrance hall"), was in the eastern side of the building. Further to the west was the Heichal, the sanctuary. Part of the daily Avoda took place there; the Kohanim lit the Menorah, offered Ketoret (incense) on the golden Mizbei'ach, as ordained in the Torah. On Shabbat, new Lechem HaPanim, (the 12 loaves) were placed on the Shulchan; what was removed was distributed among the Kohanim. With the exception of Yom Kippur, the daily Avoda within the Bayit never varied. Non-Kohanim were not permitted to enter the Bayit to view the proceedings. To the west of the Heichal was Kodesh Hakodashim where only the Kohein Gadol was allowed to enter during the Avoda of Yom Kippur. The highlight of the Avoda of Yom Kippur was when the Kohein Gadol offered Ketoret in Kodesh HaKodashim. To summarize. The Beit HaMikdash was just not a "big shul"; the Avoda of the Beit HaMikdash was totally different from the "davening" in a Beit K'nesset. Unlike the Avoda of the Mikdash, Kohanim had almost no special role to play in the Beit Knesset service. And even though there was a Beit Knesset in the Azara for the use of the Kohanim, and the Leviyim sang T'hilim while the communal Olot were offered, the Avoda of the Mikdash, unlike the service of the Beit K'nesset, was not marked by prayer. The Kohein sprinkling the Ketoret upon the glowing coals on the Mizbach HaZahav did so in total silence; he did not audibly recite a prayer of special supplication or even say words of praise. Similarly, the lamps of the Menora were trimmed, cleaned and then lit in silence. When the sacrificial animals were slaughtered and the Kohanim received the blood, conveyed it to the Mizbei'ach and performed the blood application, they chanted no prayers or hymns. The Ba'alei Korban confessed sin and begged forgiveness but they did not pray in the sense that we do today. While the Nisuch HaMayim - water libation poured on the Mizbei'ach during Sukkot - was seen as a silent prayer for rain, no one recited an audible prayer for rain. Nor is it recorded that Kohanim prayed on behalf of the farmer who brought his Bikurim to the Mikdash. They read with them the required P'sukim and afterwards silently placed the fruit by the side of the Mizbei'ach. True, the Kohein Gadol did say a "short prayer" on Yom Kippur but it was only after he had exited the Kodesh Hakodashim. The author of the Letter of Aristeas, written some 150 years before the destruction, notes the extreme awe felt by visitors in the Mikdash because of the total silence of the ministering Kohanim. Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrims Prospective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service [The
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