From the Mikdash Mailbag "I am trying to understand why you and all of us have this great fascination and focus on Bayit Sheni. It seems that this focus has been inbred into the Jewish consciousness, perhaps based upon tradition or because archeology also focuses on the past. Is it not the case that when the Mashiach comes, Bemheira V'yameinu, and Bayit Shlishi (the Third Temple) is built, that this soon to be rebuilt Beit Hamikdash will look different from Bayit Sheini? Did not Yechezkel HaNavi describe how it would look? Several commentators discuss Bayit Shlishi. Therefore, should not our time and efforts be spent on focusing on their insights, which will help us prepare for what will be? This fascination with our past, although part of the Mitzva of Limud Torah, and as enjoyable as it might be, certainly deflects from our focusing on understanding the vision of Yechezkel and Bayit Shlishi." —Onondaga YE To YE: Your letter raises a very significant point. These Beit HaMikdash-related articles have several goals. 1. We want to increase the general knowledge of our readers about the Mikdash, an essential subject in Yahadut which, unhappily, many of our people know precious little about. This includes Mikdash architecture, Hilchot Korbanot, Tum'a and Tahora, the Kehuna, etc. How many Mishnayot, Gemarot, and Rambams are simply incomprehensible without a working knowledge of Mikdash procedure? This is not surprising when you consider that over one third of the Written Torah deals with Mikdash-related subjects! It behooves us to know these things. However, there is one more thing. "…When they read (the order of sacrifices), I will deem it if as if they had offered them before Me and I will forgive them for all their sins" (Ta'anit 27b). The Midrash says, "…The Holy One Blessed be He said to Yechezkel, '…reading (Chukei Korbanot and laws of the Mikdash) is equivalent to building (the Mikdash). Go and tell them to concern themselves with the study of the form of the Mikdash as it is explained in the Torah. As a reward for their study, I will deem it as if they actually built the Beit Hamikdash" (Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 14). 2. We place particular emphasis on Mikdash history because for too many people, it is a mélange of unrelated, irrelevant, and meaningless trivia. Nothing can be further from the truth! History, and especially Jewish history, is dynamic in that the influence of incidents that occurred centuries and millennia ago live on - for good and for evil. They affect our lives today.Only by loyalty to the Torah, and by the understanding and the appreciation of our unique history, can we justly establish our claim to be a nation in Eretz Yisrael, our G-d-given land. In his final address to Am Yisrael, Moshe Rabeinu said, "Remember the days of yore, understand the years of generation after generation" (D'varim 32:7). Am Yisrael is a people commanded to remember. 3. Finally, IY"H, as we as a people, collectively "raise our Temple consciousness" we will be better able to play our apportioned role in the fulfillment of the glorious future foretold by the Navi. "And it shall come to pass in the end of days that the Mountain of the House of G-d will be established at the top of the mountains and will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will flow to it. Many peoples will go and say, 'Come. Let us go up to the mountain of G-d, to the House of the G-d of Jacob. And he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of G-d from Jerusalem'" (Yeshiyahu 2:2, 3). Dear Catriel, I remember some of the articles you wrote about Tzara'at ("leprosy"). You said that the laws of Tzara'at had some interesting peculiarities. If the Tzara'at symptoms covered the Metzora's entire body, he was pure, but when he started to heal, he became unclean. (Nega'im 13: 3). I recall a Midrash about that but I can't remember the details. Do you know it? —RB To RB: The Sages were fully aware of the anomalous nature of this very strange ruling. In a Midrashic rendition of Korach's rebellion against Moshe (Bamidbar 16), Korach asks Moshe a number of questions with the intention of making him look ridiculous in front of Am Yisrael. One of Korach's questions concerned this Halacha. "If", asked Korach, "a man had on his skin a bright spot the size of half a bean, is he pure or impure?" Moshe, of course, answered that he was impure. Then Korach asked, "If the symptoms spread over his whole body and he became completely white, what was the law?" Moshe answered that that then he would be pure. Korach retorted that laws so irrational could not possibly be of Divine origin and therefore Moshe was an impostor and Aharon was not the legitimate Kohein Gadol (see Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 10, 27b-28a). This is actually the third of three questions that Korach posed to Moshe in our sources. The first question was if a garment was made completely of Techelet (blue) would it need Tzitzit? (Bamidbar 15:37-40) The second question was; would a room filled with holy books need a Mezuza on the doorpost? The much better-known version in the Tanchuma has Korach asking only the first two questions. Rashi, while quoting the Tanchuma, refers to only the first question. I hope this helps. "How did the Kohanim wash (sanctify) their Hands and Feet in the Mikdash?" At night, the vessel of the Kiyor (laver) which actually contained the water was lowered into an underground pit to prevent the water from being disqualified for sacred use. This pit was connected to the Temple underground plumbing system and there was always contact between the lowered vessel and flowing fresh water. (Note Yoma 3:10, Tif'eret Yisrael 57) Early in the morning while it was still dark, the Kohein, who had been previously selected by "lot" to start clearing the Mizbei'ach, raised up the vessel again (Yoma 2:2). As he approached the Kiyor, he was warned: "'Be careful that you do not touch the fire pan that is used to clear (burnt coals from) the Mizbei'ach before you have sanctified your hands and feet from the Kiyor' (Tamid 1:4). "…how was the precept of 'sanctification' done? The Kohein placed his right hand on his right foot and his left hand on his left foot and sanctified (poured water on) them" (Zevachim 19b). The Kohein poured water on his hand and foot simultaneously. Considered an Avoda, the sanctification could only be done standing. The Mitzva was accompanied by its B'racha. "Blessed art Thou O Lord our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aharon, and Who has commanded us on the sanctification of hands and feet." The Mishna continues. "The Kohein then washed his hands and feet and took the silver fire pan and went up to the top of the Mizbei'ach and cleared away the cinders and scooped up the burnt coals and descended…" (Tamid 1:4). "When his brethren, the priests, saw that he had come down from the Mizbei'ach, they speedily ran over and sanctified their hands and feet at the laver" (Tamid 2:1). The new day's Avoda had begun. Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim’s Perspective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service [The
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