Yom Kippur is on the Horizon - a Story Very early one morning in the Azara, as he watched the hustle and bustle around him, Meir Hakohein asked himself, "How did it get to be Elul already?" To Meir - like most members of the "Mikdash community" - Elul meant that Yom Kippur was on the horizon. And if Yom Kippur was on the horizon, could Sukkot, with its uncounted myriads of Olei Regel jamming the Mikdash and Yerushalayim be far behind? "Not only Sukkot! Increasingly large numbers of Olei Regel spend Yom Kippur in the Mikdash as well." As he observed a Levi leading a party of early-birds from Ramat Aviv with their sacrificial animals towards the Taba'ot north of the Mizbei'ach, Meir let his mind run free. "Does an Oleh Regel from say - Ramat Aviv or Ra'anana or Rechovot or wherever - have the slightest idea of the incredible work and planning that goes into preparing Yerushalayim and the Mikdash for the thrice yearly flood of pilgrims from all over the world? They need places to stay and facilities for purification. They need animals for Korbanot. The Shuk has to be well stocked so they can get them! Does one Oleh Regel out of a hundred know that during the week of Sukkot, four times the normal amount of food has to be brought into Jerusalem so the supermarkets won't be caught short? Olei Regel panic when they see empty shelves! A thousand things can go wrong. A week after Shavu'ot, a dozen committees and scores of sub- committees were already hard at work, each in its own area, preparing for Sukkot. How the Segan coordinates all this, I don't know!" Ever the perfectionist, Meir ruefully thought, "As refined as the system is, there still is the occasional bug." Meir shivered when he recalled how on one day during Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot four years earlier, they ran out of the Solet (fine wheat flour) required for the Menachot (meal offerings). "What a Balagan that was! If Achzaka (maintenance) hadn't brought some up from the emergency stores right away, I don't know what would have happened." That afternoon, Meir (at the request as the Segan) was going to sit in on a meeting between the Mikdash Gizbar (Treasurer) and the chairmen of all the Israeli banks. Temporary bank branches had to be set up in the airport, train stations, hotels, just about everywhere, for the convenience of the countless "Chutznikim" who needed to change their foreign money "for ritually acceptable coin" and there was no time to lose. Meir chuckled. "These swaggering bankers are a-m-a-z-i-n-g-l-y respectful to representatives of the Mikdash. Perhaps the fact that the Mikdash has hefty accounts in all their banks helps. But, I have to admit, the banks have become very efficient over the years and the number of complaints from Olei Regel has really dropped. Then there are the credit card companies. They are always pestering us with proposals for new deals. I still remember when I had to sit through a whole series of deadening meetings between the Mikdash treasurers, fidgety representatives of the Beit Din Shel Kohanim and overly aggressive know-it-all salesmen. Horrible!" With a start, Meir suddenly remembered that the Segan had dumped on his desk a whole pile of requests submitted by various Mikdash committees. Were they justified? One committee recommended that three new Mikva'ot be built for the Kohanim in addition to those they already had beneath Beit Hamokeid. One sub-committee claimed that Beit Garmu, the Kohanim who prepared Lechem Hapanim, needed a new stove. Hagros ben Levy (who "was over the singing") demanded that the Levitical choir be authorized to buy a couple of dozen new instruments 'immediately'". The advent of Elul also meant that Meir had to arrange his crazy schedule so he had time to meet the elders of Beit Avtinas and participate in their yearly conference. Since Beit Avtinas compounded the Ketoret and Ketoret played such an important role in the Avoda of the Mikdash and of Yom Kippur in particular, their conference was a priority. Though they could be difficult to deal with at times, and their salaries, as everyone in the "Mikdash community" knew, were grossly inflated, their work was flawless. "As soon as I get back to my office, I'll call their Mazkirut and set up an appointment." His wife Yehudit claimed that she knew exactly when he visited their perfumery high above the Sha'ar Hamayim. When he came home, he always smelt sooooo good. As Meir was musing, he suddenly heard his name called. "Meir, where HAVE you been?" It was one of the Katikolin, Kohanim who report directly to the Segan. "We've been looking all over for you! The new Kohanim are offering their Minchot Chinuch this morning!" Meir's mouth dropped open, "Ha'avoda! I almost forgot!" The two Kohanim moved as fast as they could in the direction of the Lishkat Hachavitin - the "Chamber of the Griddle Makers" in the Ezrat Yisrael, south of Sha'ar Nicanor. (When a Kohein appeared before the Mizbei'ach to inaugurate his service in the Mikdash for the first time, he was required to bring a special Mincha - meal offering - of twelve small unleavened loaves called Minchat Chinuch. [Vayikra 6:13, Ma'aseh Hakorbanot 13:4]) Upon reaching their destination and out of breath, they opened the door and were greeted by the most marvelous sight. The room was full of twenty year old white robed Kohanim, ever so carefully, ever so earnestly, preparing their Minchot Chinuch! The Minchat Chinuch loaves consist of Solet and olive oil, with salt and frankincense added later, and there were bins of these ingredients and (cooking utensils) lining the walls. The Kohanim first measured out an Isaron of Solet in a Mikdash vessel (thus sanctifying it) and mixed it with three Log of oil. They prepared each loaf separately so it could be mixed with oil before they kneaded it with warm water. Under the supervision of expert bakers, more experienced Kohanim showed the novices how to blanch the loaves in boiling water, bake them slightly, and then fry them in a Machvat - a griddle. Meir's heart melted. These beautiful children! It reminded him of long ago when he still had red hair! Soon the "children" would carry their loaves in Mikdash vessels to the Mizbei'ach, touch them to the southwest corner, thereby sanctifying them, and then burn them together with the Tamid. Even though these young Kohanim had all survived the very demanding Avoda 101 course, passed their brutal final exams, received their Mikdash Service Permits from the BDK, and had been duly certified by the Sanhedrin, they were still very nervous. Once a Kohein offered his Min- chat Chinuch, he took his place in his Mishmeret, and "like his brethren the Kohanim", served in the Mikdash when called. As the Levitical choir finished singing the Shir Shel Yom, the Segan took Meir aside. "There are five more groups of novice Kohanim who will be offering their Minchot Chinuch before Sukkot." Looking very serious, he added, "There is something else. It's an open secret that the Kohein Gadol is not well. It is likely that the Sanhedrin will declare him incapacitated and physically incapable of performing the Avoda on Yom Kippur. If the Kohein Gadol is incapacitated, you know who takes his place and does the Avoda." Meir reddened: he knew. "The Segan. YOU!" The Segan nodded his head, "Yes, me, and I want you at my side as much as possible if I do it." <to be continued> 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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