Kohanim, T'fila (Prayer) and the Beit Hamikdash "And hearken Thou unto the supplication of Thy servant, and thy people Israel, when they shall pray towards this place, yea, hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place, and when Thou hearest, forgive…" (I Melachim 8:30) The moving prayer offered by King Solomon at the dedication of Bayit Rishon does not mention Korbanot at all; the king referred to the new Beit Hamikdash as a House of Prayer several times (I Melachim 8:12-61). For this reason, it is remarkable that T'fila plays almost no part in the Avoda of the Kohanim in the Mikdash.The Mikdash has rightly been called the "Kingdom of Silence". Traditionally, the placing of the Lechem HaPanim (showbread) was seen as a silent prayer for sustenance, but nowhere was this thought explicitly expressed in prayer. While early Christian writings may note that "multitudes of people prayed without (in the TempleCourt) at the time of incense", the Kohein actually sprinkling the Ketoret upon the glowing coals on the Mizbach HaZahav, the golden incense altar, did so in complete silence. The Kohein quietly recited the particular B'racha over the offering of the incense acknowledging the divine origin of the Mitzva, but he did not audibly recite a special prayer of supplication for Am Yisrael or even utter words of praise when he did so. Similarly, the Kohanim trimmed, cleaned and lit the lamps of the Menora in total silence. "Why did the Torah enjoin us to offer an Omer (of barley) on Pesach? Because Pesach is the season of produce. Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said, 'Bring before Me an Omer on Pesach so that your produce in the fields be blessed. Why did the Torah enjoin us to bring two loaves on Shavu'ot? Because Shevu'ot is the season for the fruit of the tree. Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said, 'Bring before Me two loaves on Shavu'ot so the fruit of your trees will be blessed. (The farmers did not bring their Bikurim - first fruits - to the Mikdash before Shavu'ot.) Why did the Torah enjoin us to pour out water (on the Mizbei'ach) on Sukkot? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Pour out water before Me on Sukkot, so your rains may be blessed…" (Rosh Hashanah 16a). The Kohanim poured water on the Mizbei'ach on Sukkot; they did not recite Tefilat Geshem. The Gemara speaks of Avodot Hamikdash that consisted of acts and deeds, not prayer. In Bayit Sheini, the Levitical choir accompanied Korbanot Tzibur (communal sacrifices) with instruments and the singing of T'hilim (Psalms). II Divrei Hayamim 20:21 refers to the Levitical music as Hadrat Kodesh - the beauty of holiness. The Leviyim played musical instruments and "sang praises with gladness" but they did not offer prayer. (Interestingly enough, while many T'hilim were composed by Leviyim, none were composed by Kohanim.) When the Kohanim slaughtered the sacrificial animals, received the blood and conveyed it to the Mizbei'ach, Kohanim chanted no prayers or hymns. Nor is it recorded that they prayed on behalf of the farmer who brought his Bikurim to the Mikdash as ordained. The Kohanim merely received the basket of Bikurim from the farmer and silently placed it next to the Mizbei'ach. (In D'varim 26:5, only the farmer articulates the declaration found in the Torah, the Kohein is silent. However, many farmers were unable to recite the required declaration (D'varim 26:1-12) unaided. Embarrassed, this inability to fulfill the Mitzvah caused many of them to stop bringing their Bikurim to the Mikdash. The Sages therefore ordained, "Those who could recite and also those who could not recite would repeat" the declaration word by word after the Kohein [Bikurim 3:7]). Neither did the Kohanim pray for the healed Metzora ("leper"). It is instructive that the elaborate rites for the purification and the atonement of the Metzora began only after the Kohein pronounced him healed. The many Avodot performed by the Kohein Gadol on Yom Kippur, with the exception of a "short prayer" (Yoma 5:1) were all performed in silence. This prayer was not an organic part of the Avoda and there is no mention of such a prayer in the Torah. Moreover, it is significant that the Kohein Gadol recited his "short prayer" only after he exited the Kodesh HaKodashim. Perhaps the divinely ordained Avodot in the Beit HaMikdash - where the celestial worlds intersected with the terrestrial - had such an exulted aura of holiness that the prayers of mere mortals would only serve to distract. Yet, despite the conspicuous absence of prayer in the Mikdash, there was a regular "morning Minyan" in the Azara! Every day, the Kohanim "betook themselves to Lishkat Hagazit (the Chamber of Hewn Stone, the seat of the Sanhedrin) to recite the Shema" (Tamid 4:3). This "Mikdash Minyan", which met in Lishkat Hagazit, was well organized; it even had officials. "The Chazzan of the synagogue would take a Scroll of the Law and give it to the head of the synagogue and the head of the synagogue would give it to the deputy Kohein Gadol who in turn would give it to the Kohein Gadol (to read in the Azara on Yom Kippur before Am Yisrael)… (Yoma7:1). What was the role of the Mikdash "shul president"? Bartenura thought that the "head of the synagogue" was the "Gabbai". He decided, "who said the Maftir… and who went before the Teiva and 'conducted services'". However, the Gemara in B'rachot posits that the deputy Kohein Gadol was the real decision maker. "The deputy Kohein Gadol said to (the Kohanim), 'Say one benediction (Ahava Rabba) and they said the benediction and then they recited the Ten Commandments, the Shema (and Ve'ahavta), Vehaya Im Shamo'a, and Va'yomer and three benedictions with the people, Emet Ve'yatziv, Retzei, and Birkat Kohanim. (This "Mikdash minyan" probably also included Leviyim; they had to say the Sh'ma too! Public recitations in the Azara were not part of the Avoda!) On Shabbat, they said an additional benediction; the outgoing Mishmar (of Kohanim) blessed the new company of incoming Kohanim. 'May He who caused His name to dwell in this House cause to dwell among you love and brotherhood and peace and friendship'" (B'rachot 12a). When the Mikdash was destroyed, the Sages tried to find connections between prayer (the "alternative Avoda" of the Sages, so to speak) and the "original" Avoda of the Mikdash. "Why did they say that the morning prayer could be recited up to midday? Because the regular morning sacrifice (Tamid Boker) could be brought until midday… Why did they say that the afternoon service might be brought until evening? …Because the regular afternoon offering (Tamid Bein Ha'arbayim) could be brought until the evening… And why did they say that for the evening service, there is no limit (i.e. it could be said until morning). Because the limbs and the fat (of the Korbanot), which could not be consumed on the Mizbei'ach by evening, could be burnt all night… Moreover, why did they say that the additional prayers (Musaf said on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Chagim) could be said all day? Because the Musafin (on these days) could be brought during the entire day…." (B'rachot 26b). 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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