Meir Enters the Beit HaMokeid - A Story The Kohanim of the Mishmeret had gathered outside the northern side of Beit HaMokeid (Chamber of the Hearth) when suddenly the massive doors swung open revealing the jovial Rosh Mishmeret. "B'ruchim Haba'im Be'sheim Hashem". Not surprisingly, the minute the Kohanim crossed the threshold, they suddenly became quiet. True, strictly speaking, they were not yet on holy ground, but even so, the Kohanim were longer part of this mundane world. The Mikdash had worked its magic! Though he had been serving in the Mikdash for decades, Meir suddenly felt a familiar sense of awe. Cognizant of the awesome responsibility he "and his brothers the priests" bore, he promised himself that he would be the best and the most conscientious Kohein he could. He would make his ancestor Aaron proud of him! He knew before Whom he was standing! The Rosh Mishmeret interrupted Meir's reverie when he started reading a list of names from a sheet of paper. No one was missing. A large domed building, Beit Hamokeid was so named because of the fire that was continually kept burning there. Preparations for the daily Avoda began before dawn and the Kohanim who rose long before sunup slept there. The walls were lined with stone step-like structures upon which they would sleep; the older Kohanim would sleep on top, the younger Kohanim would sleep lower down, and the youngest slept on the floor. Balancing his mattress, one of the novices leaned over and whispered to Meir, "What's that big metal ring jutting out of the floor?" Meir explained that the keys of the Mikdash were kept in a hollow underneath. "Every night, the Segan (Deputy Kohein Gadol), the Rosh Mishmeret, and the Ish Har HaBayit, who is charge of Mikdash security (Midot 1:2), make the rounds of the Mikdash and make sure all the doors are locked. When they are finished, they bring the keys here. They lift a slab of stone by means of the ring, slip the keys into a hole underneath, and replace the stone. Then one of the younger Kohanim will sleep on top of it (Midot 1:9). At night we seal the doors of Beit HaMokeid shut from the inside and Leviyim stand guard outside." Without further ado, the Rosh Mishmeret led them through a small chamber located in the northwest corner of Beit HaMokeid and down a winding, illuminated stairway, which led to a large underground hall called the Chamber of Immersion. The Kohanim used the Mikva'ot there even if ritually pure because no Kohein, Levi or Yisrael could enter the Azara unless he had previously immersed (Yoma 3:3). The au naturel Kohanim lined up and one after the other plunged into the freezing water. Meir screamed. He had forgotten how ice-cold the subterranean Mikva'ot could be! Shivering, the Kohanim toweled themselves dry and dressed. Fortunately, the Leviyim always kept a roaring fire going for the benefit of the freezing Kohanim! There were also bathrooms for their use. Leading the parade, the Rosh Mishmeret led his charges into the Azara where Lishkat Pinchas HaMalbish was located. Built into the wall north of the Nicanor Gate, this storeroom contained the Bigdei Kehuna, the priestly garments. Meir was explaining to one of the younger Kohanim. "There are 96 compartments in Lishkat Pinchas HaMalbish… where they keep the Bigdei Kehuna. Each Mishmeret has four compartments, making 96, since there are 24 Mishmarot. The name of each Mishmeret is inscribed on its four compartments and they are always kept locked. Each Mishmeret has four compartments, one for each different priestly garment. When Kohanim of a new Mishmeret arrive, the "Keeper of the Vestments", together with the Rosh Mishmeret, open the Mishmeret's compartments and distribute the garments." (Note Rambam, Hilchot Klei HaMikdash 8:8,9). The Keeper of the Vestments and his efficient staff were very busy. The Mishmarot are divided into a number of Batei Av (family units), and daily, new groups of Kohanim arrive at Pinchas HaMalbish, and the Keeper of the Vestments supervises their outfitting. (He also has to make sure that the Kohanim return their Bigdei Kehuna before leaving Mikdash grounds so they can be sent to the Mikdash laundry for cleaning and repairs.) When the Kohanim donned their Bigdei Kehuna, they sometimes found that some garments were too big and some were too small. Experienced by now, the Kohanim traded among themselves and miraculously, everyone ended up with garments that fit. ("Mikdash Central Supply" never seemed to understand that the garments that they provided had to fit the Kohanim perfectly, and Kohanim, by nature, come in different sizes. If a Kohein performed the Avoda wearing Bigdei Kehuna that were either too long or too short, the Avoda was invalid!) Suitably garbed, the Kohanim returned to Beit HaMokeid and got a tour of the building. "Do all of you see these marking on the floor? South of the markings is holy ground. Do not sit down or do anything else inappropriate south of the markings. Your living space is north of the markings." Then they sat down for their evening meal and the first time ate Kodashim. The Rosh Mishmeret reminded them, "Don't forget. Even though you are pure and you just immersed in a Mikve, before eating Kodashim, you still must immerse your hands in a Mikve." After they finished their repast and said Birkat HaMazon, the Segan, who had joined them, got up and said a few words. He then invited the Kohanim to ask any questions they might have on the Avoda. The Rosh Mishmeret made a few announcements and then brought up a point about which there had been a misunderstanding. After acknowledging that the language of the "Mikdash Manual of Instruction (Revised Edition)" was unclear, he explained that before retiring, the Bigdei Kehuna were to be folded and placed near their heads not under them" (Tamid 1:1, but note Rambam etc.). He noted that the priestly garments contained Kil'ayim, the mixture of linen and wool which are forbidden for ordinary use (Note Vayikra 19:19 and Devarim 22:10). He continued, "While it is a Mitzva for you to wear Bigdei Kehuna containing Kil'ayim during Avoda, you are not permitted to derive any other benefit from them. Therefore, you cannot wrap them up and use them as pillows. Furthermore, the use of priestly garments for pillows might be construed as showing disdain if not outright contempt for the holy vestments. Besides, if you use the garments as pillows, it will wrinkle them and the resultant creases will detract from their beauty. So fold them carefully and put them near your head, not under it." Later that evening, the Segan, the Ish Har Habayit, and the Rosh Mishmeret made sure that all the doors in the Mikdash complex were locked and that nothing was amiss. Nightly routine completed, the Rosh Mishmeret returned to Beit HaMokeid and gave the keys to Meir. Meir returned them to their hole in the floor and covered them with a slab of stone and the Rosh Mishmeret assigned one of the young Kohanim to stretch his mattress over the covering stone slab. There he would sleep. The Kohanim recited K'ri'at Sh'ma together and settled down for the night. They were excited. Tomorrow, they would be performing the Avoda in the Temple of the Most High! 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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