SHEYIBANEH BEIT HAMIKDASH...
A series of articles on Beit HaMikdash-related topics by Catriel Sugarman intended to increase the knowledge, interest, and anticipation of the reader, thereby hastening the realization of our hopes and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.

Clarification and Questions
Last week, I began my weekly TT column on "sacred space" by quoting the famous Mishnayot in Keilim (1:6-9). "There are ten grades of holiness: Eretz Yisrael is holier than all other lands. And what is the nature of its holiness? That from it are brought the Omer..." When our punctilious TT editor (and a few other people as well) opened up his Mishna and counted, he found eleven "grades" of holiness, not ten! Why the discrepancy? Lacking an immediate answer, I promised to investigate and found, not surprisingly, that this question had been asked before. Rav Hai Gaon states that even though the Mishna indeed begins, "Eretz Yisrael is holier than all other lands", the Holy Land is not included in the "ten grades of holiness". R. Hai Gaon's conception of sacred space is defined by the necessity of excluding certain kinds of impurity and certain classifications of people from its sphere. The structural relationship between the "subdivisions" is determined by access and exclusion. Since no forms of Tum'a or impure people are banned from all of Eretz Yisrael, the Gaon does not include it in his definition of sacred space. Rambam posits that the beginning of the Mishna, "There are ten grades of holiness: Eretz Yisrael is holier than all other lands, etc.” is not an integral part of that Mishna at all, but rather is the opinion of the Tanna R. Yosi and that in fact, the Sages posited that there were eleven levels of holiness, not ten. They maintained that the "area between the Ulam (the entrance hall of the Bayit) and the Mizbei'ach is still more holy for none (i.e. no Kohanim) that has a Moom (a physical blemish) or ... may enter there. The Heichal is still more holy for no one whose hands and feet are unwashed may enter it." R. Yosi on the other hand, drew no such distinction between the area between the Ulam and the Mizbei'ach. Finally, similar to the Gaon, the Rambam rules (Hil. Beit Habechira 7:12) that "All Eretz Yisrael is holier than other lands" is merely an introduction. In the next Halacha (7:13) he continues, "There are ten "grades" of holiness within Eretz Yisrael, one greater than the other" and in the next few Halachot, proceeds to list them. The Bartenura notes, "The Geonim did not include Eretz Yisrael in the ten 'grades' of holiness". Tosafot Yom Tov and Tif'eret Yisrael concur.

The Ritual Purity of Kohanim Bizman Hazeh - a Clarification
To my gracious caller with the English accent whose name escapes me. I wrote in last week's TT, "Even today when there is no Beit Hamikdash, it is a Mitzva for a Kohein not to permit himself to be defiled by Tum'at Meit. However, Bizman Hazeh - since the destruction of the Temple - the ritual purity of Kohanim is only nominal, it is not real. If a baby is born in a hospital (where there are inevitably corpses), he is irrevocably tainted with Tum'at Meit because there are no extant ashes of the Para Aduma, and therefore, there is no way to purify him. The absence of the Mikdash precludes the possibility of preparing the purifying 'potent' of the Para Aduma, ergo, Bizman Hazeh, all Kohanim are considered to be T'mei'ei Meit.

Nevertheless, Kohanim, in deference to their priestly status, are still required to observe certain stringencies, e.g., not entering cemeteries, etc." The Ba'al Sefer HaChinuch writes that the 262nd Mitzva (from Parshat Emor) is that a Kohein Hedyot (a "common" Kohein in contradistinction to a Kohein Gadol) may not ritually defile himself by coming into contact with the dead with the exception of the specific close relatives mentioned in Scripture (father, mother, etc.)". The reason given is that "Kohanim are chosen for G-d's service, blessed be He, as it is written (in reference to the Kohanim), "Be holy unto your G-d." However, the Chinuch concludes, "This Mitzva applies to male Kohanim every place and all times (including our time)...” Rambam's Sefer Hamitzvot (prohibition 167) concurs. Neither the Chinuch nor the Rambam differentiate between the necessity of Kohanim to avoid Tum'at Meit in Temple days or Bizman Hazeh. Ramban (Vayikra 21:1) comments that the "Kohanim are admonished not to defile themselves with the dead L'olam - forever - even when they do not come to the Mikdash, because it is a characteristic of their very being" (and therefore must be observed for all time). Bizman Hazeh, a Kohein does not eschew Tum'at Meit because of ritual purity; when he entered this world, he was irrevocably tainted with Tum'at Meit. The avoidance of Tum'at Meit today is a more of a Zeicher LeMikdash, "remembrance of the Temple". However, by observing the "Kohanic stringencies", when the Mikdash is rebuilt, and Kohanim will need to be in a state of purity at all times so they can properly perform Avoda, it will be second nature for them to do so. The Mitzva that the Torah assigned to the Kohanim does not lose its force even in our post-destruction era, however the reason for its observance has changed.

Kedusha and "Radiation"!
Dear Catriel, I deal with tourists so I ask your indulgence for a "klutz kashe" I have received. One person has written about this subject but others have asked as well concerning Kedusha. They claim there is a similarity between it and radiation. In fact, they compare the Temple to a nuclear reactor with the core being the Holy of Holies and if one approaches too closely to holiness, it can result in death. How do you relate to such an analogy? Best regards, Daniel Gwertzman

A good analogy! The Torah recognizes a dichotomy between Kedusha (holiness) and Tum'a (impurity). However, despite the existence of these two exclusionary realms and the Torah's belief in the substantiality of Tum'a, impurity is not awarded the status of an independent primary force. Unlike Zoroastrianism, which postulates a cosmic dualism and a cosmic conflict between two antagonistic realms, the world of the Torah is unified. Unquestionably, there are certain parallels between the holy and radiation - both are active and potentially very dangerous. If someone contaminates the Mishkan (or the Mikdash) he dies (Vayikra 15:31). "A fire came forth and consumed" the sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu because "they brought a strange fire before G-d, that He had not commanded (Vayikra 10:1). Similarly, the 250 Incense offerers (of Korach's coterie died by "divine fire" because they presumptuously challenged the ordained Divine order. Uziyahu Hamelech was struck with Tzara'at when he brazenly marched into the Mikdash to offer incense (II Divrei Hayamim 26:19). Like the core of a nuclear reactor, death threatens all who approach the holy by unauthorized people or without the proper preparation. The well-meaning Uza was struck down for touching the Aron Habrit (II Sh'muel 6:6). And in Uza's case, it was not presumption at all! With the best intentions, he only wanted to save the Aron from toppling over when the oxen pulling the wagon stumbled! <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