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.

The Korbanot - "Accoutrements" of Holiness
There is a well-known Mishna, “Kol Hatadir Meichaveiro, Kodem Et Chaveiro” (Z'vachim 10:1) which roughly means, “Whatever Korbanot are more 'common' (i.e., they are offered more often in the Mikdash), take priority and are offered before the "less common" Korbanot. This pithy Mishnaic extract serves as an introduction to practical "Korbanics" because it explains the sequence that must be followed in the Mikdash when the Torah ordains that two or more types of Korbanot are to be offered on the same day. Basing itself on this rationale, the Mishna continues, “The T'midim (daily Olot brought every morning and afternoon) precede the Musafim (additional offerings). The Musaf of Shabbat precede the Musafim of Rosh Chodesh. (Shabbat is weekly while Rosh Chodesh is monthly.) The Musaf of Rosh Chodesh precede the Musaf of Rosh Hashana, Rosh Chodesh being monthly and Rosh Hashana being but once a year. Therefore, when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat, the Tamid Shel Boker is offered first. It is followed by the Musaf of Shabbat and only then by the Rosh Chodesh Musaf.

However, Z'vachim 10:2 institutes another standard of measurement (for primarily private sacrifices) in determining which Korban has precedence. “Whatever [Korban] is more holy proceeds the other (Korbanot that are less holy).” Rashi, in essence, comments that a Korban that has an additional “indication” of holiness is intrinsically superior to a Korban that does not have this additional “indication” of holiness. For this reason, the “superior” Korban that possesses extra "accoutrements of holiness" has precedence in the order of sacrifice. The Mishna continues, “The blood of the Chatat (sin offering) precedes the blood of the Olah (burnt offering) because it effectuates atonement.” The sacrificial blood placed on the four Karnot Hamizbei’ach, the unique blood application of the Chatat, atones for inadvertent transgressions of specific serious prohibitions. In contrast to the Chatat, the Kohein makes only two (non-atoning) blood- tossing applications on the altar for the Olah. He first tosses blood on the northeast and then the southwest corner of the altar. Even though the blood does splatter on the edges of all four sides, the blood is considered as tossed only twice, or in the language of the Sages, "Shtei Matanot Shehein Arba". Therefore, if a Kohein performing Avoda must choose between applying the blood of a Chatat or an Olah to the Mizbei’ach, he must do the Chatat first because the “blood of the Chatat” possesses these extra "accoutrements of holiness". However, “the Eivarim (cut up parts of the sacrificial animal) of an Olah precede the Emurim of the Chatat. They are burnt on the altar first because, (unlike the meat of the Chatat), the Eivarim of the Olah are "completely consigned to the flames". In contradistinction to the Olah which is completely devoted to G-d, aside from the Emurim, the meat of the Chatat is eaten by Kohanim, obviously a lower level of holiness.

The Mishna continues, “The Chatat precedes the Asham (the guilt offering) since its blood is sprinkled on the four Karnot Hamizbei’ach… While the Chatat and the Asham both atone for specific sins, the inadvertent sins atoned for by the Chatat are considerably more serious than the various transgressions atoned for by the various Ashamot. The Chatat has a visible extra accoutrement of holiness, which the Asham lacks; the blood application of the Chatat consists of four applications while the Asham, similar to the Olah, only has two blood applications. “The Asham precedes the Toda (thanksgiving offering) and the ram of the Nazarite because [the Asham is a member of the group of] Korbanot called Kodshei Kodashim – the sacrifices of a higher level of authority and the Todah and the ram of the Nazarite are only Kodashim Kalim, sacrifices with a lower level of sanctity. “The Toda and the ram of the Nazarite precede the Shelamim (peace offering) since they are eaten on the same day and require a bread offering.” Interestingly, even though the Kohein tosses blood on the corners of the altar twice for Shelamim (and the Korban Toda which in reality is a particular type of Shelamim), apparently, this is outweighed by the fact that the Toda and the ram of the Nazarite were eaten only on the day of slaughter and required a bread offering. The Shelamim was eaten on the day of slaughter, the following night and the next day and did not require a bread offering.

"Shelamim precedes the Bechor (firstling) because its blood offering requires a four-fold sprinkling (four in the context of "Shtei Matanot Shehein Arba" that is) and the laying on of hands (Semicha), and libation-offerings (Nesachim), and the waving of the breast and thigh." The fact that Shelamim are eaten "by any person" and that the Bechor "was eaten [only] by Kohanim" does not seem to be a factor and is outweighed by the Shelamim's extra "accoutrement of holiness", i.e., the more elaborate blood application and the additional Mitzvot associated with it. The next Mishna continues this theme. "The Bechor precedes Ma'aser [Beheima, animal tithes] since it (Bechor) is holy from the womb, and is eaten [only] by the Kohanim. Ma'aser precedes the Bird-Offerings since it is an animal offering, and its blood, and its sacrificial portions are most holy" (in the sense that they are burnt on the altar). This is very strange because Bird-Offerings can only be Chatot or Olot, both of which are Kodshei Kodashim, sacrifices of a higher level of sanctity, while Ma'aser is Kodashim Kalim, sacrifices of a lower level of sanctity. Even the meat of the Bird- Chatat which is eaten by the Kohanim is classified as Kodshei Kodashim and may be eaten only in the Azara, which is not the case with Ma'aser meat. This would indicate that the Bird-Chatat has a higher level of sanctity than Ma'aser whose meat is only Kodashim Kalim and eaten "by any man (i.e. a Yisrael, man or woman in a state of purity) anywhere in the City [Jerusalem] (Zevachim 5:8). However, the Emurim (sac- rificial portions) of all animal sacrifices are burnt on the Mizbei'ach; on the other hand, not all Bird-Offerings are burnt on the Mizbei'ach. Bird-Olot are burnt on the Mizbei'ach, but Bird Chata'ot are not burnt on the Mizbei'ach. Since Ma'aser is a slaughtered sacrifice, in contradistinction to Bird-Offerings which are "dispatched" by Malika ("pinching of the head – the "bird equivalent" of Shechita), as well as the fact that two of its components are offered on the Mizbei'ach (blood and Emurim) in contradistinction to Bird-Offerings, where – at least sometimes – only one component (blood) is offered on the altar, outweigh the bird-offering's designation as Kodshei Kodashim. The next Mishna reads, "The Bird-Offerings precede the Meal-Offerings because they are included in the class of blood offerings …"

What does all this teach us? That everything in the Mikdash had its ordained order.

Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim’s Perspective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service