Zichronos book cover Zichronos is in print! Order your copy on Amazon
BEIT HAMIKDASH

What's the Real Purpose of the Beis Hamikdash?

What's the Real Purpose of the Beis Hamikdash?

Part of Beit Hamikdash · 27:40

A Rambam-Ramban machloket on the core purpose of the Temple, its physical layout, and how kavanah transforms an ordinary mitzvah like tefillin.

Audio Transcript
The Six Temple-Related Mitzvot

ืžืฆื•ืช ืขืฉื” ืฉืœืฉ, ืžืฆื•ืช ืœื ืชืขืฉื” ืฉืœืฉ, three positive mitzvot, three negative mitzvot. ื•ื–ื”ื• ืคืจื˜ืŸ, these are the six mitzvot. Number one, ืœื‘ื ื•ืช ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, there's a mitzvah to build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. Number two, ืฉืœื ืœื‘ื ื•ืช ื”ืžื–ื‘ื— ื’ื–ื™ืช, you can't build the mizbeach with stones which were cut like by a, with a knife. ืฉืœื ืœืขืœื•ืช ืขืœื™ื• ื‘ืžืขืœื•ืช, you're not allowed to walk up to the mizbeach with steps, you have to go on a ramp, you can't go up steps. ื•ื™ืจืื” ืžืŸ ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, you have to be afraid of the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, and doesn't mean of the building, you have to be afraid of the one that's in the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, or the one that commanded us to build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. Then there's a ืžืฆื•ื” ืœืฉืžืจื• ืกื‘ื™ื‘, you always have to have shemirah, there always has to be people standing guard night by the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. And then there's a ืžืฆื•ืช ืœื ืชืขืฉื”, ืฉืœื ืœื”ืฉื‘ื™ืช ืฉืžื™ืจืชื•, to say, not to ruin the shemirah. In other words, the shemirah is a positive mitzvah, and if you don't have the shemirah, then you're over on a ืœื ืชืขืฉื”, on a negative mitzvah. ื•ื‘ื™ืื•ืจ ืžืฆื•ืช ืืœื• ื‘ืคืจืงื™ื ืืœื•, and the biur of these mitzvot is, is coming perakim. ื–ืื’ื˜ ื“ืขืจ Rambam ืื–ื•ื™: ืžืฆื•ืช ืขืฉื” ืœืขืฉื•ืช ื‘ื™ืช ืœื”ืณ, there's a mitzvat aseh to make a house LaHashem, for ื”ืณ, ืžื•ื›ืŸ ืœื”ื™ื•ืช ืžืงืจื™ื‘ื™ื ื‘ื• ื”ืงืจื‘ื ื•ืช. And the

Rambamโ€™s View on the Templeโ€™s Purpose

Rambam says, what is the purpose of the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ? You should have a house ready where you are able to bring ืงืจื‘ื ื•ืช, ื•ื—ื•ื’ื’ื™ืŸ ืืœื™ื• ืฉืœื•ืฉ ืคืขืžื™ื ื‘ืฉื ื”, where you could be able to celebrate three times a year, other words, the place where you'll be able to ืขื•ืœื” ืจื’ืœ. ืฉื ืืžืจ, it says, ื•ืขืฉื• ืœื™ ืžืงื“ืฉ, ื”ืณ gave a mitzvah to make a mikdash. ื•ื›ื‘ืจ ื ืชืคืจืฉ ื‘ืชื•ืจื” ืžืฉื›ืŸ ืฉืขืฉื” ืžืฉื” ืจื‘ื™ื ื•, in the Torah we learn about the mishkan that Moshe made, which was basically the beginning of the building of the Beit Hamikdash, but ืฉื”ื™ื” ืœืคื™ ืฉืขื”, that was only temporarily. ืฉื ืืžืจ, cuz it says, ื›ื™ ืœื ื‘ืืชื ืขื“ ืขืชื”, ื“ืขืจ ืื™ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ said: in the meantime you didn't come yet ืืœ ื”ืžื ื•ื—ื” ื•ืืœ ื”ื ื—ืœื”, to the resting place. And that's going to be more by Shiloh, as we'll see in a second, and even more by the Beit Hamikdash. But the mitzvah the Rambam holds is to make a place that you should be have a place to build bring korbanot. Now there's a machloket between the Rambam and the Ramban, cuz the Beit Hamikdash had really two ืขื ื™ื ื™ื in it: a place for the ืฉื›ื™ื ื”, ื”ืฉืจืืช ื”ืฉื›ื™ื ื”, and a place for korbanot. Everyone agrees that these are the two things for the Beit Hamikdash. Machloket is,

Ramban vs Rambam: What Is the Ikar?

which of the two is the ikar? The Ramban holds the ikar is the place for the ืฉื›ื™ื ื”, and then also we bring korbanot. And the Rambam holds the ikar is ืžื•ื›ืŸ ืœื”ื™ื•ืช ืžืงืจื™ื‘ ื‘ื• ืงืจื‘ื ื•ืช, that's mainly a place for korbanot. Even though we're going to see later that you don't need a ื‘ื™ืช to make korbanot. When they built the Beit Hamikdash, the second Beit Hamikdash, they started bringing korbanot before the building was up. Why? Because the ื ื‘ื™ื said, the three ื ื‘ื™ืื™ื came, one of the ื ื‘ื™ื ื ื‘ื™ืื™ื told them that ืžืงืจื™ื‘ื™ืŸ ืงืจื‘ื ื•ืช ื‘ืžื–ื‘ื— ืืฃ ืขืœ ืคื™ ืฉืื™ืŸ ืฉื ื‘ื™ืช, even though you don't have a house. Like a bamah? Ah no, you can't, after they build the Beit Hamikdash, no more bamot. We're going to see in a second, as soon as they build the first ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, ื ืืกืจื• ื”ื‘ืžื•ืช ืขื•ืœืžื™ืช, never, there's no such thing as a bamah. Still it has to be on the ืžืงื•ื ื”ืžื–ื‘ื—. Yeah, that's for sure, it has to be on the ืžืงื•ื ื”ืžื–ื‘ื—. But even if you don't have the building, if you don't have the house, you could still build on that, bring korbanot in that place. But it seems like that's only afterwards, after you have the house, and now, even if the house will break, even if you will not have the building, you still can bring korbanot on the ืžืงื•ื ื”ืžื–ื‘ื—. But lechatchilah, to be able to make it into a place to bring korbanot, you must have the ื‘ื™ืช. And that's what the Rambam says here, the ืžืฆื•ืช ืขืฉื” is ืœืขืฉื•ืช ื‘ื™ืช ืœื”ืณ, what for? ืžื•ื›ืŸ ืœื”ื™ื•ืช ืžืงืจื™ื‘ ื‘ื• ืงืจื‘ื ื•ืช, a place for you to be able to bring korbanot. ื•ืฉื›ื ืชื™ ื‘ืชื•ื›ื. No, that's, that's true also. Yeah, but that's not, no, ื•ืฉื›ื ืชื™ ื‘ืชื•ื›ื, what does it mean ื•ืฉื›ื ืชื™ ื‘ืชื•ื›ื? It's another pasuk. The she'eilah, no, that's the Rambam in Hilchot, Hilchot Melachim, there is a different pasuk. relates to the korbanot more than... Yeah, but the vort is why, avadai it's because of the Shechinah. But is that the tachlit? That's for sure that the Shechinah is there, and why are you able to bring korbanot in the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ? Because the Shechinah is there. The she'eilah is, what is the tachlit? Is the Shechinah only like, you need the ืฉื›ื™ื ื” ื›ื“ื™ to be able to bring korbanot, so the tachlit tachlit is the korbanot? Or you say no, the tachlit is the place of the ืฉื›ื™ื ื”, ืœืคื•ืขืœ, it's a place you bring korbanot. Classic to the Ramban ...Shechinah... ื•ืฉื›ื ืชื™ ื‘ืชื•ื›ื. Yeah, but why, it does, the Torah doesn't say, that's what's going to happen, it doesn't say why I want the Shechinah. The Rambam learned, which he has ืจืื™ื•ืช from other places, obviously. But anyway, this is what the Mishkan is. So if the temple is not there, but the makom still has the ื”ืฉืจืืช ื”ืฉื›ื™ื ื”? So when you bring korbanot Yeah, like ืœื ื–ื–ื” ืฉื›ื™ื ื”... Right, ืœื ื–ื–ื” ืฉื›ื™ื ื” ืžื›ื•ืชืœ ื–ื”, ืฉื›ื™ื ื” never left, and it says ื•ื”ืฉืžื•ืชื™ ืืช ืžืงื“ืฉื™ื›ื, that ืืคื™ืœื• ื‘ืฉืขื” ืฉื”ืžืงื“ืฉ ืฉืžื, ืฉืžื meaning it's desolate, it's dead, still is, is, is ืืช ืžืงื“ืฉื™ื›ื, it's still ืžืงื“ืฉ, it's still ืžืงื•ื ืงื“ื•ืฉ. The ืฉืืœื” is, are you ื—ื™ื™ื‘ ื›ืจืช if you walk up there when you're ื˜ืžื? So that's the ืžื—ืœื•ืงืช later on between the Rambam and the and the Raavad. The Rambam holds So if anybody walks onto the ืžืงื•ื ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ now, while we're all ื˜ืžื, ื—ื™ื™ื‘ ื›ืจืช. Because the ืงื“ื•ืฉื” is the same. The Raavad learned that because of that there is no ื—ื™ื•ื‘ ื›ืจืช. But that there's a ืžืงื•ื ืงื“ื•ืฉ, that everyone agrees. It's automatic that to bring the ืงืจื‘ื ื•ืช ื”ืฉืจืืช ื”ืฉื›ื™ื ื” is already there. Yeah, the ืฉืืœื” is you have You can't bring the ืงืจื‘ื ื•ืช without the ื”ืฉืจืืช ื”ืฉื›ื™ื ื”. We can't go if we're ื˜ืžื, but ื”ืฉืจืืช ื”ืฉื›ื™ื ื”. Yeah, the ืฉืืœื” is how far it goes. Are you ื—ื™ื™ื‘ ื›ืจืช, so much so, or not? Do we have measurements? Huh? We have measurements exactly where is the It seems like it, it seems like it. It seems like it. I mean the measurements we have, the only problem is that the the Dome of the Rock, that's the ืื‘ืŸ ื”ืฉืชื™ื™ื” they say. The rock is ืื‘ืŸ ื”ืฉืชื™ื™ื”. According to the ื—ืฉื‘ื•ืŸ where the rock is now, is not the exact ืžืงื•ื ืžืงื•ื ืงื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื. And that's why there is a confusion there. Did the rock move? They say the rock maybe moved, after hundreds, thousands of years, things shift maybe, moved, whatever. Okay. We have to destroy ื‘ื™ืช ืืœ ืืงืฆื. Which we have to destroy? Inside Inside the That's where the rock is. Inside? And that's they claim it's the ืื‘ืŸ ื”ืฉืชื™ื™ื”. In the mosque. In the mosque. In the mosque, yeah. That's why it's called the Dome of the Rock. Has a dome, that building, their their ืชื™ืคืœื” has a dome. I know, but they call it Dome of the Rock, because under that dome is the rock. The rock is huge. Yeah. No, it's not. Yes, it is. ืืชื” ืœื ืจืื™ืช ืืช ื”ืชืžื•ื ื” ืฉืœื™? ืœื ืจืื™ืชื™. ืื ื™ ืื ื™ ืจืื™ืชื™. ืœื ืจืื™ืช? ืจื•ืื™ื ืืช ื–ื”. It's very big. It takes up the whole center of the That's the ืฉืืœื”, they said the ืฉืืœื” is that really the ืื‘ืŸ ื”ืฉืชื™ื™ื”? It's not clear. So who would know exactly where where would the place be? Well, we could measure. From where? From where? No, from what we have written, from ื”ืจ ื”ื‘ื™ืช where it starts. The walls of the ื”ื›ื•ืชืœ ื”ืžืขืจื‘ื™ which is the outer wall. Okay, it's not only that, the Radbaz, the Radbaz measured. They even have, ืขื“ ื”ื™ื•ื ื”ื–ื”, I think they call the the chains of the Radbaz, the Radbaz ringelach, a certain area where there are certain chains and this is where the Radbaz said that until here. I remember there was a school there, like a public school, that before the Six-Day War when you couldn't go at the ืžืงื•ื I mean, so there was a school that you could go through the through the window and from the window you were able to see the ืžืงื•ื ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, and they knew that the window is the end, you couldn't stick your head out. Because that's already in in the ืžืงื•ื which according to the Radvaz it's... Goren came made his cheshbonot, he made up different cheshbonot, he said that you could walk further, I don't know what what he said, yeah. But there are cheshbonot. Anyway, so there's a mitzvah to make a Mikdash. The mitzvah started from ื•ืขืฉื• ืœื™ ืžืงื“ืฉ ื•ืฉื›ื ืชื™ ื‘ืชื•ื›ื. That was said in the Midbar. So, it started off by making a Mishkan in the Midbar. ื•ื›ื™ื•ืŸ ืฉื ื›ื ืกื• ืœืืจืฅ, when they came into ืืจืฅ ื™ืฉืจืืœ, ื”ืขืžื™ื“ื• ื”ืžืฉื›ืŸ ื‘ื’ืœื’ืœ ืืจื‘ืข ืขืฉืจื” ืฉื ื”, they took the same Mishkan and they put it up in Gilgal. Like this the Mishkan was in the Midbar, and they traveled with them. They came to Eretz Yisrael, the Mishkan was set up in Gilgal for 14 years, ืฉื›ื‘ืฉื•, 14 years it took them to conquer and to divide the land. ื•ืžืฉื, after that was finished, what happened to the Mishkan? It was hidden, ื ื’ื ื–, they put it away someplace. And then ื‘ืื• ืœืฉื™ืœื”, they came to ืฉื™ืœื”, ื‘ื ื” ืฉื ื‘ื™ืช ืฉืœ ืื‘ื ื™ื, there they built already a house, a house of rocks, not like the the the Mishkan which was mobile. It was a building, but there was no roof on it. ื•ืคืจืฉื• ื™ืจื™ืขื•ืช ื”ืžืฉื›ืŸ ืขืœื™ื•, on top the same ื™ืจื™ืขื•ืช that they used in the Mishkan that that was the ceiling, that was the roof of the Mishkan in Shiloh. The walls were stone, but the top was the ื™ืจื™ืขื•ืช. ื•ืœื ื”ื™ืชื” ืฉื ืชืงืจื”, had no roof. ื•ืฉืœืฉ ืžืื•ืช ื•ืฉืฉื™ื ื•ืชืฉืข ืฉื ื” ืขืžื“ ืžืฉื›ืŸ ืฉื™ืœื”. 369 years Shiloh stood. 360-? ืฉืฉื™ื ื•ืชืฉืข. ื•ื›ืฉืžืช ืขืœื™, when Eli died, ื—ืจื‘, destroyed. ื•ื‘ืื• ืœื ื•ื‘, they came to ื ื•ื‘, ื•ื‘ื ื• ืฉื ืžืงื“ืฉ, and they built a Mikdash in Nov. ื›ืฉืžืช ืฉืžื•ืืœ, when Shmuel died, ื—ืจื‘, that was destroyed, u-va'u la-Givon, they came to ื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ, ื•ื‘ื ื• ืฉื ืžืงื“ืฉ. Huh? That seems like it was the same as as Shiloh, it was a building. That's called still an ohel, because even even Shiloh is called an ohel. Till the Mishkan, because it's temporary. ื‘ื™ืช ืืจื–ื™ื, yeah. In an ohel. What did he mean by that it was destroyed? Yidden didn't destroy it. Yeah, Plishtim, no, by the Plishtim. Yeah, you learn in Tanach, by the, Eli, you know, by the Plishtim when they come, where they took away the ืืจื•ืŸ then. ื•ืžื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ ื‘ืื• ืœื‘ื™ืช ืขื•ืœืžื™ื. And from Givon already the next step was the Beit HaMikdash. And ื ื‘ ื•ื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ ืฉื‘ืข ื•ื—ืžื™ืฉื™ื ืฉื ื”, ื ื‘ and Givon together was 57 years. Why were korbanot not allowed in Shiloh, but were allowed in Shiloh was korbanot. Korbanot were allowed in Shiloh? Oh, any no in the other locations, but in Nov Nov and Depends when, at what times. There is an expression he says ื‘ื™ืช ืขื•ืœืžื™ื. They call today ื‘ื™ืช ืขื•ืœืžื™ื cemeteries. ืขื•ืœืžื™ื. ื‘ื™ืช ืขืœืžื™ืŸ. A ื‘ื™ืช ืขื•ืœื, ื‘ื™ืช ืขื•ืœื we also call it. A ื‘ื™ืช ืขื•ืœื, sorry. A place where you go forever. Cemetery is called. No, but ื‘ื™ืช ืขื•ืœืžื™ื means the the house that that is the place forever. That now nowhere else can you have a Beit HaMikdash. Till then you can have in Shiloh, you can have in here, you can have there. So, altogether if you make a cheshbon how many years it took from the mitzvah of ื•ืฉื›ื ืชื™, ื•ืขืฉื• ืœื™ ืžืงื“ืฉ till they build the Beit HaMikdash, very long time. 39 years in the ืžื“ื‘ืจ, 14 years in Gilgal, 369 in Shiloh, and and 57 in ื ื‘ ื•ื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ, and then first they had the Beit HaMikdash. How much is it? 479. How much is it? 479 years till the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ was built. ื›ื™ื•ื•ืŸ ืฉื ื‘ื ื” ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ ื‘ื™ืจื•ืฉืœื™ื, as soon as they build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ in ื™ืจื•ืฉืœื™ื, ื ืืกืจื• ื›ืœ ื”ืžืงื•ืžื•ืช ื›ื•ืœืŸ ืœื‘ื ื•ืช ื‘ื”ืŸ ื‘ื™ืช ืœื”ืณ. Nowhere else can you done, from then it becomes asur anywhere to build a house to ื”ืณ, ื•ืœื”ืงืจื™ื‘ ื‘ื”ืŸ ืงืจื‘ืŸ, to bring a korban. ื•ืื™ืŸ ืฉื ื‘ื™ืช ืœื“ื•ืจื™ ื“ื•ืจื•ืช ืืœื ื‘ื™ืจื•ืฉืœื™ื ื‘ืœื‘ื“, you can't have a house for Hashem for all generations, ever, only in Yerushalayim, and in Yerushalayim itself not every place of ื™ืจื•ืฉืœื™ื, ื•ื‘ื”ืจ ื”ืžื•ืจื™ื” ืฉื‘ื”, only in that area, that mountain which is called Har Hamoriah, or called later they called it ื”ืจ ื”ื‘ื™ืช, ืฉื‘ื” ื ืืžืจ, it's said on it, ื•ื™ืืžืจ ื“ื•ื“ ื–ื” ื”ื•ื ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืณ ื”ืืœืงื™ื, this is the house, ื•ื–ื” ืžื–ื‘ื— ืœืขื•ืœื” ืœื™ืฉืจืืœ, this is it. And even another pasuk says, ื–ืืช ืžื ื•ื—ืชื™ ืขื“ื™ ืขื“. This is my menuchah forever, and forever you can't. Cuz till then there were times yes, and times no. Times that they were allowed to have a bamah. Besides the fact that there was ืฉื™ืœื”, ื ื‘ ื•ื’ื‘ืขื•ืŸ, and that was called a ื‘ืžื” ื’ื“ื•ืœื”, a big bamah, then you were able to have a bamah in your own house. But when they build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, no more. That's a ื ื‘ื•ืื”, that's the Oh, the navi would just say. On this small bamah also the the kohanim has has to do the all the avodah there, right? So like a person can do it himself, the kohanim, there's no the same exact thing. Yeah, but only a few korbanot. Not all korbanot can you bring on a bamah. 39. Whatever whatever the the yiden worked, you know. I hear him, yeah. What was the numbers again? We might have had the wrong number. 14 14 First 39 No, first 39. Yeah, 14. Let's start all over. 39 14 14 Yeah. 369 369 Yeah. And 50 57. 57, that's 479. That's 479. But what was 57? 57 Ah, 57! 57, Nov v'Givon, yeah. 479. Okay, 479. That's what it is? Yeah. 479. 479 years from when they build the mishkan till and and from when they build, from when they entered Eretz Yisrael, 400 and From when they were entered, it was ืจื•ื‘ื• ืฉืœ 400 years, 400 and 60 years that built they build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. So, it was like a thousand years since Hashem told them to build it until they actually build it? No. 479 was the mishkan. No. Yeah, but they're right away, they didn't right away Oh, after the Yeah, so 470 from when Hashem said the mitzvah till they build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ was 479 years. And then 410 years stood the the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, the first ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, and 70 years of Galut Bavel, and the second was 410, 20. Huh? David build or not the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ? Shlomo. Huh? Shlomo built. David started. He made the foundation, Shlomo Yeah, David made the foundation and the ืฉืขืจื™ื. But that's why they didn't get destroyed. During David's time it was in Givon? Yeah, yeah, yeah. All of David's life it was in Givon. Not only in Shiloh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why not Givon? If Shiloh and Givon? Or Nov? Nov v'Givon, Nov v'Givon go together. We don't know exactly how much was in Nov, how much was in Givon. Nov v'Givon always goes together. The Shiloh and there's Nov v'Givon. Why did they move it from one place to another? That ื—ืจื‘, there's a war. There's a war with the Plishtim. This, so they destroyed it. So, they move someplace else. So, then the last the last thing is when Shlomo when Shlomo built it, that's when they finished this one, and they moved into this one. Right. And it took to build 7 years. But that's included in the 57? Well, seems like it, yeah. In the 57. Cuz why should they stop korbanot when they're able to have it, isn't it? No, they were able to do bamot until then, I thought. Yeah, yeah, but ื‘ืžื” ื’ื“ื•ืœื”. You have the ืžืงื•ื. It says here that Nov was twenty years ื›ืœืœ, yeah. It says, yeah? They bring ื—ืฉื‘ื•ื ื•ืช? ื‘ื›ืœืœ it's known that it's together, we don't know to divide the items. Or maybe, why can't you say the ื‘ืžื” is a ืจืื™ื” that it's for the ืฉื›ื™ื ื” that the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, not for korbanot, because korbanot you could have... Not all korbanot. On the ื‘ืžื”, you couldn't bring all korbanot. Only, only ืงืจื‘ืŸ ื ื“ื‘ื”. You can't bring ื—ื˜ืื•ืช and certain korbanot. It's very limited, very limited. ื‘ื ื™ืŸ ืฉื‘ื ื” ืฉืœืžื”, the building that Shlomo Hamelech built, ื›ื‘ืจ ืžืคื•ืจืฉ ื‘ืžืœื›ื™ื, that's in Melachim, it's explained. ื›ืŸ ื‘ื ื™ืŸ ื”ืขืชื™ื“ ืœื”ื‘ื ื•ืช, the building that will be built, the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ ื”ืฉืœื™ืฉื™, ืืฃ ืขืœ ืคื™ ืฉื”ื•ื ื›ืชื•ื‘ ื‘ื™ื—ื–ืงืืœ, even though Yechezkel describes it, ืื™ื ื• ืžืคื•ืจืฉ ื•ืžื‘ื•ืืจ, it's not clear. And because it's not clear, that's why in the second ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, they didn't use it, because it's a pele, always wondered. Yechezkel was given all the dimensions of the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ before the second ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. Yechezkel was before the second ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, and the Eibershter told him how to build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. So when they came to build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ after Yechezkel, why didn't they follow what it says in Yechezkel? The Eibershter didn't tell him it was going to be a third, they were told this is how you're going to build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. The answer is, because ืื™ื ื• ืžืคื•ืจืฉ ื•ืžื‘ื•ืืจ. It's, nothing there, it's not clear to do it. So they made it like the first one? Huh? So they made it like the first one. So, ืื ืฉื™ ื‘ื™ืช ืฉื ื™ ื›ืฉื‘ื ื• ื‘ื™ืžื™ ืขื–ืจื, therefore, when they built it, ื‘ื ื• ื›ื‘ื ื™ืŸ ืฉืœืžื”, they made it like the first, ื•ืžืขื™ืŸ ื“ื‘ืจื™ื ื”ืžืคื•ืจืฉื™ื ื‘ื™ื—ื–ืงืืœ, but certain things they made like Yechezkel which were very clear, they made certain things, but ื‘ืื•ืคืŸ ื›ืœืœื™, it's resembled the first ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. So the first didn't include any of Yechezkel? No, Yechezkel was written later, it was said later. You said it was before the first. Before the second! Yechezkel was before the second. The third will be like Yechezkel, right? The third will be like Yechezkel. If it's not clear, it'll be clear already. It'll be clarified. By the second one, they had the ื ื‘ื™ืื™ื also. What did the ื ื‘ื™ืื™ื by the second one... Ezra took them, and they had Chagai, Zechariah uMalachi. ...didn't know exactly what to do? No. No, from Yechezkel it wasn't clear. Yeah, but Ezra is a ื ื‘ื™ื by himself. The Eibershter didn't tell him. A ื ื‘ื™ื doesn't make up! Only what the Eibershter tells him. How did Shlomo know how to build the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ? David knew! How do you know? David wasn't a ื ื‘ื™ื. Hashem told him. Hashem didn't, it says ื”ื›ืœ, there's a ืคืกื•ืง, ื”ื›ืœ ื‘ื›ืชื‘ ืžื™ื“ ื”ืฉื ื”ืฉื›ื™ืœ. Everything was a ื›ืชื‘ from Hashem. David had a, he was talking about the, you think that Hashem... So, you see, he brought him the ื›ืชื‘. ื›ืชื‘, nu, that's what... That was a ื›ืชื‘ that was given by the Aibershter to Moshe Rabbeinu. And Moshe Rabbeinu gave it over, I guess, to Yehoshua, and went from generation to generation until it came to the time to build it. David got it, David gave it to Shlomo. ื›ืชื‘ is like a blueprint? A blueprint, it was pashut a ื›ืชื‘, it was a parchment and blueprint or it said or had pictures. Yeah, ืžื™ื“ ื”ืฉื, what it says, ื”ื›ืœ ื‘ื›ืชื‘ ืžื™ื“ ื”ืฉื ืขืœื™ ื”ืฉื›ื™ืœ. Yeah, the ื›ืชื‘ came from Hashem. When Mashiach is going to, it's going to be different, so Mashiach... Yeah, Mashiach is going to know exactly what to do, what's the, you're not going to make a, you'll know the peshat in Yechezkel. Right, it's going to be built already. It's going to be brought down... Well, that's a, that's that's already a machloket and then, this... ื•ืืœื• ื”ืŸ ื”ื“ื‘ืจื™ื ืฉื”ืŸ ืขื™ืงืจ ื‘ื‘ื ื™ืŸ ื”ื‘ื™ืช, and these are the things which is the most, the important parts in the structure: ืขื•ืฉื™ืŸ ื‘ื• ืงื“ืฉ ื•ืงื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื, the building has to have in it two parts, ืงื“ืฉ and ืงื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื, ื•ื™ื”ื™ื” ืœืคื ื™ ื”ืงื“ืฉ ืžืงื•ื ืื—ื“ ื•ื ืงืจื ืื•ืœื, and before the ืงื“ืฉ there's a third compartment, ื•ืฉืœืฉืชืŸ ื ืงืจืื™ืŸ ื”ื™ื›ืœ, all three together is called ื”ื™ื›ืœ. Which means like this: as we always explained, the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, the building was not so big. So whole ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, whenever we talk about the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, we're talking about the ืขื–ืจื” also. So you had the ืขื–ืจื” which is outside, it's a big, big courtyard. In middle of the courtyard, there was a building. And in that building was made up of three compartments: you had the ืงื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื in one room here, in front of that is ืงื“ืฉ, and in front of that was the ืื•ืœื. That was the building. Outside of the building stood the ืžื–ื‘ื— and all the other things. So the big, big area of the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ, most of it was outside, means there was walls, but there were no roof. But this was the building. So the building must be made of these three. Called ื”ื™ื›ืœ. Tomorrow we'll have the pictures. Ah, tomorrow, yeah, I had them I had the book laying on the table, someone called me, so I was talking on the phone, I left while talking on the phone, so I forgot the book. Yeah. ื•ืขื•ืฉื™ืŸ ืžื—ื™ืฆื” ืื—ืจืช ืกื‘ื™ื‘ ืœื”ื™ื›ืœ ืจื—ื•ืง ืžืžื ื•, and now, you had the building, and around the building, far from the building, you have a wall, a ืžื—ื™ืฆื”, ื›ืขื™ืŸ ืงืœืขื™ ื”ื—ืฆืจ ืฉื”ื™ื• ื‘ืžื“ื‘ืจ, which is like the, ืžื“ื‘ืจ also had. It had the ืื”ืœ ืžื•ืขื“, the ืžื“ื‘ืจ had like this: the ืื”ืœ ืžื•ืขื“ with the ืงื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื, and then you had around it you had the ืงืœืขื™ื, which made a yard. Same thing here, because basically, this is the same thing as the ืžืฉื›ืŸ. So here also, you had the building and around it you had a ืžื—ื™ืฆื”, and in the middle of the ืžื—ื™ืฆื”, there was the ืขื–ืจื”. The only ืฉืืœื” is if everything is similar to the ืžืฉื›ืŸ, the ืื•ืœื we didn't have in ืžืฉื›ืŸ. The ืžืฉื›ืŸ had only two compartments: the ืงื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื and the

Layout of the Ohel and the Courtyard Spaces

ืื”ืœ the ืื”ืœ ืžื•ืขื“, which is the ืงื“ืฉ, ื”ื™ื›ืœ, together ื”ื™ื›ืœ, there was no third compartment. And here there was a third part, a third room, which was like antechamber, I don't know what you call it, it's an empty place. Together... places hadโ€”Entrance wayโ€”what you say, this had the, the ืืจื•ืŸ, this one had the ืžื ื•ืจื” and this, and this was an area is empty. It's just a, like a little corridor to get in from there to this, but in the ืžื“ื‘ืจ it didn't have it. ื•ื›ืœ ื”ืžื•ืงืฃ ื‘ืžื—ื™ืฆื” ื–ื• ืฉื”ื•ื ื›ืขื™ืŸ ื—ืฆืจ ืื”ืœ ืžื•ืขื“. The ืื•ืœื is where they, they brought the, they, they, I mean, they shechat-ed? No, no. Shechita was outside. Shechita was in the courtyard, in the ืขื–ืจื”. The ืื•ืœื was in the building. There's nothing that was done in the ืื•ืœื. The ืื•ืœื was nothing. To get to the ืงื•ื“ืฉ, you had to go through the ืื•ืœื. Like a, like a corridor. You go through a corridor and then you go to the ืงื•ื“ืฉ, and you go to the ืงื•ื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื. Here these, these two, two, two, like they expanded, and then... Railroad rooms. Okay, so here you have a, see most mefarshim learn, it says that the ืื•ืœื was wider than the rest. So most of them make it wider, make it like a T. The ืื•ืœื was this big, and like a ืงืžืฅ, like, and then the two other compartments were this way. But the Rambam learned that it was all equal. Diagonal? But the Rambam learns that it was all straight. Ela mai, when it says in the Gemara that it was like an ืืจื™, it was like wider in the beginning, it seems like pashut the walls were thicker, that's all. The walls were thicker and the building went a little bit narrower further up. But not like the Rashi learns or all the mefarshim that this was pashut sticking out. According to them there was a corner. If you have, wait I'll use part of this. Like this. Yeah? You have this is wide, like this, yeah this is the ืื•ืœื and this is... We'll take this. Yeah. So you have, if this is wide, here, this is the ืงื•ื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื, this is the ืงื•ื“ืฉ, and this is the ืื•ืœื. Okay this is too wide, okay. So here pashut there's a corner here, there are two corners here, this is like it's like a, like a ืงืžืฅ, like a T. And for the Rambam it's all straight, this was just as wide as this. It's just as wide. Ela mai, this must have been thicker a little bit, the walls were thicker, so it went like a, a little bit of a triangle, a little bit like this. But wasn't there an entrance way like this shows on the sides of the ืงื•ื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื? On each side of the ืงื•ื“ืฉ ื”ืงื“ืฉื™ื? Not to go inside. In the ืื•ืœื, you couldn't go in this... No, but this, this is around it. This is the ืื•ืœื, yeah? This is not the ืื•ืœื. No, no. Oh here... 22... Yeah, this is the, this this is the ืื•ืœื. On that side, that side. But you couldn't get in, oh? This is, this are the ืชืื™ื.

Rambam vs Other Mepharshim on the Templeโ€™s Shape

According to the Rambam, this is the ืชืื™ื, it's a different thing altogether. The building, if you looked outside the building, it was straight. According to the other mefarshim, if you looked outside the building, it was not straight. It looked like this, like this and like here. One area the walls were very thick. As I said, because the Rambam must learn that it was narrower in the back because the Gemara says that. But he'd say it was really the size is the same, but it must have been thicker walls, and therefore it looked a little bit like this, but not like this. Sending us a picture. Not how I know in... In the Dvar Malchus. On Shabbos we got this paper, there was a picture of it, it was a T. Oh yeah, cuz everyone makes, the normal picture is with a T, because that's how everyone remembers. But the Rambam... Like a lion or something? It says it looks like a lion. Which way a lion? Lion means it's wider here and narrower over there. So all the mefarshim learned that's what it means, here it was wider and then later it was narrower. And the Rambam says that it was straight, so you say it must be that he learns it was a little bit narrower, that's all it is. Okay, so we'll continue tomorrow. Hopefully remember to bring a picture. Colored picture. Now you

Modern Virtual Tours and Visualizing the Beit Hamikdash

can see online, I don't know which, you could see pashut mamash like as if they're taking you a tour through the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. Yeah. See the rooms, you could see in, mamash, yeah. What's it called? Virtual. Virtual tour, yeah. I didn't see it, but somebody told me. Is that according to the Rambam? I think they have both. So the question is, if we have everything that Yechezkel told us, so where do we see that it says that we shouldn't build it? In other words, how do you know that we're not supposed to build it? Everybody's tamei. So we'll have to find a ืคืจื” ืื“ื•ืžื”. Cause how, some people say that we have to... But you couldn't build it because it wasn't in our hands. Now it is. Now it is. The she'elah is, though, we have to wait for Mashiach. You have to have a navi. You have to have a navi come to tell you to build. There you had Ezra. Small, yeah, just... He build and not follow... Huh? He can tell you how, I don't know how. No, the mitzvah is now, too. The mitzvah is always. Actually, it says in the Midrash, they did build, in the days of... Yeah, they did part of it. In the days of Yehoshua ben Chananya, they started building the ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. And they stopped it, the government didn't let. I don't know what it means. Anyway, I looked up the sichah according to what the, where the Rebbe explained what he meant. Mm. I looked it up this morning. Blueprints? Yeah, he said he said, someone wrote that someone wrote the blueprints, it's not that. It's more than that. So what did he say? He

Kavanaโ€™s Role in Mitzvot: Lessons from Tefillin

gave a mashal, he said, just like by the mitzvah of tefillin, give you an example, there's two things, two parts to the mitzvah. There's the fact, the actual ืžืขืฉื” ื”ืžืฆื•ื”, and then there's the kavana of the mitzvah. ื›ื•ื•ื ื”, ืฉื™ืขื‘ื•ื“ ื”ืžื•ื— ื•ื”ืœื‘. Now tefillin and sukkah and tzitzit are different than other mitzvot. The other mitzvot, the mitzvah is the maaseh. The kavana is the kavana of the mitzvah. By tefillin, the kavana is part of the mitzvah. In other words, if a person doesn't have the kavana of ืฉื™ืขื‘ื•ื“ ื”ืžื•ื— ื•ื”ืœื‘, it's not a peshat we're missing the kavana of the mitzvah. You're missing part of the mitzvah. It's like in motion you didn't put on the right tefillin. Same thing by the Beit Hamikdash, he says there is the ืžืขืฉื” ื”ืžืฆื•ื” of building and there is the kavana, the the the the knowledge behind it. But that kavana is the learning, so it's part of ืžืขืฉื” ื”ืžืฆื•ื”. Also. If you don't know by sukkah that this because by sukkah the ืฉื‘ืช ืขื ื™ืฉืจืืœ, you're not mekayem the sukkah. Same thing by tzitzit. Tzitzit if you don't ืœืžืขืŸ ืชื–ื›ืจื• ื•ืขืฉื™ืชื, you don't know. Yeah, there is a big ืฉืืœื” ืขืœ... They all know. Actually, usually what you When you tell them to put on tefillin, you always tell them Usually, most people ask you, \"What what is this all about?\" It shows that you're you're putting ืฉื™ืขื‘ื•ื“ ื”ืžื•ื— ื•ื”ืœื‘. Actually, I

Teaching Kavana: Cards and Practical Guidance

had somebody in New York he printed, I don't know, a guy, he printed cards saying what you have to have kavana. So, I put it out a whole bunch here. Still there? Oh, these cards? Oh, so I so I brought some. It's in It's in English even. \"When putting on tefillin, one should keep in mind that Hashem,\" here it is, \"Hashem commanded us to write these four passages...\" It's a whole thing here. ืชืคื™ืœื™ืŸ ืฉืœ ื™ื“... ืชืคื™ืœื™ืŸ ืฉืœ ืจืืฉ... to observe them... That's what you're supposed to say to be yotzei? Yeah, that's right. I mean, even if you don't say it, you understand. But according to the according to the Ba"ch, you're talking about It's not kavana of the mitzvah. Part of the mitzvah. And that's what he said by the Beit HaMikdash. He says there's the ma'aseh of the Beit HaMikdash and the kavana behind it. And we have the The learning is the kavana. So, if you build a Beit HaMikdash without kavana, you're missing part of the Yeah. It's another build building. Another building. Kavana, and then we build. Then I have an ืืจื™ื›ื•ืช I wrote about this, it's not so pashut. If you have a kavana of tefillin and you don't put on the tefillin, for sure not. According to this, you're not fully yotzei. According to a certain degree, but it's part of the mitzvah. To say you didn't put on, chas veshalom, but a certain this part of the mitzvah. But I but the she'eilah is, how could you compare Beit HaMikdash, because here by tefillin, what happens if a person has the kavana of ืฉื™ืขื‘ื•ื“ ื”ืžื•ื— ื•ื”ืœื‘ and doesn't put on tefillin? He didn't put on the tefillin. So, by us also, we have the kavana of the Beit HaMikdash, there's no Beit HaMikdash. So, I'm saying the peshat is, if you have a kavana before and then you put it on, the kavana from before attaches to it. So, since we're going to build the Beit HaMikdash and now we're learning for it, so this is the kavana in connection to the building. So, it's part of the mitzvah of of ื‘ื ื™ืŸ ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžืงื“ืฉ. Why is everyone so quiet? It's cold. Cold.

NOW PLAYING Choose a shiur to begin Rabbi Yehuda Leib Schapiro
0:00
0:00