Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:11c The Laws of God's Chosen House ! HOLDING PATTERN FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. MINDING TIME & SPACE In past Episodes, we discussed the pre-dawn Priestly Guard Duty Sweep around the Azara (Beit HaMikdash Courtyard) perimeter. Torch-led groups set off in opposite directions and completed the circle at the appointed meeting place. In this new Episode we conclude with the final Halacha that emphasizes the need to maintain the pattern of this concluding ritual...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:11c The Laws of God's Chosen House ! COMPLETING THE WATCH BY A GREETING AND PROMPT TO BAKE In the immediate past Episode, we learnt how the nocturnal Priestly Guard Duty to Mind the Mikdash was completed by a circular sweep around the Azara (Beit HaMikdash Courtyard) perimeter. The two torch-led groups that previously headed off in opposite directions meet-up at the Chavitan Baker's Chamber. And now, as the circle is being completed -- special...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:11b The Laws of God's Chosen House ! FLAMING TORCH-LEAD SEARCH BY E/W DIRECTIONAL DIVISION After the delineating the respective Guard Duties of the Cohanim and Levites, we focused on the climatic walking of the dawn that ended the nightly Mikdash minding. What began with a gentle knock on the door swiftly evolves into an official perimeter sweep in the form of a flaming, ceremonial Torch-led Search. To proceed there's a required Directional Division,...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:11a The Laws of God's Chosen House ! KNOCK FIRST, THEN OPEN. GET THE KEYS, YET USE THE WICKET In previous Episodes we learnt about Cohanim and Levites positioned each night to mind the Beit HaMikdash, as well as the official oversight and the methods employed to enforce compliance of this sacred Guard Duty. In this new Episode, we focus on the next order of business, walking the dawn to end the night and kickstart a new day. Now, a new Sheriff...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:10b The Laws of God's Chosen House ' ! SCORCHED BY A TORCH, CRIES SOUND-OFF IN THE HOLY CITY In our previous Episode we learnt about a Powerful Officer who oversaw the 24 watches of Cohanim and Levites who were supposed to be minding the Har HaBayit perimeter, and Beit HaMikdash proper. Making torch-lit rounds he would review the sentries all night-long. And he would enforce full compliance. Anyone caught sleeping on the job would receive immediate...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:10a The Laws of God's Chosen House : GUARD - RISE & GREET THE SHINE OR BE GUILTY OF SILENCE! Over the past dozen Episodes, we have learnt much about the Honour Guard Duties carried out by both the Cohanim and Levite Clans. In total, 24 specialized groups of mostly adult (along with a notable contingent of minors) took up their positions, minding their appointed posts each night. They were strategically stationed around the Temple Mount...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:9 The Laws of God's Chosen House OFFICES OF OFFERING & CURTAINS In the previous Episode we learnt more about guard duties of the Levite Clan at the only some of the gates of entranceways to the Mikdash Courtyard. We tallied locations and thus far reached Chai! In this new Episode we will continue with the Levites on Guard Duty in the final three, yet somewhat unusual locations. From the Office of Offering that was housed in a Chamber within a...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:8b The Laws of God's Chosen House FIVE OF SEVEN GATES | THE LEVITE COHEN CHAI DIVIDE In the previous Episode we learnt about the outer scrimmage duties and responsibilities of the Levite Clans: Guarding at Gates, and Minding Corners too. Some were posted on the inside, while others were pointedly kept out --- due to technical reasons and considerations. In this Episode we will continue with the Levites on Guard Duty, but this time our focus is...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:8a The Laws of God's Chosen House GATE KEEPERS COVER CORNERS | INSIDE AND OUT TO SIT In previous Episodes we learnt about the Cohanim Honour Guard and how Hashem's Holy Home isn't hospitable to Ritual Impurity and a solution that was carved in stone! Having concluded the Cohen Guard Duty details, in this new Episode we move onto the responsibilities shouldered by the Levite Clans. We'll learn about their duty as Gate Keepers, as well as being sure to...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:6 The Laws of God's Chosen House In previous Episode we learnt about the Elder Cohanim, and the semi-sacred "Chamber of the Hearth" where they'd spend the night prior to their Beit HaMikdash Day of Duty. This was also the location for the Adult Cohanim Honour Guard, which included taking responsibility for the Keys to Hashem's Holy Home! In this new Episode we'll learn all about their Sleeping Arrangements answering a slew of curious questions: Can...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:5b The Laws of God's Chosen House In past Episode we learned about the role played by the Junior Cohanim in the Beit HaMikdash Honour Guard. This included the details of the Upper-Level Chambers in which they were stationed when they took up their positions. In the current Episode we'll focus on the Elder Cohanim, and the semi-sacred "Chamber of the Hearth" area in which they fulfilled their version of this sacred watch. We will also learn about...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:5a The Laws of God's Chosen House In previous Episodes we've already clarified the Beit HaMikdash Honour Guard that applies in mutually exclusive fashion to both Cohanim and Levi'im. In this episode we'll learn focus on the role played by the youngest Cohanim in the Chambers of Smoke and Spark; where the "Kid Kohanim" were stationed when they took up their version of this sacred watch. The names and meanings of these upper level chambers will be...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:4 The Laws of God's Chosen House In previous Episodes we've established that preforming the Beit HaMikdash Honour Guard fulfills a Positive Mitzvah of the Torah. And failure to implement this scared duty constitutes a violation of a separate Negative Mitzvah. We've also learnt that this Mitzvah mandate applies specifically to the Levite Tribe, which is comprised of both Cohanim and Levi'im. In this episode we'll learn about how that Take Up...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:3 The Laws of God's Chosen House We've already established that the Beit HaMikdash Watch is biblically ordained, which means that "Standing on Guard for Thee" is a Positive Mitzvah of the Torah applying to the pedigree of Cohanim and Levi'im. In this episode we'll learn that Stopping the Watch comprises a Moving Violation too! That means failure to preform the sacred Sanctuary Guard Duty not merely Sin of Omission; nullifying a Positive Mitzvah but is...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:2b The Laws of God's Chosen House We get into the technicalities of the Tribal Formations of the Beit HaMikdash Guard Brigade. As we've already learnt this Mitzvah was specifically given to a particular pedigree of the Jewish People. The very same Cohanic clan and Levite families already tasked with serving in Hashem's holy home, on behalf of the nation. In this episode we will delve into details to learn the Who’s Who of the Temple Watchman as...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:2a The Laws of God's Chosen House We continue to focus on the Guard Duty we are commanded about in the Torah regarding the Beit HaMikdash. As clarified, the ideal of this Mitzvah is to cultivate an aura of respectful dignity and rarefied atmosphere around Hashem's holy home . In this episode we will further explore the meaning and jurisprudence of this Sacred Duty in the illuminated view of Maimonides. To achieve this, we'll analyze and emphasize the...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 8:1 The Laws of God's Chosen House In this Episode we open Chapter Eight of Hilchot Beit HaBechira. It begins with a focus on us creating an presidential aura and atmosphere of palace prominence in and around the Sanctuary and Temple Mount. This is the essence of a new Mikdash Mitzvah that we are now introduced to: The Divine Commandment to Guard Hashem's Holy Home; a sacred duty to ensure it's rarified dignity. Once opening the subject we'll delve...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:23c The Laws of God's Chosen House In the previous Episode we learnt about certain restrictions on access being loosened to allow for the entry of professional craftspeople for constructive or reparative purposes. Although entering these sacred (otherwise restricted) areas for technical reasons is permitted, a sliding scale of limitations, even for these allowances still apply. Ideally the ritually pure "Priest Perfect" professional should be engaged,...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:23b The Laws of God's Chosen House After reaching the Tenth Stages of Holiness designed to enhance our reverence and awe for Hashem's "Chosen Home," we took it up into the next level. Then it became apparent that the highly restricted access to the space higher than the Holy of Holies wasn't indicative of a higher holiness after all! We now return to the lower level inside the Sanctuary proper, but this time it's for reparative purposes. Although...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:23a The Laws of God's Chosen House Having previously arrived at the penultimate of sacred space, the innermost Sanctum of the Jerusalem Temple – referred to as the Holy of Holies, there's only direction to move: Up! Having completed the detailed enumeration of the Ten Stages of Holiness designed to enhance our reverence and awe for Hashem's "Chosen Home," Maimonides now takes us up into the upper level. This begs an obvious question: once you've...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:22 The Laws of God's Chosen House We continue moving indoors, focusing on the innermost Temple Space. The Sacred Sanctum -- or Holy of Holies itself. We are now reaching the climatic Tenth level; the penultimate zenith of Geographic Kedusha! Although included in the structural embrace of the larger Temple Building, Maimonides, quite fascinatingly, pointedly identify it as a proverbial structure onto itself. The fact that only the High Priest, (e.g.,...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:21 The Laws of God's Chosen House Moving inwards from the outdoor space known as the “Arena of the Alter” where biblical grade restrictions (at least in the opinion of the Rambam) may already have applied, although by scriptural ordination there was never any formal line of sacred scrimmage drawn. We now move indoors into the Temple Building itself. Additional restrictions linked to purification procedures become indicative of Higher Holiness. Whether...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:20 The Laws of God's Chosen House THE GREAT OUTDOORS - Trespassing. Broken Bodies & Torn Tunics Moving inwards from the Ezrat Kohanim (lit. Courtyard of Cohanim) we encounter outdoor space known as the “Arena of the Alter.” From this point onwards, additional biblical grade restrictions (at least in the opinion of the Rambam) apply, although by scriptural ordination there was never any formal line of sacred scrimmage drawn. This, of course, sounds...

Rambam - Hilchot Beit Habechirah 7:17 The Laws of God's Chosen House ORDER IN THE COURT -Same-Day Immersion and Prohibitive Grades. Although we now seem to be leaving the outer layers of the Temple Mount area, entering the actual Beit HaMikdash compound itself, by biblical law we have not yet progressed. Despite the apparent paradigm shift in sacred scrimmage achieved when entering the structurally encircled outer courtyard know as Ezrat Nashim (lit. the Women’s Courtyard) the increased...