A Day In The Holy Temple – Part 7

A Day In The Holy Temple - Part 7

 

Removing the Ashes from the Menorah

At the same time, the colleague who has been assigned the next task enters into the Sanctuary in the same manner and approaches the menorah, which stands in the south side.

Background: About the Menorah

Exodus Chapter 25

"And you shall make a menorah of pure gold; it shall be made of beaten work: Its base, stem, and cups, spheres and flowers must all be hammered out of a single piece of gold. And six branches shall extend from its sides, three branches of the menorah out of one side, and three branches out of the other side (i.e., of its central branch). There shall be three cups made like almonds, as well as a sphere and a flower, on each and every one of the branches. All six branches extending from the menorah's stem must be this way. And in the menorah shall be four cups made like almonds, with their bulbs and flowers. And there shall be a bulb under two branches of the same piece... their bulbs and their branches shall be made of the same piece... all shall be one beaten work of pure gold. And you shall make its seven lamps: and they shall light its lamps, that they may give light over against it... "

About the Menorah: Details of Construction

Exodus Chapter 25

With these words, the Holy One instructed Moshe with the construction of the Temple Menorah, the golden seven-branched lamp. This is a highly detailed, involved and intricate undertaking; yet these passages provide only a general description of the plan for executing the project. The Talmud goes into considerable explanation of its details, and every aspect of the lamp's creation and appearance is discussed. Some of these details include, for example: the menorah's height, measured at 18 handbreadths, and considered to be the height of an average man. Some questions exist with regard to the base, which was either triangular or hemispherical, and may have featured three small legs (Menachot 3, 7; Maimonides Laws of the Temple 3:2).

The Talmud (BT Menachot 28:B) compares the cups which were fashioned on the branches to "Alexandrian goblets," which are wide with a narrow bottom, like wine glasses. As to the menorah's branches, some opinions hold that they were hollow (Ibn Ezra), but the majority maintain that they were solid. The greatest controversy regarding the menorah concerns its basic structure, i.e., the shape and direction of its branches. Some ancient diagrams, as well as historical evidence, depict the menorah as having rounded branches; other opinions maintain that the branches rise diagonally, straight out from the middle.

Because the Torah requires that the menorah be constructed from one segment of metal, it was made from one "talent," or kikar of gold - one piece of pure beaten gold, as opposed to several pieces being joined together. Within the Holy Temple, the menorah stood inside the Sanctuary on the southern side, and its seven lamps were to be lit in such a manner, that they would all shine towards the center. Each day a kohen would tend to its the lamps' flames, fixing and preparing the wicks and kindling them anew.

About the Menorah: A Spiritual Illumination

The menorah can be seen as occupying the most central role of all the sacred vessels, for it is the symbol of light - and the sages refer to Jerusalem as "the light of the world" (Bereshit Rabbah 59). One reason for this is the light of the Menorah, bursting forth from within the sanctuary. For the menorah's light was a spiritual, as well as physical, illumination. Thus the sages teach that the windows in the walls of the sanctuary were constructed differently than any other windows in the world. These were just the opposite of ordinary windows, for what is the normally considered the function of windows? To let the light in. But these windows were in order to let the light the out - to disseminate the spiritual light emanating from the Temple menorah out into the world. The Sanctuary's windows allowed the special ethereal light coming forth from the menorah to burst out to the world from within the hallowed hall.

 

The Service of the Menorah - "Improving" Each Flame

This kohen now attends to the service of the menorah, which consists of removing used residue of spent wicks and oil from the individual lamps, and preparing new wicks to be kindled. He must also replenish the full measure of oil for each light, which is 1/2 of a lug.

 

 

Ascending to the Menorah

In order to accomplish his task, the officiating kohen must stand at eye level so that he may work effectively, cleansing the lamps, placing new wicks and lighting them. But at 18 handbreadths, the menorah stands quite high. The priest ascended by way of three marble stairs which stood in front of the menorah, and lead up to where he could be level with the lamps, standing on the highest of these steps.

Three Steps - For Three "Ascensions"

These three steps correspond to three Torah verses which mention "going up" in relation to the Menorah:

"And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, Speak to Aharon and say to him, when you raise up the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate the menorah" (Numbers 8:1)

"And you shall make its seven lamps, and you shall cause its lamps to rise so that they shall shine towards its center." (Ex. 25:37)

"And you shall command the Children of Israel to bring you clear illuminating oil made from hand-crushed olives, to raise up a constantly-burning lamp" (Ex. 27:20).

"Five and Two"

From Biblical exegesis, the sages derive that when attending to the improvement of the seven flames, the priest does not adjust all seven lamps at once. Rather, he must divide this task into five and two: upon entering the Sanctuary, if he finds that the two "eastern lamps," that is, the two flames on the eastern side, are still burning - in that case, he attends to the other five, cleaning out the ashes and filling them with new oil and wicks. He places the refuse into the golden basket.

Even if he enters to find that the other five flames are still burning from the previous day, he extinguishes them and replaces their oil and wicks, and then rekindles them. This is the service known as "Improving the Five Flames." He leaves off the other two lamps for now, allowing them to burn as they were. After the blood of the daily sacrifice has been tossed on the altar (and according to other opinions, after the incense service has been offered) he will return to the Sanctuary to likewise attend to these two lamps in the same fashion.

"The Western Candle"

One flame of the Menorah, the "western" lamp, burned perpetually. This candle was never extinguished, for the other flames were kindled from its fire. Concerning this flame the verse states, "raise up a constantly-burning lamp" (Lev. 24:2-3). This is the second flame from the end on the eastern side. It is related that until the death of the Kohen Gadol Shimon Hatzadik (Simon the Just), this flame burned constantly in miraculous fashion, which demonstrated to the world that the Divine Presence dwelled amongst Israel (Baraitha, BT Shabbat 22,2): "Rava said, what is meant by the words (Lev. ibid.) outside the curtain of testimony?' The western candle is the testimony, for it was filled with the same amount of oil as the others, but is not extinguished."

If the kohen finds that the two eastern lamps have gone out, he prepares them for rekindling and lights them from the other flames. And if he should ever find that all the flames have been extinguished, he re-lights these two from the fire atop the altar, and then kindles the remaining five. Before leaving the Sanctuary, he leaves the basket on the second step before the menorah, and then departs.

The Daily Offering is Slaughtered

At this point, the tamid daily offering is slaughtered, and the next six kohanim then merit to bring various parts of the offering up to the altar ramp. The seventh priest brings the fine flour for the meal offering which accompanies the daily offering.

 

The Kohen Gadol's Meal-Offering

The eighth kohen, who is the twelfth in the lottery, merits to bring the Kohen Gadol's personal meal-offering up to the altar. This meal-offering consisted of 1/10 of an efah (app. 2 quarts) of flour mingled with oil in a pan and baked into 12 loaves. Although this was the Kohen Gadol's own, it is considered in many ways like a congregational offering. It was brought to the altar every day - half in the morning, and the remaining half in the evening. Some say that this means 6 loaves were offered in morning, and 6 in the evening; other scholars opine that the loaves were broken in half, with the first half being offered in the morning and the remaining half in the evening. Incidentally, this offering is also brought by every priest who begins to officiate in the Temple, on the first day of his service, as part of his inauguration ceremony. The ordinary, or lay kohanim, only brought it on the day they took office, but the Kohen Gadol would bring this offering every day. It is described in Lev. Chapter 6, where we read:

"And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying: This is the offering that Aharon and his descendants must bring on the day that any one of them is anointed... it shall consist of 1/10 an ephah of wheat meal, and it shall be a daily meal-offering, with one half in the morning, and one half in the evening... "

Like every meal-offering brought by a kohen, this was required to be completely burned on the altar, and not eaten (ibid. v. 15-16).

Once all the parts of the offering, and the meal-offering, have been placed on the altar, they are salted... as G-d commanded, "You shall offer salt on all of your offerings" (Lev. 2:13).

 

 

The Wine Libation

Finally, the last kohen in this lottery receives the task of bringing the 1/4 hin (app. 1 quart) measurement of wine which is poured out on the altar for the morning wine libation that accompanies the daily offering.

Thus, a total of 13 kohanim receive appointments of Divine service in the second daily lottery. The entire staff needed to offer the daily offering is now in place, and after these kohanim conclude their tasks, they return to the Chamber of Hewn Stone for the recitation of their morning prayers.

 

 

"May the Daily Offering Be Found Acceptable Before You"

Upon returning to the Chamber of Hewn Stone, the lottery overseer instructed the kohanim that it was time to recite the "Hear O Israel" prayer, together with its corresponding blessing. They also recited the Ten Commandments, since these embody the main principles of the Torah (Maimonides).

After both the daily offering and the incense offering are concluded, the kohanim will raise aloft their hands and deliver the "priestly blessing" upon the congregation of Israel assembled in the Holy Temple. In the meantime, they now recite these abbreviated prayers, as it was most fitting for those who have engaged in offering the daily sacrifice to now beseech G-d that the sacrifice should be pleasing before Him, accepted, and looked upon with favor.

 

An Extra Blessing for the Sabbath

On the Sabbath, an extra blessing was added, with which the outgoing shift of kohanim greeted the incoming one:

"May He who causes His Name to dwell in this House, cause love, brotherhood, peace and friendship to dwell between you."