Thank you for attending last night’s Hilchot Beit Habechirah (Laws of G-d’s Chosen House) Study Session. We covered a lot of material concerning the construction of the Altar. In the future, I will try to have illustrations available in time for the study session. Never the less, I wanted to provide this illustration of the Altar to reinforced what we learned.
Next session is Sunday at 7:00pm SLT, and we will be covering the Menorah as well as the Temple’s floor plan!
I will also try to have these illustrations available “In World”, while we are studying.
The Altar (click to enlarge)
Very interesting study! I do have a couple of questions:
Someone asked if the instructions you were reading were for the first or second temple and I didn’t catch the answer.
I was also wondering how much of this was meant to be taken literally for people building places of worship elsewhere. Sometimes it seems like the texts have layered meanings. They contain the practical blueprints for day to day living, but they also seem to offer a commentary on how we should approach the world beyond our safe, sacred places. Am I reading too much into this or possibly coming at it the wrong way?
By: Zin Yalin on August 1, 2008
at 5:44 pm
Since we will defer to Moshiach as to the requirements for the 3rd Temple, Most of Rambam’s dimensions listed are for the 2nd Temple and taken from the Talmud (Tractate Middos)
The laws apply ONLY to the Holy Temple, NOT for other places of worship.
Have a Wonderful Shabbos!
By: gruvenreuven on August 1, 2008
at 10:52 pm