Learning the Beis HaMikdash Today

אַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם הַגֵּ֤ד אֶת־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־הַבַּ֔יִת וְיִכָּלְמ֖וּ מֵעֲוֺנֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם וּמָדְד֖וּ אֶת־תׇּכְנִֽית׃ וְאִֽם־נִכְלְמ֞וּ מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֗וּ צוּרַ֣ת הַבַּ֡יִת וּתְכוּנָת֡וֹ וּמוֹצָאָ֡יו וּמוֹבָאָ֣יו וְֽכׇל־צוּרֹתָ֡ו וְאֵ֣ת כׇּל־חֻקֹּתָיו֩ וְכׇל־צ֨וּרֹתָ֤ו וְכׇל־תּֽוֹרֹתָו֙ הוֹדַ֣ע אוֹתָ֔ם וּכְתֹ֖ב לְעֵינֵיהֶ֑ם וְיִשְׁמְר֞וּ אֶת־כׇּל־צוּרָת֛וֹ וְאֶת־כׇּל־חֻקֹּתָ֖יו וְעָשׂ֥וּ אוֹתָֽם׃

[Now] you, O mortal, describe the temple to the House of Israel, and let them measure its design. But let them be ashamed of their iniquities: When they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the plan of the temple and its layout, its exits and entrances—its entire plan, and all the laws and instructions pertaining to its entire plan. Write it down before their eyes, that they may faithfully follow its entire plan and all its laws.

אַרְבָּעָה, עַל אַרְבַּע פִּנּוֹתָיו מִתּוֹכוֹ. חֲמִשָּׁה, עַל חֲמִשָּׁה שַׁעֲרֵי הָעֲזָרָה. אַרְבָּעָה, עַל אַרְבַּע פִּנּוֹתֶיהָ מִבַּחוּץ. וְאֶחָד בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַקָּרְבָּן, וְאֶחָד בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַפָּרֹכֶת, וְאֶחָד לַאֲחוֹרֵי בֵית הַכַּפֹּרֶת:

In three places the priests keep watch in the Temple: in the chamber of Avtinas, in the chamber of the spark, and in the fire chamber. And the Levites in twenty-one places: Five at the five gates of the Temple Mount; Four at its four corners on the inside; Five at five of the gates of the courtyard; Four at its four corners on the outside; One at the offering chamber; One at the chamber of the curtain, And one behind the place of the kapporet.

אָמַר אַבְרָהָם: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! שֶׁמָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל חוֹטְאִין לְפָנֶיךָ, אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה לָהֶם כְּדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל וּכְדוֹר הַפְּלַגָּה? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָאו. אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! הוֹדִיעֵנִי בַּמֶּה אִירָשֶׁנָּה? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״קְחָה לִי עֶגְלָה מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת וְעֵז מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! תִּינַח בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים. בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים מָה תְּהֵא עֲלֵיהֶם? אָמַר לוֹ: כְּבָר תִּקַּנְתִּי לָהֶם סֵדֶר קׇרְבָּנוֹת, בִּזְמַן שֶׁקּוֹרְאִין בָּהֶן לְפָנַי — מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עֲלֵיהֶם כְּאִילּוּ הִקְרִיבוּם לְפָנַי וַאֲנִי מוֹחֵל לָהֶם עַל כׇּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם.

The Gemara explains this verse. Abraham said: Master of the Universe, perhaps the Jews will sin before You. Will You treat them as You did the generation of the flood and the generation of the dispersion, and destroy them? God said to him: No. Abraham said before God: Master of the Universe, tell me, with what shall I inherit it? How can my descendants ensure that You will maintain the world? God said to Abraham: “Take for Me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon” (Genesis 15:9). God was alluding to the offerings, in whose merit the Jewish people, and through them the entire world, will be spared divine punishment. Abraham said before God: Master of the Universe, this works out well when the Temple is standing, but when the Temple is not standing, what will become of them? God said to him: I have already enacted for them the order of offerings. When they read them before Me, I will ascribe them credit as though they had sacrificed them before Me and I will pardon them for all their transgressions. Since the offerings ensure the continued existence of the Jewish people and the rest of the world, the act of Creation is read in their honor.

אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, ״בַּמֶּה אֵדַע״? אָמַר לוֹ: ״קְחָה לִי עֶגְלָה מְשׁוּלֶּשֶׁת וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, תִּינַח בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים. בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵין בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּים מָה תְּהֵא עֲלֵיהֶם? אָמַר לוֹ: כְּבָר תִּקַּנְתִּי לָהֶם סֵדֶר קׇרְבָּנוֹת, כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁקּוֹרְאִין בָּהֶן מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עֲלֵיהֶן כְּאִילּוּ מַקְרִיבִין לְפָנַי קׇרְבָּן, וּמוֹחֵל אֲנִי עַל כׇּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם.

Abraham then said before Him: Master of the Universe: “By what shall I know this?” God said to him: “Take Me a heifer of three years old” (Genesis 15:9). With this, God intimated to Abraham that even if his descendants will sin, they will be able to achieve atonement through sacrificing offerings. Abraham said before Him: Master of the Universe, this works out well when the Temple is standing and offerings can be brought to achieve atonement, but when the Temple will no longer be standing, what will become of them? God said to him: I have already established for them the order of offerings, i.e., the verses of the Torah pertaining to the halakhot of the offerings. Whenever they read those portions, I will deem it as if they sacrificed an offering before Me, and I will pardon them for all of their iniquities.

וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים הָעֲסוּקִין בְּהִלְכוֹת עֲבוֹדָה, מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ נִבְנָה מִקְדָּשׁ בִּימֵיהֶם. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה לָעֹלָה לַמִּנְחָה וְלַחַטָּאת וְלָאָשָׁם״ – כׇּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה כְּאִילּוּ הִקְרִיב עוֹלָה, מִנְחָה, חַטָּאת, וְאָשָׁם. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַחַטָּאת״ וְ״זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָאָשָׁם״? כׇּל הָעוֹסֵק בְּתוֹרַת חַטָּאת – כְּאִילּוּ הִקְרִיב חַטָּאת, וְכׇל הָעוֹסֵק בְּתוֹרַת אָשָׁם – כְּאִילּוּ הִקְרִיב אָשָׁם.

And Rabbi Yoḥanan says that there is an alternative explanation of the verse: These are Torah scholars, who engage in studying the halakhot of the Temple service. The verse ascribes them credit as though the Temple was built in their days and they are serving in it. § The Gemara cites similar interpretations of verses: Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “This is the law [torah] of the burnt offering, of the meal offering, and of the sin offering, and of the guilt offering, and of the consecration offering, and of the sacrifice of peace offerings” (Leviticus 7:37)? This teaches that anyone who engages in Torah study is considered as though he sacrificed a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sin offering, and a guilt offering. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “This is the law of the sin offering” (Leviticus 6:18), and: “This is the law of the guilt offering” (Leviticus 7:1)? These verses teach that anyone who engages in studying the law of the sin offering is ascribed credit as though he sacrificed a sin offering, and anyone who engages in studying the law of a guilt offering is ascribed credit as though he sacrificed a guilt offering.

מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לַעֲשׂוֹת בַּיִת לַה' מוּכָן לִהְיוֹת מַקְרִיבִים בּוֹ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת. וְחוֹגְגִין אֵלָיו שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כה ח) "וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ". וּכְבָר נִתְפָּרֵשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה מִשְׁכָּן שֶׁעָשָׂה משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ.

It is a positive commandment to construct a House for God, prepared for sacrifices to be offered within. We [must] celebrate there three times a year, as [Exodus 25:8] states: "And you shall make Me a sanctuary." The sanctuary constructed by Moses is already described in the Torah.

ולזה נאמר במשה רבינו ע"ה (במדבר י״ב:ז׳) בכל ביתי נאמן הוא. לזה אמרו כי הר הבית היה ת"ק על ת"ק, נגד העולם בכללו שהוא מהלך ת"ק שנה לרחבו ולארכו, דהיינו ת"ק על ת"ק. ואין ספק שרמזו לסוד מה באמרם שנמסר מזה לזה בעמידה והביאו ראייה מן המקראות שלא נאמרו בענין המקדש כלל, וסמכו דבריהם כזה כדי להורות על הכוונה.

The sages have already said about this verse, "The Temple, Lord, which your hands established" (Shemot 15:17), that it teaches that the Temple on earth corresponds with a supernal Temple. The only possible conclusion is that those [sacrificial] elements below constitute a pattern aligned with counterparts above, as said David a"h, "All this that the LORD made me understand by His hand on me, I give you in writing—the plan of all the works" (1 Chronicles 28:19). This teaches that things are aligned above and below.