18
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Why was the second Beit HaMikdash destroyed?
The following is a list of Talmudic and Midrashic sources I've compiled, which address the destruction of the second Beit HaMikdash and suggested catalysts for this tragedy. I've included a brief ...
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17
votes
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How did the Kohanim eat in the Azara?
Tosafot to Yoma 25a discuss whether the kohanim sat down to eat korbanot in the 'azarah. They suggest three approaches:
They would eat standing up in the 'azarah, due to the prohibition on sitting ...
- 41.8k
16
votes
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Do Kohanim fast on Yom Kippur in the Bet Hamikdash?
They would fast and would eat whatever sacrifices needed eating the following night (11 Tishrei) after the fast ended. We know this because the Mishna (Menachot 11:7) discusses how they would eat it ...
- 97.4k
14
votes
Cleaning blood from the temple
It is logical to think that the priests were careful, so that the blood only landed on the floor, and not on the actual curtains.
Regarding Beit HaMikdash, the whole place was covered with aqueducts ...
- 3,835
14
votes
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Can a Chanukah menorah share a single oil source?
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch brings a case when one has a bowl filled with oil and places wicks around the perimeter to make a menorah. (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 139:9)
הַנֵּרוֹת, יִהְיוּ בְּשׁוּרָה אַחַת ...
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12
votes
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Cleaning blood from the temple
To supplement, not supplant, Cauthon's good answer, I'll note that the mishna (Midos chapter 3) says that the altar and its ramp would be cleaned every Friday with a cloth, because of the blood. (This ...
- 73.5k
12
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Was Yonah able to visit the Beis HaMikdash? What about other prophets of his time?
Your question assumes that there were guards blocking anyone from crossing from Judah to Israel. The background of the assumption is probably the following two sources:
Sanhedrin 102a, according to ...
- 24k
12
votes
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Why was it improper to stick out a thumb in the Temple?
The Mishnah there is describing how certain jobs in the Basis Hamikdash would be appointed if there were multiple Kohanim vying for the same job. The Kohanim would form a circle around the supervisor, ...
- 6,753
10
votes
Jewish Minecraft instructions?
Here is a YouTube video of someone's actual Minecraft model of the (first) Beit Hamikdash.
If building based on that isn't enough, they provide some links in the video description. Disclaimer: I don'...
- 23k
9
votes
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Does the Beis Hamikdash require Mezuzos?
Fantastic Question!
Yoma 11b asks this exact question, and answers that it does not require a Mezuzah:
יכול שאני מרבה אף הר הבית והלשכות והעזרות ת"ל בית מה בית שהוא חול אף כל שהוא חול יצאו אלו ...
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8
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Cleaning blood from the temple
In addition to the other answers, we have some evidence that blood did land on the veil in the Holy of Holies when the Kohein Gadol (High Priest) sprinkled it there on Yom Kippur, and that they weren'...
- 23k
8
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Floor of Bais Hamikdash
It's the Mishna Shekalim 6:2.
מעשה בכהן אחד שהיה מתעסק וראה הרצפה שהיא משונה מחברותיה בא ואמר לחברו
לא הספיק לגמור את הדבר עד שיצתה נשמתו וידעו ביחוד ששם הארון נגנז:
It once happened that ...
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8
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Can a Chanukah menorah share a single oil source?
Yes you can learn this from Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 671, 3:
נר שיש לו שתי פיות, עולה לו בשביל שנים.
an oil lamp which has two "mouthpieces" is considered as two lamps.
Despite that ...
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8
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Why didn't Titus consort with someone worse than a harlot?
While I don't think that the premise for the question is very strong, as Titus may or many not have known about the technical severity of different relationships, and may or may not have cared, as ...
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8
votes
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How does the Motza Temple fit into our tradition?
From what I've gathered so far, researchers seem to agree that this temple was built prior to the religious reforms enacted by Kings Chizkiyahu and Yoshiyahu1. On-site, the altar and other cultish/...
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7
votes
Are there any Jewish records of Ananus ben Ananus aside from Josephus?
Beit Chanan (Ananus ben Ananus in Hebrew is Chanan ben Chanan (חנן בן חנן)) appears in Sifrei Devarim 105:22 ("Beit Chanan" in at least one MS per the Finkelstein edition; "Bnei Chanan&...
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7
votes
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What did the Kohanim do if there was nobody who hadn't already done the K'toret?
מִי שֶׁלֹּא זָכָה בַקְּטֹרֶת כָּל יָמָיו יָבֹא וְיָפִיס. וְלֹא הָיוּ מַנִּיחִים לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהּ פַּעַם אַחַת לִשְׁנוֹת בָּהּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּעֲשֶׁרֶת, דִּכְתִיב (דְּבָרִים לג) יָשִׂימוּ קְטוֹרָה ...
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7
votes
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Status of stones that fell out of the Kotel
This article quotes Rav Yitzchak Herzog (Heichal Yitzchak OC 18). I do not have access to this source to confirm the accuracy of the following discussion, so take this with a grain of salt until it ...
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7
votes
Were there backups for the Temple tools?
Mishnah Chagigah 3:8:
כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, יֵשׁ לָהֶם שְׁנִיִּים וּשְׁלִישִׁים, שֶׁאִם נִטְמְאוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, יָבִיאוּ שְׁנִיִּים תַּחְתֵּיהֶן.
All the vessels that were in the ...
- 97.4k
7
votes
Was Jeremiah alive during the rebuilding of the temple?
Apparently (according to Wikipedia) the date & place of Jeremiah's death is not documented in classical sources.
However, we are taught that the 2nd temple was built with the guidance of the ...
- 42.8k
7
votes
Was Jeremiah alive during the rebuilding of the temple?
Shalshelet HaKabbalah writes that ‘they’ say that Yirmeyahu was stoned to death in Egypt, by the Jewish refugees who had brought him there against his will.
[I think it’s safe to assume that this ...
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7
votes
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Why don’t we have a Temple Guard nowadays?
R. Hillel Moshe Meshil Gelbstein was the major proponent of the view that the mitzvah of guarding the Temple is still in effect today, and who campaigned to reinstate it.
In his Mishkenot LeAvir Ya'...
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7
votes
If Rome release the vessels from the Beit Hamikdash to Israel, what is the procedure?
It depends whether they still retain their status of kedushah.
Whether or not captured Temple Vessels still retain their level of holiness depends on the interpretation of a passage in the Gemara.
...
- 7,935
6
votes
Shaas hashmad and Arab terrorism
There are two answers to this question both found in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 157 seen here.
First, see the Ramma who says that the type decree which necessitates giving up one's life is only a ...
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6
votes
Why was there no ark in the second temple?
Rashash (Yoma 53, in part, in my own translation):
It's difficult to understand why they didn't make another aron in the second temple. If it was because it's written "and put the testimony in ...
- 73.5k
6
votes
Will we be obligated to bring many chatats when the temple is rebuilt?
As Scimonster mentioned the Gemara in Shabbos appears to address this. "קרא והטה וכתב על פנקסו אני ישמעאל בן אלישע קריתי והטיתי נר בשבת לכשיבנה בהמ"ק אביא חטאת שמנה" (Shabbat 12b)
Rabbi Yishmael ...
- 2,461
6
votes
Accepted
How did the priests dress in the temple and why?
this might be a partial answer
Exodus 28 2:
...for dignity and adornment.
and
Arachin 16a:
The tunic procures atonement for bloodshed, as it is written: And they dipped the coat in the blood....
- 7,466
6
votes
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What is the explanation for the discrepancy between Seder Olam's chronology and that of historical scholarship?
This excellent source sheet produced by R. Anthony Manning, lists a number of different approaches to resolving the discrepancy:
1. Seder Olam is correct and the conventional chronology is incorrect.
...
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6
votes
How did the Cohanim walk around the Mizbeach?
You are probably referring to the "Sovev" - ledge half way up the Mizbeach, which was six Amos above the floor.
The Tiferes Yisroel (צורת המזבח אות יד) writes that there was probably a Ma'akoh - ...
- 6,123
6
votes
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If Jordan relinquished their claim over the Temple Mount, would the Israeli Government be obligated to build a Beis HaMikdash?
R. Yosef Messas has a responsum in which he was asked whether we can rebuild the Beis Hamikdash. The following is his answer:
Otzar Hamichtavim 3:1775
תשובה אי אפשר לבנותו כיום מכמה סבות א' אין אנו ...
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