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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18
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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 ...
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17
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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 ...
- 100k
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 ...
- 19k
12
votes
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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 ...
- 25.3k
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, ...
- 6,873
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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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 ...
- 100k
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 ...
- 23k
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 ...
- 35.9k
8
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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 ...
- 45.2k
8
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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
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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
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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 ...
- 23k
7
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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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 ...
- 34.6k
7
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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 ...
- 100k
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 ...
- 44.1k
7
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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
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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.
...
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7
votes
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Why didn't ben-Qattin redesign the Kiyor to have more than 12 spigots?
The Tosfos Yom Tov on this Mishnah, asks a different question, which might be able to shed light on yours. He asks that if there are 12 spigots, you need 12 Amos circumference, so that 12 people can ...
- 13.3k
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 ...
- 2,522
6
votes
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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....
- 7,596
6
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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 - ...
- 6,183
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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6
votes
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How does one get an animal off of the Altar surreptitiously?
My understanding is like the suggestion in your last paragraph, that R. Chanina's father would indeed push the animals off the side of the Altar.
I think that when R. Obadiah miBartenura explains ...
- 45.2k
6
votes
Do Kohanim fast on Yom Kippur in the Bet Hamikdash?
There is one person that had a heter to eat if need be and that was the m'shaleiach of the Seir Azazel. There was 10 sukkos set up along the way to azazel and had food and drink prepared if the ...
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6
votes
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How does Rav Zevin see evidence of post-Churban editing in Vetechazena?
Indeed, one could ask such a technical question on Rav Zevin's last proof. Yet, in context, the point was that the obvious interpretation of this blessing was the asking for the rebuilding of the ...
- 21k
6
votes
Diagram showing the place where the wine offerings of the whole year collected and its relationship to the altar in the Temple
Yes if you look at the Perush Chai here it has a clear diagram:
In addition, the Machon Hamikdash website features a write up on both the שיתין and the לול with artistic renderings which might ...
- 33.9k
6
votes
Where was Maaeser Sheni brought before the beit hamikdash was built?
The Mishna, Z'vachim 14:6, q.v., says maaser sheni was brought to the mishkan at Shilo. The commentaries to 14:7 indicate that when the mishkan was in Nov, and when it was in Giv'on, maaser sheni was ...
- 73.7k
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