Adapted from Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXIX, Parshas Re'eh
In
Hilchos Beis HaBechirah, the
Rambam writes:
[1]
The [Beis Ha]Mikdash was not built on a level plane, but rather on the incline of the mountain. A person who entered the eastern gate of the Mount [of the] Beis [HaMikdash] would proceed until the end of the surrounding rampart on one level. He would ascend from the surrounding rampart to the Woman's Courtyard with twelve steps, each step being half a cubit high, and half a cubit wide....
He would ascend from [the Women's Courtyard] to the Courtyard of the Israelites... with fifteen steps.... He would ascend from it to the Priestly Courtyard with one step, a cubit high. Above [that step] was a platform of three steps, each a half-cubit in height....
From [the Courtyard], he would ascend to the Entrance Hall [of the Sanctuary] with twelve steps.... The Entrance Hall and the Sanctuary were on the same plane.
- The Level of the Temple Mount Closest to the Eastern Gate
- The Chayl
- The Steps leading from the Chayl to the Women's Courtyard
- The Gate to the Women's Courtyard
- The Entrance to the Women's Courtyard
- The Women's Courtyard
- The Semi-Circular Steps Leading from the Women's Courtyard to the Temple Courtyard
- The Gate of Nicanor
- The Courtyard of the Israelites
- A Step One Cubit High
- Three Steps, Each a Half-Cubit High
- The Priestly Courtyard
- The Steps Leading to the Temple Building
- The Temple Building
The commentaries
[2] note that these ascents correspond to different levels of holiness within the
Beis HaMikdash. As the
Rambam writes in the following chapter:
[3]
The Women's Courtyard is holier than the surrounding rampart.... The Courtyard of the Israelites is holier than the Women's Courtyard.... The Priestly Courtyard is holier than [the Courtyard of the Israelites....] The Sanctuary is holier than [the portion of the Courtyard] between the altar and the Entrance Hall.
As one ascended to higher levels of holiness within the
Beis HaMikdash, one made an actual physical ascent. The four points at which a person was required to climb steps, represented four different planes of holiness.
[4]
The
Rambam's wording - "was not..., but rather" - appears to indicate that building the
Beis HaMikdash in this manner was not merely a structural necessity because of the situation of the building on Mount Moriah, but rather, a
halachic requirement. The construction of the
Beis HaMikdash on different levels, reflecting the different planes of holiness, was part of the Divine vision granted to King David which served as the source for the plans for the structure of the complex.
What is the rationale for such a concept? The selection of Mount Moriah as "the place which G-d your L-rd shall choose,"[5] changed the nature of that site for all time. The actual physical place became holy. Therefore, the varying levels of height within that place mirrored the different spiritual levels associated with it.[6]
The distinction between these different levels of holiness and their connection to their actual physical site is reflected by the fact that these distinctions remain for all time, even after the Beis HaMikdash has been destroyed. Thus the Rambam states[7] that it is permitted to partake of sacrifices of the most holy order (ohase hase) on the site of the Courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash, even though the structure is destroyed and the courtyard is not set aside by a divider. This indicates that, not only does the sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash as a whole remain in the present era - all the particular distinctions associated with the different levels of holiness also continue to prevail.
This concept, however, prompts a question: Why wasn't the Holy of Holies higher than the Sanctuary? The Holy of Holies represented the ultimate peak of sanctity within the world, the place where G-d's presence was manifest in a revealed manner. Why wasn't this dimension also reflected within the actual structure of the
Beis HaMikdash?
Within this question itself, however, lies the key to its resolution. The sanctity of the Holy of Holies was on a totally different plane from the other portions of the Beis HaMikdash. The differences between the other levels of holiness were relative, and a comparison could be made between one level and another. Hence, these differences were able to be expressed by a difference in height. The Holy of Holies, by contrast, could not be compared to any of the other portions of the Beis HaMikdash. The manifestation of the Divine Presence placed it in a category of its own. Indeed, this distinction was so unique that it could not be expressed in physical terms.[8]
These concepts have parallels in our divine service. A person must realize that his spiritual development requires continual growth. As a person ascends to a higher level of holiness, he must also elevate himself as a person.[9]
Ultimately, however, a person must realize that the highest levels of spiritual fulfillment cannot be attained by virtue of one's own achievements. It is only through nullifying one's self entirely that one becomes a resting place for the Divine Presence and a vehicle for the expression of His will.
May the above concepts soon be expressed in actual physical terms, with the coming of the Redemption and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash. And then, "we will ascend, appear, and bow down before You;"[10] may this take place in the immediate future.
Notes:
- (Back to text) Ch. 6, hal. 1-4.
- (Back to text) See Toras HaOleh, chs. 4, 7, and 10.
- (Back to text) Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 7:17-21.
- (Back to text) Within the Beis HaMikdash complex, there were other distinctions in levels of holiness; e.g., the surrounding rampart is holier than the Mount [of the] Beis [HaMikdash] (ibid.:16), [the portion of the Courtyard] between the altar and the Entrance Hall is holier than [the Priestly Courtyard] (ibid.:20), and the Holy of Holies is holier than [the Sanctuary] (ibid.:22). See Toras HaOleh, loc. cit., which offers explanations why these higher spiritual levels were not marked by an increase in actual height.
- (Back to text) Devarim 12:5. See the explanation of this concept in the essay "G-d's Chosen House."
- (Back to text) This explains the contrast to the Sanctuary in the desert, in which the Sanctuary and the Courtyard were on the same plane. The Sanctuary was merely a temporary dwelling for the Divine Presence. As such, it did not have a permanent effect on the various places on which it was constructed. For this same reason, the different spiritual levels in the Sanctuary were not reflected in the actual physical structure.
In regard to the Beis HaMikdash, by contrast, the fact that it was G-d's Chosen House affected the actual physical site. See also the essay of this title cited previously.
- (Back to text) Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 6:15.
- (Back to text) Indeed, were this difference to have been expressed in a physical manner, one might have erred and assumed that it, like the other differences in holiness within the Beis HaMikdash, was merely a relative distinction.
- (Back to text) Perhaps there is an allusion to the need for such personal growth in the wording chosen by the Rambam when describing the various different levels. Instead of saying that one level of the Beis HaMikdash was higher than another, the Rambam communicates this idea by describing a person's progress through the entire area of the Beis HaMikdash. He continually uses the phrase "He would ascend," indicating that the person's progress should be accompanied by inner growth.
- (Back to text) Festival Musaf liturgy.
The Number Of Gates To The Courtyard Of The Beis HaMikdash