The Temple

Why is there a small “mem” in the word “mokdah” in Lev. 6:2? The Midrashim and early commentaries don’t mention or comment on the small mem. Possibly it’s an allusion to the fact that the parts of the sacrifices that…

How was the ephod tied? Rashi (Ex. 28:6ff) uses the verb “choger” in reference to how the ephod is worn, i.e. “wrapped” behind the Kohen’s back, rather than in reference to how it is tied. Two verses later, Rashi refers…

What is the history of the Menorah? A golden Menorah, with six branches curving up from a central stem, was one of the furnishings in Moses’ Tabernacle (Ex. 25:31-40, 37: 17-24). The branches and stem carried lamps which burned olive…

What is a "wave offering" (tenufah)? According to the Talmud (Menachos 62a), a tenufah was moved back and forth, up and down, to symbolize the fact that it is being offered to the Ruler of the entire world.

What does Jewish law tell us about animal sacrifices? Sacrifice of animals dates back to earliest times; it was practiced, for example, by Abel (Gen.4:4) and Noah (Gen.8:20). The Jewish sacrificial laws are detailed in the first seven chapters of…

How were the curtains in the Temple arranged? The Mishnah in Yoma 5:1 says there were two curtains spaced one cubit apart. The Mishnah in Shekalim 8:5 says that each curtain was a handsbreadth thick, 40 cubits long (i.e.,high) and…

What is the “devir”? The word devir occurs in the Bible both as the name of a city that was also called Kiryas Sefer (Joshua, Judges) and in connection with the Holy of Holies in the Temple (Kings, Chronicles, Psalms).…

What is the Ark of the Covenant? The Ark of the Covenant was built by the Israelites in the desert to hold the stone tablets that Moses received on Mount Sinai. The article “Ark of the Covenant” in the Encyclopedia…

Was there a Temple in Arad? As the Bible tells us, the kings of Judah did not all suppress worship outside the Jerusalem Temple. The Temple in Arad may have been founded by the Kenites (see Judges 1:16; 4:11), who…