The Holy Temple is the Throne of Hashem on the earth, it is the Eye of the Universe and much more. The Temple is a place of miracles and manifestations of the might of the Holy One. All of this is true, yet the Temple was a place that functioned. Just as a Doctor learns how the human body functions in order to treat the body, so too we must learn how the Temple functioned. The Levites were keys to this administration. The Azarah was the highest courtyard and the location where the Temple building and the Altar stood. Around its perimeter were several key structures. On the southwestern corner was the Beit Otzrot (House of the Treasury). This building was known as the Southern Building. The Shaar haElyon (the Upper Gate) went through the building. On the Southeastern corner was the Beit Avtinas (House of Avtinas). This was known as the Eastern Building. The shaar haMayim (Water Gate) went through this building. On the Northeastern Corner was the Beit haNitzotz (House of the Spark). This was known as the Northern Building. The Shaar haNitzotz went through this building. On the Northwestern corner was the Beit haMokeid (House of the Hearth). This was known as the Western Building. The Shaar Yekonia (Gate of Yehoiachin) went through this building. Learn the function of these buildings and you will start to learn of the Temple.
First Temple Period this building was called Beit Yair haLevanon (House of the Forest of Lebanon.
This building housed the Lishkat haGazit (Chamber of Hewn Stone where the Sanhedrin Gedolah sat, the Lishkat haEitz (Chamber of the Wood – the quarters for the High Priest), the Beit Kior (House of the Laver) Beit Osei Chavittim (House of the Pancake Offering Bakery), Chambers for the singers and more.
In this building there were chambers that held salt for the Korbanot, a room for processing the hides of the Korbanot for the Kohanim, and a washing chamber for rinsing the hides, a flame was kept in the building in case the fire of the Altar went out. There was a special Chamber known as the Beit Even (House of Stone) where the kohen who was going to slaughter the Red Heifer stayed the week before the ceremony.
Also known as Beit haNitzotz. This is the location where the Kohen who was to slaughter the Red Heifer was quarantined for seven days.
This was the chamber where the kohanim on duty for the week slept. The two lambs for the daily Tamid were kept in the southwestern corner of the building. The Bakery for the Lechem haPanim (Bread of the Face was in the southeastern corner). The Chamber of the Tokens was in the northeastern section. In or beneath this chamber was where the stones of the desecrated altar were kept.
This building directly behind the Temple Building was were some of the offerings pf the Kohanim were kept.
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