Sicha, Shabbos Parshas Masei 5744
A. Tour of the Temple
Moses built the Tabernacle in the desert, and it continued to serve in Gilgal, Shiloh, Nob, and Gibeon. Once the Temple was built in Jerusalem, all other places were forbidden to be used as sites for worship, with Mount Moriah becoming the eternal site. (Source 1)
The Mishnah in Tractate Midot provides a detailed description of the Temple Mount and the Temple itself (Source 2), and Maimonides adds further details. (Source 3)
B. Tiered Structure
Maimonides emphasizes that the Temple was not built on flat ground but on the incline of a mountain. (Source 4)
The Rebbe explains that the fact the Temple was on an incline is significant. The differing elevations of the Temple sections correspond to the level of divine presence that was present in each part. Therefore, ascending to a higher part of the Temple, where the divine presence is more pronounced, involves physically ascending steps, symbolizing a spiritual elevation. Maimonides therefore details the various elevations in the Temple, each corresponding to the level of holiness in those parts. (Source 5)
C. The Tabernacle Was Entirely Level
The Rebbe asks: Why, then, was the Tabernacle completely level, despite also having varying degrees of divine presence? He explains that the Tabernacle was a temporary dwelling, so its sanctity did not penetrate the ground and was not expressed in the elevation of the land. In contrast, the Temple was a permanent dwelling, with its sanctity penetrating the ground itself, reflected in the differing heights of the Temple sections.
D. Some Things Aren’t Measured in Height
The Rebbe further asks why the Holy of Holies wasn’t higher than the rest of the central building of the Temple (Heichal).
He clarifies that when discussing levels of holiness that are relative and comparable, they manifest in the physical elevation of the place. However, when it comes to a level of holiness that is incomparably higher, it cannot be expressed through physical height differences.
