English translation — קדושים

Holy Ones<pg>55</pg>

A.

The Rambam wrote in Laws of the Chosen House, chapter 7: It is a positive commandment to fear the Temple, as it is said<sup>1</sup>

And you shall fear My Sanctuary—not the Sanctuary are you to fear, but Him who commanded regarding its fear.

And the source of the matter is in a baraita<sup>2</sup>

(On the verse<sup>1</sup>

"My Sabbaths you shall keep and My sanctuary you shall fear")

: It is said "keeping" regarding the Sabbath and it is said "fear" regarding the Sanctuary; just as the keeping said regarding the Sabbath is not that you fear the Sabbath but the One who warned about the Sabbath, so too the fear said regarding the Sanctuary is not that you fear the Sanctuary but the One who warned about the Sanctuary.

And it requires explanation,

why did the Rambam bring this detail,

for what halachic difference does it make that the fear is "not of the Sanctuary...

but of the One who commanded regarding His fear",

and especially since the explanation of "fear of the Sanctuary" is that "a person should not enter the Temple Mount with his staff etc.",

as the continuation of the language of the baraita,

which is brought in the Rambam here<sup>3</sup>?

And behold, the Tosafot⁴

explained that which is stated in the Gemara there: "One might think that a person should fear the⁵

Temple" — "Regarding his father it was not necessary to say this, for it is obvious that he should not bow down to him for the sake of divinity; but regarding the Temple it was necessary, because it is a matter of holiness,"

And according to this, one could say that this [statement] "You are not afraid of the Temple" pertains to the halakhah that one should not bow down to the Temple for the sake of divinity

(as stated in the Tosafot).

But it is very forced to explain thus⁶

the words of the Rambam,

for in order to negate the possibility of bowing down to the Temple for the sake of divinity, it would seemingly suffice if he had written "It is a positive commandment to fear the Temple, as it is said 'And you shall fear My Sanctuary,'" and immediately thereafter "And what is its fear? One should not enter, etc.,"

and consequently there is no room for the possibility of bowing down to the Temple for the sake of divinity⁷.

There are commentators⁸

that the difference from this is to <pg>56</pg>

The matter of awe of the Temple after its destruction,

that if the explanation of "You shall fear My Temple" is according to its simple meaning,

awe of the Temple,

then the commandment is only at the time when the Holy Temple exists,

but at a time when the Holy Temple does not exist there is no law of awe of the Temple,

but since the awe is from the One who warned about the Temple, this is both at a time when the Holy Temple exists and at a time when the Holy Temple does not exist.

But also this explanation is forced in the language of the Rambam&lt;sup&gt;9&lt;/sup&gt;,

for this law the Rambam wrote explicitly later in a separate halacha&lt;sup&gt;10&lt;/sup&gt;,

"Even though the Temple is today destroyed in our iniquities, a person is obligated in its reverence as he was accustomed to do in its building etc. it is said 'You shall keep My Sabbaths and revere My Sanctuary' just as the keeping of the Sabbath is forever, so the reverence of the Sanctuary is forever, for even though it is destroyed, it stands in its holiness",

And it requires further study

(a)

Behold, this law is not a continuation of halacha 1,

(b)

And to such an extent that its source is from a separate special study&lt;sup&gt;11&lt;/sup&gt;.

2.

Also it requires further clarification: In the above baraita the language is "except from the One who warned about the Sanctuary",

And likewise it is in the Torat Kohanim&lt;sup&gt;12&lt;/sup&gt;

"from the One who commanded about the Sanctuary"&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;,

But the Rambam changed and wrote "except from the One who commanded about His reverence".

And it requires clarification,

what is the intention of the Rambam in this change,

that the reverence is from the One who commanded about His reverence.

And beyond this: In the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam also changed from the language that he used in Sefer HaMitzvos,

that he wrote "You are not in awe of the Sanctuary, but of the One Who caused His Shechinah to dwell in this place,"

and seemingly, according to the language in Sefer HaMitzvos, the reason for the awe is also explained,

due to the indwelling of the Shechinah in the Sanctuary,

and why did he change in the Mishneh Torah.

[And according to this language, it is also understood that there is an obligation of awe of the Sanctuary even after its destruction,

since the indwelling of the Shechinah in the Sanctuary is not nullified,

as the Rambam wrote in the previous chapter

that the sanctity of the Sanctuary endures "because the sanctity of the Sanctuary etc. is due to the Shechinah, and the Shechinah is not nullified"].

3.

And this will be understood with an introduction of the differences in the expositions of our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, mentioned above on this verse

("Not from the Temple are you in awe but rather etc.'",

"My Sabbaths you shall keep and My Sanctuary you shall fear; just as the keeping of the Sabbath is forever, so too the fear of the Sanctuary&lt;pg&gt;57&lt;/pg&gt;

forever")

Between the Toras Kohanim and the Talmud: In the Toras Kohanim, both expositions are brought adjacent to each other,

and afterwards it continues and details the laws of fear of the Sanctuary

("What is fear [of the Sanctuary]? One may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, or his satchel, or his shoes, or his money belt, or with dust on his feet, and one may not make it a shortcut, and spitting [is forbidden] by a fortiori reasoning"),

Whereas in the Talmud, the detailing of the laws "What is fear of the Sanctuary? One may not enter etc." is brought following the first exposition "Not from the Sanctuary are you afraid, but from the One Who warned about the Sanctuary",

and after the detailing of the laws

("And what is fear of the Sanctuary? One may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, or his shoes, or his money belt, or with dust on his feet etc., and spitting by a fortiori reasoning")

it continues "And I have only [this] at the time when the Temple is standing; at the time when the Temple is not standing, from where [do we derive it]? The verse states 'My Sabbaths etc.'".

And also the Rambam in his writings brought these expositions in two ways:

In Sefer HaMitzvot he wrote "And the definition of this fear is as they recalled in Sifra: Which is fear etc.",

And at the end of his words he brought both expositions together,

"And the language of Sifrei

[Sifra¹⁷]

I have only when the Temple is standing; when the Temple is not standing, from where? It is said etc. Even the fear of the Temple is forever, and there it is also said: Not from the Temple you fear, but from He who caused His Shechinah to dwell in this place".

But in the Book of the Hand he brought the details of the laws

("And what is His fear? A person should not enter the Temple Mount etc.'")

Immediately after law 1

("And you are not afraid of the Temple but of the One who commanded regarding its fear"),

And only after several laws

(law 7)

he wrote "Although the Temple is today destroyed due to our sins, a person is obligated in its reverence as it was practiced in its building",

And there he brought the exposition "Just as the observance of Shabbat is forever, so too the reverence of the Temple is forever."

Also, explanation is needed: In laws 2, 3, and 4, the Rambam details several particular laws that derive from the obligation of reverence of the Temple,

And at the end of law 4 he writes "All this is to fear the Temple."

And afterwards in the halacha that follows this

(halacha 5)

It is written: "A person should not treat his head lightly opposite the eastern gate of the Temple Mount, which is the Gate of Nikanor, because it is aligned opposite the Holy of Holies. And anyone who enters the Temple Mount should walk gently in the place where it is permitted for him to enter there,

And he should envision himself as standing before God, as it is said¹⁸

And My eyes and My heart will be there all the days, and he should walk with awe and fear and trembling, as it is said¹⁹

In the house of God we will walk with emotion."

And it requires examination: the continuation and order of his words: Why does he conclude halacha 4 "All this is for fear of the Temple,"

And behold, seemingly also the laws in halacha 5 are from the obligation of fear of the Temple.

4.

And one must say the explanation in all this:

In the definition of the law of awe of the Temple,

there is place to learn in two ways,

whether the obligation is on fear in its simple sense,

a feeling of fear and dread in the heart,

or that the obligation is in doing specific actions that express a matter of fear

(or refraining from actions that are the opposite of fear)²⁰.

<pg>58</pg>

And according to this, one could say,

that according to the baraita in the Talmud,

which states "You are not afraid of the Temple but of the One who warned about the Temple

(And continuing from this)

And what is the fear of the Temple? One should not enter, etc.' — these actions themselves constitute the fulfillment of the commandment of fear of the Temple; however, according to the Torat Kohanim which did not immediately bring the details of the laws,

the definition of fear of the Temple is according to its simple meaning,

that there must be a feeling and fear in the heart,

but from this emerge several details of laws,

namely the actions that are necessitated by this fear in the heart.

And this distinction between the Talmud and the Torat Kohanim is emphasized by the Rambam in his different language usages in Sefer HaMitzvot and Sefer HaYad:

In Sefer HaMitzvot of the Rambam: "It is that He commanded us to fear this Sanctuary greatly, until we place upon our soul the burden of dread and fear, and this is from fear of the Sanctuary,"

Behold, it is explicit in his words that the content of fear of the Sanctuary is the dread and fear in the soul&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;,

And for this reason he copies the language of the Sifra specifically,

which follows this approach.

And based on this, the conclusion of the Rambam's words there is also explained,

that he brings

(from the Sifra)

"And there it is also said: Not from the Sanctuary are you to fear, but from Him Who caused His Shechinah to dwell in this place,"

in which he explains how it is possible to arouse a feeling of dread and fear in the soul from the Sanctuary,

from the aspect of fear of the Shechinah that dwells in this House.

But in Sefer HaYad, the Rambam follows the approach of the Baraitha in the Talmud,

that the definition of fear of the Sanctuary is

(not the feeling of awe and dread in the heart,

but rather)

actions etc. of "fear of the Sanctuary",

And this is why he prefaces at the beginning of the chapter "And not from the Sanctuary are you to fear, but from Him Who commanded regarding His fear"

(and he changes from the language of the Talmud "Who warned regarding the Sanctuary"),

that his intention is not to negate fear of the Sanctuary itself

(that one should not bow down to it as if to divinity, Heaven forbid),

but rather to emphasize that fear here, its matter is

(not the feeling of awe "from the Sanctuary are you to fear",

but rather)

fulfillment of the commandment of fear

(He commanded&lt;sup&gt;20&lt;/sup&gt;

regarding His fear)

in deed,

And this is why he immediately continues afterwards

(like the Baraitha in the Talmud)

"And what is His fear? He shall not enter, etc."&lt;sup&gt;22&lt;/sup&gt;.

And based on this, the words of the Rambam in the continuation of the laws come together like a kind of material: In Halachah 3 and Halachah 4, the Rambam details the laws that are part of the commandment of reverence for the Temple: "And all who enter the Temple Mount enter on the right and circle around and exit on the left, etc.,"

And afterwards he describes the manner of exiting after the service: "Whoever completes the service and departs does not go out with his back to the Sanctuary, but rather walks backwards little by little and walks gently on his side until he leaves the Courtyard,

And likewise the men of the watch, etc., leave the Temple like one who steps backward after prayer" — and with this he concludes "And all this is for reverence of the Temple,"

That is to say,

Even though they are only matters of actions and not the essence of the feeling of awe and fear in the heart,

Nevertheless, all this is included in the commandment of reverence for the Temple,

Since they are "for reverence of the Temple,"

For the fulfillment of the commandment of fear,

Which is in action.

&lt;pg&gt;59&lt;/pg&gt;

And afterwards, in Halachah 5, he begins a new law and definition in the commandment of reverence for the Temple — "And all who enter the Courtyard shall walk gently, etc., and see himself that he stands before the Lord, etc., and walk with awe and fear and trembling, as it is said, 'In the house of God we will walk with emotion,'"

For in this law it does not stand only on the action of fear,

But also on the feeling of fear in the heart and soul&lt;sup&gt;23&lt;/sup&gt;,

And it is a law in itself,

And on this the Rambam brought other verses

("And My eyes and My heart shall be there all the days; in the house of God we will walk with emotion"),

And the foundation of this law is,

That in his walking in the Courtyard he must "see himself that he stands before the Lord,"

Which automatically leads to a feeling of awe and fear in the heart

(And not only fear in action).

And this is also the difference between the first laws and this law,

that the first laws are also regarding the Temple Mount,

for from there begins the obligation²⁴

to do and to be careful in actions of awe of the Sanctuary; but the obligation of the feeling of fear and dread in the heart does not apply until one enters the Courtyard, when then he is "standing before the Lord."

5.

And one can explain

(in the inwardness of the matters)

the opinion of the Rambam

(and the Talmud),

that the main matter of awe of the Sanctuary

("not from the Sanctuary are you in awe, but from the One Who commanded regarding His awe")

is through fulfilling the command of God in deed

(as above at length)

:

The content of the matter of fear is submission and self-nullification,

for this is the difference between love and fear²⁵,

that love is connected with the existence of the lover,

and fear, its content is the feeling of the one whom he fears

(therefore the service of a servant is specifically the service of fear,

for the entire existence of the servant is his self-nullification to the master).

And behold, in this movement of self-nullification and fear there are several levels.

For when fear comes from the side of the person's comprehension of the essence of that which he fears,

this is not absolute self-nullification,

because it is a result of his comprehension;

And only when the nullification is connected with action,

whose source is in the command of one who fears Him,

without the intervention of his own existence,

then the nullification is more internal and true²⁶.

And since this matter is a fundamental matter in the service of G-d,

and as the Alter Rebbe said²⁷

that "The beginning of<pg>60</pg>

The service and its essence and its root is fear and self-nullification,

therefore the commandment of awe of the Sanctuary is always present,

and as the Rambam wrote "Even though the Sanctuary today is destroyed due to our sins, a person is obligated in its awe as it was practiced in its building..

awe of the Sanctuary forever".

And one should add to this,

that the main matter of fear explained here is the action of fear done from the side of G-d's command,

and not

(so much)

the feeling of fear in the heart,

and this self-nullification is primarily in the time of exile,

as explained elsewhere²⁸

that the main matter of the Holy One Blessed be He and fear and self-nullification is in the time of exile,

that despite the concealment of the Divine Presence, the Children of Israel study Torah and fulfill commandments,

and if so, the essence and quality of self-nullification is in the time of exile more than in the time of the Temple.

And may it be His will that through the engagement in the laws of the Holy Temple,

that then "I consider them as if they are engaged in building the Temple"²⁹,

and this study strengthens even more the faith in the coming of Moshiach and the "I will wait for Him every day that He will come"³⁰

— all this will hasten and speed even more the coming of Moshiach our righteousness and the building of the third Holy Temple,

and immediately and instantly.

(From the talk of Shabbat Parshat Devarim 5747)