“Who sees but is not seen, should render kindness to you.”
Today’s Daf Yomi considers the poor, and how to provide for their needs without embarrassing them. We are told that back when the second Temple stood there were
“special” chambers. People who had sins to atone for would contribute money to
“the chamber of secret gifts.” Those who had come down in the world from noble ancestry would support themselves from the gifts in this secret chamber without risking the embarrassment of openly disclosing their lessened circumstances.
The other secret place was the chamber of vessels, which served as a resource for Temple maintenance. Donors would contribute vessels to the chamber perhaps the equivalent of gadgets that we buy today and rarely use. The chamber doors would be opened every thirty days. If a vessel was useful for Temple upkeep, it would be kept. Alternatively, it would be sold, and the resulting cash would be used for Temple maintenance.
“We have a tradition from our fathers.”
Today’s Daf Yomi discussion considers the professions that supported the Second Temple when it stood in Jerusalem. We are introduced to Ben Bevai, who had a very particular skill, which was to braid shreds of discarded cloth into wicks for candelabrum. He was so good at his craft that he could calibrate the size and width of each wick so that it could burn an entire night.
When a group of prominent community leaders took offense at Rabbi Yosei’s request that they care for the needs of the community and oversee provisions for the poor, he berated them by stating that if a man as great as Ben Bevai could spend his life making wicks, they could take on the administrative duties requested of them which involved “
Correct placement, is necessary for offerings to be valid.”
Somewhere along the way of this journey through the pages of the Talmud, I picked up on the fact that the Rabbis were critical of the priests who ran affairs during the time of the Temple. By the time the Talmud was transcribed, that mantle was handed to the Rabbis. Today’s Daf Yomi portion provides a good view into how the Rabbis perceived the priests from previous generations.
The red heifer was the star attraction of purification rituals when the Temple was standing. The priests built ramps to transport the precious red heifers from the Temple where they were collected to the Mount of Olives where they were slaughtered. The red heifer, which was raised for the purpose of purification, could be in danger during the journey through the city of Jerusalem of becoming contaminated from a source of impurity. After the slaughter, the priests had to carry the slaughtered heifer back to the temple for the purification cere
When perception becomes reality (Daf Yomi Shekalim 8) timesofisrael.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofisrael.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“Why is this night different from all other nights?”
Today’s Daf Yomi continues the discussion on what distinguishes Passover from other nights, and Housewives of New Jersey beware, because there is potential table flipping involved. We already learned that the evening is special because one is protected from all harm, can recline at the dinner table and drink four glasses of wine. At the time of the temple, one ate a portion of Paschal lamb which I imagine must have been dry meat that stuck in the throat and was nothing as moist as my grandmother’s brisket.
One eats matza on Passover and dips bitter herbs into the charoset two times to signify the uniqueness of the night. We are told that Hillel (according to the notes in the Koren Talmud, not