Post page

The Tamid Offering

“At that time I will bring you home, and at that time I will gather you, for I will give you renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I bring back your exiles before your eyes, says the L-rd.”  With these words from Tz’fanyah 3 (Zephaniah) our focus shifts to the Seder HaKorbanot (the order of the offerings), a thumbnail sketch of the Holy Temple offerings.

The importance of the Temple offerings is highlighted by an intriguing detour; rather than launching immediately into the description of the actual offerings, we first study the preparations which lead up to them.  Reading excerpts from Yeḥezk’el (Ezekiel) and Vayikra (Leviticus), we become immersed in the sights and sounds of Temple life.

We first see the bronze basin and bronze laver.  The Kohanim (priests) wash their hands and feet when they enter the Mikdash (Tent of Meeting) and again before approaching the altar, explained simply with, “so they will not die.”  There are no minor or perfunctory duties in the Temple; each one is to be approached respectfully and diligently.

We then witness the meticulous procedure for taking the ashes from the altar.  Notice that this seemingly menial series of tasks is described as “the law of the burnt offering” and includes specific instructions for the offerings, the ashes, the fire – even what clothes are to be worn at which times.

Now, ready to consider the details of the offerings, we pause momentarily to lift our hearts and eyes heavenward,  “May it be Your will, L-rd our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that You have compassion on us and pardon us all our sins, grant atonement for all our iniquities and forgive all our transgressions.  May You rebuild the Temple swiftly in our days so that we may offer You the continual offering that it may atone for us as You have prescribed for us in Your Torah through Moses Your servant, from the mouthpiece of Your glory, as it is said: The L-rd said to Moses . . . “

Excerpts follow from BMidbar 28 (Numbers) and Vayikra 1 (Leviticus) which provide the description of the Daily Sacrifice – the Tamid offering – directly from the Torah.  Notice that Moshe is to command the Israelites to “Be careful to offer to Me at the appointed time My food-offering consumed by fire, as an aroma pleasing to Me.”  Again we see an admonition for scrupulous attention to detail.  (Imagine presenting a gift to a world leader, or to a cherished loved one – how much more fastidious we should be when presenting an offering to HaShem, L-rd of all creation!)

The offering components are described and then a seemingly minor yet immensely significant phrase precedes the recap: “This is the regular burnt-offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, a fire-offering made to the L-rd.”  Our national memory awakens; despite our centuries without the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) we remember the magnificence of the days of old – then, as our vision slowly fades, with a mixture of sadness and hope we conclude, “May it be Your will, L-rd our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, that this recitation be considered accepted and favored before You as if we had offered the daily sacrifice at its appointed time and place, according to its laws.”

Comprised of two yearling lambs, together with their designated meal and wine offerings (one lamb at sunrise, the other at dusk), the Tamid is the first and last offering every day.  Preparations for the Tamid offerings begin long before sunrise; the concluding activities last long after sundown.  The yearling lambs have to be available and inspected.  The grain, oil, and wine must be ready.  The duty priests must be present, and they must know precisely how to perform each part of the sacrifice.  All this took place twice daily, week after week, year after year, century upon century.

In Judaic thought the most frequent activities are often imbued with the greatest holiness.  We are taught that it is better to give one groschen for tzedakah (charity) one hundred times, rather than one hundred groschen at one time, as the more frequent giving builds a habitual awareness of our opportunities for tzedakah.  They also teach that Shabbat, every Shabbat, is the holiest day of the year.

The Tamid is not only the foundation of the Holy Temple offerings; it is our first lesson in understanding how to view things which at first glance appear to be commonplace.  When we see the breathtaking beauty of routine holiness, measuring every moment, every choice, against His Torah, we joyously endeavor to perfect every mitzvah – even though another opportunity is already on the horizon.  Indeed, this is living a life pleasing to HaShem.

As we conclude our Pesaḥ Seder each year we join together with the Jewish Nation, declaring, “Next Year in Jerusalem!”  In that moment we envision ourselves in the midst of this festive annual pilgrimage to our rebuilt Holy Temple in Jerusalem, joyously sharing in the Korban Pesaḥ (roasted lamb or goat) with family, friends, and neighbors.  

Pesaḥ is a familiar picture of Temple life.  The Pesaḥ sacrifice, as described in Vayikra (Leviticus) 23, is offered by an individual on behalf of those who will join him in his household’s Pesaḥ Seder.  It is in B’Midbar (Numbers) 29, though, where we learn of the national offerings – it is these offerings which are commemorated in traditional Siddurim.  

Our connection with HaShem spans our lives both individually and nationally.  Our days are replete with opportunities for individually connecting with HaShem through both prayer and mitzvot.  As we gather in our local synagogues, though, our focus is on connecting with HaShem nationally; we pray as a nation, we commemorate the national offerings.  

Synagogues originated as “Bayit T’fillah” during the Babylonian Exile.  Without the Holy Temple for the first time in our nation’s history, our leaders, known as “the Men of the Great Assembly,” diligently studied Torah as we held onto HaShem’s promise to restore us to the Land.  In addition to the Bayit Din (judicial system using Torah as our “constitution”) and Bayit Midrash (schools for Torah study), they developed Bayit T’fillah (house(s) of prayer) in order to commemorate the Temple sacrificial services.   Their goal was two-fold:  to use the Torah as the foundational structure of our judiciary and education systems, and to preserve the details of the Temple sacrifices so we would be ready to resume them when our exile ended.

This three-fold structure sustained us during the exile and continued to provide a strong network of community after HaShem restored us to the Land.  As we gathered daily in our local Bayit T’fillah to commemorate the Temple sacrifices Jerusalem didn’t seem so far away.  Later known by the Greek word “synagogue,” they continued to provide structure throughout the nation, combatting the allure of idolatry in our communities, including even those far from Jerusalem.  

The Amida prayer is the pinnacle of each synagogue service just as the sacrifice is the pinnacle of each Holy Temple service.  Each Temple sacrifice (Shaḥrit, Musaf, Minḥa, Ma’ariv, etc.) has its own version of the Amida, the “standing prayer” which was voiced by those in attendance during the Temple sacrifice.  The design of each service is for us to ascend to and then descend from the height of the Amida. 

Consider for a moment the components of the sacrificial system:  meat, grain, wine, and incense.  Note how each component gradually guides our attention away from our ordinary daily existence, ushering our awareness toward the hidden eternal. 

Meat is the most “close to home” in that the sacrificial animals are physically similar to us – they have bodies, legs, faces; we can look into their eyes.  Grain and oil are somewhat removed from us – they are plant-based and also have less texture than meat.  Wine is poured on the altar and has even less texture than grain.  Each component is a bit less involved with the corporeal, providing opportunity to be more aware of the eternal.

Incense offerings, which happen twice daily as the menorah is cleaned every morning and lit every evening, take place solely within the Heiḥol (the front room of the Temple building).  Only the officiating Kohen sees the incense offering.  As the “hidden” offering, incense reminds us of the intimate connection we have with HaShem as His chosen people.

Traditional Siddurim include a brief study of the national sacrifices during the daily Shaḥrit service – mere gleanings of the exhaustive descriptions in Talmud – so each generation can commemorate and anticipate the national sacrifices, remaining constantly ready for the rebuilt Holy Temple.