Rav Wolfson:Parshas Terumah

Note: HaRav Isser Wolfson shlita is a noted talmid chacham, dayan and posek. The shiurim were transcribed by me and reviewed by Rav Wolfson. What you are reading is just an excerpt and not the whole shiur. I have also taken the liberty of making some slight editorial changes to the original version in order to make it read better. This week's excerpt is from Terumah 5763.

The Rosh in Meseches Tamid says that Shlomo HaMelech built the Beis HaMikdash to be used as a mokom tefillah. In fact, in between the avodah, the kohanim would daven in the lishkas hagazis which was the same place the Sanhedrin sat. The lishkas hagazis had a status of being “chatzi kodesh v’chatzi chol”. The possuk (Yeshaya 56:7) says “v’haviosem el har kadshi v’simachtem b’vais tefillasi oloseihem v'zivcheihem l'rotzon al mizbichi ki veisi beis tefilla...”. Based upon the Rosh, we can say that this possuk is referring to four different madreigos that existed in the Beis HaMikdash. “V’haviosem el har kadshi ” refers to the machaneh leviah which is the lowest madreigah located in the Beis HaMikdash. The second madreigah is “v’simachtem b’vais tefillasi ” and this refers to the lishkas hagazis, which is chatzi kodesh and chatzi chol. The third madreigah is “oloseihem v'zivcheihem l'rotzon al mizbichi ” which refers to the mizbayach, which was totally kodesh. Finally, the fourth and highest madreigah is “ ki veisi beis tefilla” and refers to the heichal, which had more kedushah than the mizbayach.

With this we can have a better understanding of a phrase that we say in Maoz Tzur. We say “tikun beis tefillasi v’sham todah nizabayach”. The paytan is saying that by Bayis Shilishi we will extend the azarah and make a new chanukas habayis. The first thing that will be extended is the beis tefillah, which is the lishkas hagazis. Until now it is chatzi kodesh and chatzi chol but by Bayis Shilishi it will become kulo kodesh.