EXTREME MAKEOVER: Temple Edition ~ Laws on G-d’s Residence of Choice Rambam: Beit HaBechira. Chapter 7; 17
Episode #65 – “THE WOMEN’S COURT” Although we now seem to be leaving the outer layers of the Temple Mount area, entering the actual Beit HaMikdash compound itself, by biblical law we have not yet progressed. Despite the apparent paradigm shift in sacred scrimmage achieved when entering the structurally encircled outer courtyard know as Ezrat Nashim (lit. the Women’s Courtyard) the increased level of restriction reflective of the next level of geographic holiness was created by the Sanhedrin and is, in fact, not legislated by the Torah itself.
As explained in previous episodes, according to Rambam, the rational for the “artificial” rabbinical orchestration of layered sanctity flows directly from the biblical command to Revere the Temple area. As such, notwithstanding the biblical terminology and form of Tuma’ah (ritual impurity) being referenced, the absence of a biblical consequence demonstrates its rabbinic regulatory nature.
Temple Templemount threeweeks beithamikdash EzratNashim Impurity purity theHolyCourtyard womenssection moshiach mashiach HolyTemple holyland ritualimpurity membersonly missingsunset notallowedinside shkiah Sanhedrin rabbinicrules
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