Home -- Content: Series 7 (Laws) -- Translation: English -- Book: 1 (Tora) -- Part: 1 (Positive) -- Command: 22 -- Text
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The Sharia of Moses in the TORA
Part 1 - The 248 Positive Commandments of the Tora
22 - GUARDING THE SANCTUARY
The object of this commandment seems to have been twofold: “The sanctuary was constantly guarded and surrounded as a mark of respect and honor, and at the same time the laymen, the unclean, and mourners were prevented from entering the sanctuary.”*
The Mishnah informs us: “The officer of the Temple Mount used to go round to every watch, with lighted torches before him, and if any watcher did not stand up and say to him, ‘Peace be to thee, supervisor of the Temple Mount!’, it was obvious that he was asleep, and he would belabor him with his stick, and was also at liberty to burn his clothes. And the others would say: ‘What is the noise in the Temple Court?’ ‘It is the noise of a Levite who is being beaten and whose clothes are being burnt because he was asleep at his post.’”*