1) THE STATUS OF THE BEIS HA'MIKDASH WITHOUT A "KIYOR"
QUESTION: The Gemara explains that the Kiyor would be lowered down into a pit of water at night so that its waters not become Pasul through Linah (being left out overnight; see RASHI DH Muchni).
The CHIDUSHEI HA'GRIZ asks an interesting question on this Gemara. There is a Mitzvah for the Jewish people to build a Beis ha'Mikdash. How can they fulfill this Mitzvah when the Kiyor is sunk into a pit at night, and there is no complete Beis ha'Mikdash at that time?
ANSWERS:
(a) The EIZEHU MEKOMAN writes that this question is valid only according to the opinion of the RAMBAM in SEFER HA'MITZVOS (Mitzvah #20), who implies that the Mitzvah to build a Beis ha'Mikdash includes building the vessels of the Beis ha'Mikdash. However, according to the RAMBAN (Mitzvah #33), the Mitzvah to make the vessels of the Beis ha'Mikdash is a separate Mitzvah, unrelated to the fulfillment of the Mitzvah to build a Beis ha'Mikdash.
(b) The Eizehu Mekoman writes further that it is not clear that lowering the Kiyor into a pit at night would take away the Kiyor's status as a Kli in the Beis ha'Mikdash. The Gemara later (24a) says that the depths under the area of the Beis ha'Mikdash were sanctified with the Kedushah of the Beis ha'Mikdash. Accordingly, the Kiyor submerged in a pit still would be considered a Kli in the Beis ha'Mikdash.
(c) The Eizehu Mekoman adds that the GEVURAS YITZCHAK (#107) questions whether, according to the Rambam, the Kiyor in fact is considered a Kli of the Beis ha'Mikdash at all. The Torah does not list the Kiyor in the Parshah of the Kelim of the Beis ha'Mikdash (but rather in Parshas Ki Sisa). Similarly, the SEFORNO (Shemos 30:18) says that the purpose of the other Kelim was to make the Shechinah rest on the Jewish people, while the purpose of the Kiyor was to ready the Kohanim for their Avodah. Moreover, when the Rambam lists the Kelim in the Beis ha'Mikdash, he does not include the Kiyor, which implies that he maintains that the Kiyor is not considered a Kli. (Y. MONTROSE)
20b----------------------------------------20b
2) WHY EXITING THE BEIS HA'MIKDASH REQUIRES ONE TO PERFORM "KIDUSH YADAYIM V'RAGLAYIM" AGAIN
OPINIONS: The Gemara asks, when a Kohen leaves the Azarah of the Beis ha'Mikdash after Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim, must he perform Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim again if he wants to perform the Avodah?
What exactly is the Gemara's doubt?
(a) RASHI (DH Yetzi'ah) explains that whenever one leaves the confines of the Azarah with an object that had been made Kadosh by being placed in a Kli Shares, the object becomes Pasul because of Yotzei. The Gemara is asking whether this is the law with regard to one's hands and feet when they leave the Azarah after Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim.
(b) TOSFOS (DH Yetzi'ah) asks that the Gemara itself seems to give a different reasoning for its doubt. Is there a problem of Hesech ha'Da'as when a Kohen leaves the Azarah, or is there no Hesech ha'Da'as since the Kohen can return to the Avodah immediately? Tosfos cites a number of proofs that only when an Avodah was already done with an object does that object become Pasul when it leaves the Azarah after being sanctified in a Kli Shares. For example, the Gemara in Menachos (9a) discusses the Halachah regarding a Minchah that was mixed (Belilah) outside of the Azarah. Reish Lakish says that it is Kosher, and Rebbi Yochanan says that it is Pasul. Tosfos explains that even Rebbi Yochanan says that it is Pasul only because he considers the mixing of the Minchah something that must be done inside the Azarah, and not because the Minchah specifically went outside the Azarah.
Tosfos' argument is very strong. What is the explanation of Rashi?
The TZON KODASHIM answers that Rashi understands that the Gemara is asking two questions, and the reasoning which the Gemara expresses for its doubt applies only to the second question. The Gemara earlier (19b) records a dispute between Rebbi and Rebbi Elazar regarding whether or not a Kohen who did Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim at night must do Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim again in the morning. Rebbi says that he must do Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim again, and Rebbi Elazar says that he does not need to do it again. According to Rebbi, the water of the Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim used at night is considered to make the hands and feet of the Kohen unclean at dawn, since the water on his hands has stayed overnight and has become Pasul with Linah. This is true even if the Kohen dried his hands and feet well. The Gemara therefore first asks its question according to Rebbi: If the Kohen exits the Azarah, does the water with which he washed his hands become Pasul because of Yotzei, just as the passage of the night renders the water Pasul because of Linah and requires that the Kohen do Kidush Yadayim again at dawn, or since Linah is a Gezeiras ha'Kasuv (or possibly only a decree of the Rabanan, see YAD BINYAMIN), other Halachos such as Yotzei cannot be learned from it? Only after the Gemara asks this question does it ask the question according to Rebbi Elazar. Even according to Rebbi Elazar, who says that Linah is not a problem, it is possible that Yotzei is a problem since the Kohen may have been had a Hesech ha'Da'as.
Many commentaries (including the TAHARAS HA'KODESH and KEREN ORAH) have great difficulty with Tosfos. Tosfos understands, as mentioned above, that the question of the Gemara is whether or not exiting the Azarah creates a Hesech ha'Da'as, which necessitates another Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim. One of the proofs of the Gemara involves the Kohen who performs the Avodah with the Parah Adumah, which is sacrificed on Har ha'Mishchah (well outside the Azarah). The Beraisa quotes Rebbi Chiya bar Yosef who says that the Kohen first performs Kidush Yadayim v'Raglayim inside the Azarah, and then he goes out to do the Avodah. The Gemara infers from there that Yotzei is not a problem for the water of Kidush Yadayim. The Gemara responds that the Avodah of the Parah Adumah is different, since all of its Avodah is done outside the Azarah. However, according to Tosfos, the entire question is one of Hesech ha'Da'as -- the Kohen who exits the Azarah will not think about doing Avodah outside the Azarah. In the case of Parah Adumah, the Kohen exits the Azarah specifically to do Avodah. Obviously, when the Kohen leaves the Azarah in order to do Avodah, there is no Hesech ha'Da'as! Why does the Gemara even ask this question?
The Yad Binyamin answers that Tosfos must understand that the answer of the Gemara is indeed that there is no Hesech ha'Da'as in the case of Parah Adumah. The other Acharonim, however, maintain that there was no reason for the Gemara to ask this question in the first place, according to Tosfos, and they do not answer this difficulty on Tosfos. (Y. MONTROSE)