Positive Commandment 22 (Digest)
Guarding the Temple
"And you [Aaron] and your sons with you, before the Tent of Testimony"—Numbers 18:2.
We are commanded to station guards in and around the Temple, and that these guards patrol the Temple all night. This honor guard is a way of demonstrating respect for the Temple, exalting and glorifying it. As the Midrash says, "One can not compare a palace that has guards to a palace that does not."
The priests guard the Temple from within and the Levites guard and patrol it from the outside.
The 22nd mitzvah is that we are commanded to guard the Holy Temple and patrol it each night, for the entire night. This is done in order to honor it, exalt it and show its greatness.
The source of this mitzvah is G‑d's statement (exalted be He) to Aaron, "You shall be with your sons before the Testimony Tent," i.e., "You shall be before it constantly." This commandment is repeated in another verse, "They shall guard the Ohel Moed."
The Sifri states, "The verse, 'You shall be with your sons before the Testimony Tent,' indicates that the kohanim shall be inside and the levi'im outside," i.e. to guard it and patrol it. The Mechilta says it thusly: "The verse 'They shall guard the Ohel Moed,' is only a positive commandment. What verse provides the prohibition? The [next] verse, 'They should guard the Sanctuary [...so that there not be any more Divine wrath directed at the Israelites.]' " From this it is clear that this guarding is a positive commandment.
There, our Sages also said, "Part of the greatness of the Holy Temple is that it has guards. A paltorin that has guards is much different than a paltorin that has no guards." It is known that paltorin refers to a palace. The meaning of this statement is that having guards standing watch is part of the palace's greatness and splendor.
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the first chapter of tractate Tamid and in [the first chapter of] tractate Middos.
Negative Commandment 67 (Digest)
Neglecting to Guard the Temple
"And you shall keep the charge of the Sanctuary"—Numbers 18:5.
We are forbidden to neglect supplying the Temple with an honor guard that watches and patrols the Temple at night.
The 67th prohibition is that we are forbidden from omitting the guarding of the Holy Temple and patrolling it constantly each night.
The source of this mitzvah is G‑d's statement, "They should guard the Sanctuary [...so that there not be any more Divine wrath directed at the Israelites.]"
We have already explained in Positive Commandment 22 that guarding and patrolling the Holy Temple is a positive mitzvah. Similarly here we explain that its omission constitutes a prohibition.
The Mechilta says, "The verse 'They shall guard the Ohel Moed,' is only a positive commandment. What verse provides the prohibition? The verse 'They should guard the Sanctuary [...so that there not be any more Divine wrath directed at the Israelites].' "
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the beginning of tractates Tamid and Middos.
Positive Commandment 35 (Digest)
The Oil of Anointment
"And the high priest, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured"—Leviticus 21:10.
We are commanded to have an anointing oil, made of a special recipe [detailed in the Torah], ready to be used for anointing newly appointed high priests. Some kings are also anointed with this oil.
This oil was also used to anoint the Tabernacle and its utensils—but that was a one time occurrence.
The 35th mitzvah is that we are commanded to have ready specially prepared oil in order to anoint a kohen gadol who is being appointed, as it is written, "The kohen who is greater than his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil has been poured...." It is also used to anoint some kings [i.e. those from the House of Dovid], as explained in the laws regarding this mitzvah.
The Tabernacle and all its vessels have already been anointed, but the anointing of vessels is not a commandment for subsequent generations. This is because of the specific statement of our Sages in Sifri, that the act of anointing the vessels of the Tabernacle sanctified all future vessels.
The source of this mitzvah is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "This shall be the holy anointing oil to Me for all generations."
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the beginning of tractate Kerisus.
Negative Commandment 83 (Digest)
Recreating the Oil of Anointment
"You shall not make any like it, according to its composition"—Exodus 30:32.
It is forbidden to make anointing oil using the same formula as the anointing oil described in the Torah.
The 83rd prohibition is that we are forbidden from making oil similar to the anointing oil.
The source of this mitzvah is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "Do not duplicate it with a similar formula."
The punishment for intentionally transgressing this prohibition is kares, as stated in the verse, "If a person blends a similar formula [or places it on an unauthorized person, he shall be cut off from his people.]" If he did so unintentionally, he must bring a sin offering.
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the first chapter of tractate Kerisus.
Negative Commandment 84 (Digest)
Anointing a Foreigner with the Oil of Anointment
"Upon the flesh of a man it shall not be daubed"—Exodus 30:32.
It is forbidden to anoint any individual – other than high priests and kings – with the anointing oil manufactured by Moses.
The 84th prohibition is that we are forbidden from using the anointing oil which was made by Moshe to anoint anyone other than kohanim gedolim or kings.
The source of this mitzvah is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "Do not pour it on the skin of any [unauthorized] person."
It is clear that the one who anoints himself is punished by kares, "[If a person blends a similar formula] or places it on an unauthorized person, he shall be cut off [from his people]." If he did so unintentionally, he must bring a sin offering.
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the beginning of tractate Kerisus.
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