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1) THE TEN MIRACLES OF THE MIKDASH

(a) When Bnei Yisrael would fill the Mikdash, they would stand crowded, and would prostrate themselves with generous room.

1. They would fill the 11 Amos behind the Kapores.
2. Question: What does this add?
3. Answer: Even though they were *so* crowded, still...

(b) This was one of the ten miracles, as listed in Avos.
(c) Question: The last two depart from the Mikdash and speak of Yerushalayim!?
(d) Answer: There were two others in the Mikdash, as taught in the Beraisa.

1. The rain never extinguished the fire of the Ma'arachah.
2. The wind could not move its column of smoke.

(e) Question: But there were others (violating the limit of 10)?

1. Beraisa- Broken shards were absorbed into the ground.
2. Abaye- The Mora, Notzah, ashes of the Mizbeach and Menorah were also absorbed into the ground.

(f) Answer: The three "Pesulim" in the original list are counted as one (so we remove two and add two).
(g) Question: Then the absorbing should all be counted as one!
(h) Answer: There is also the Lechem HaPanim (Siluko KiSiduro).
(i) Question: But there is also the miracle of the Aron and Keruvim!?
(j) Answer: Only externally visible miracles are in the count.
(k) Question: Then the Lechem HaPanim should not be counted?!

(l) Answer: (Resh Lakish) The Lechem HaPanim were raised and made visible to the People (as a sign of Divine love).

1. The Torah insists that the Shulchan be Tahor.
2. This implies that it could somehow be Tamei.
3. Yet the Shulchan was a *stationary* wooden Keli?
4. As such it could not become Tamei.
5. It must be because it was raised...

(m) Question: But the golden trees were another miracle?!
(n) Answer: Fixture miracles were not counted.
(o) We then understand why the Aron and Keruvim, which were also fixed, were not counted.

(a) Question: There was no smoke from the Atzei Ma'arachah (The Beraisa teaches five qualities of the fire of the Atzei Ma'arachah, among them that there was no smoke)?
(b) Answer: The smoke was from the required man-made flame (not that which came down from Shamayim, as in the Beraisa).
(c) Question: Was the flame crouching like a lion or a dog?
(d) Answer: First Mikdash (lion) and second Mikdash (dog).
(e) Question: But the Divine flame was absent from the second Mikdash (learned from the missing Heh)?!
(f) Answer: It was there but it did not help burn.

(a) The Beraisa teaches that there are (have been) six types of flames in the world, which varying on eating and drinking.
(b) The pillar of smoke from the Ma'arachah cannot be shifted.
(c) Question: But we were taught that the column did shift!?

1. All looked at, and interpreted, the direction of the smoke after Sukos!?
2. The southern wind, pushing the column North, was good news for the poor (the produce would be sold at discount) and bad news for the landowners (the great quantity of rain would make it impossible to store the produce).
3. Similarly, each wind direction brought tidings of the rains to come.

(d) Answer: The column tilted, but did not disperse.
(e) Question: There seems to be a contradiction regarding the benefits of the various winds!?
(f) Answer: Each is beneficial for (and detrimental to) a different product.

1. The Northern wind (which recalls where the Shulchan stood) enhanced the grains.
2. The South (where the Menorah stood) enhanced the oil.

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