Drop Me a Line

It is not every day that you see a remnant of the Temple hanging around in modern times, but today was an exception. As I was headed in to Minchah I caught sight of some workers using tools and techniques taken right out of the Temple owner's manual.

When repairs were needed in the innermost part of the Sanctuary Building — the Holy of Holies — workers were not permitted to enter in the normal manner. On account of the room's great sanctity they had to be lowered down into the Holy of Holies from above in a basket which was enclosed on three sides. This prevented them from looking around and gazing upon the splendor of the Holy of Holies as they worked.

Just behind a local shul is a very tall cellphone tower. In order to reach the top for repairs the workers set up a large crane in the parking lot and used it to lift a metal cage containing two linemen 50 feet in the air. Although the crane was made of metal instead of wood and powered by diesel instead of muscle, this time-honored approach is just as effective now as it was 2,000 years ago.

בימים ההם בזמן הזה