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Sunday, May 25, 2025

Tamid Photo Essay in Lego® #10

The Shot

Chop Chop

The Kohanim prepare firewood for the Outer Mizbeyach


The Story

You are here
The Beis Hamikdash stored its firewood in the Chamber of the Wood located in northeastern corner of the Ezras Nashim. Here, Kohanim with physical blemishes that prevented them from participating in the avodah would sort and prepare the wood for the Outer Mizbeyach. Each piece of wood used on the Mizbeyach had to be checked to ensure that it was free of worms since wormy wood could not be used for this holy purpose. If the worms could not be removed, the wood was designated for other uses, such as fueling the warming or cooking fires.

The Setup

This shot is modeled and rendered in Bricklink Studio (read more about this process in my introduction). For the Kohen hats in this scene I used 24073 Wrapped Bandage instead of my custom hats. I put in two Kohanim amputees, including one who is still wearing the pirate hat from his previous life. Since this room is open to the sky, I imagine that there would have been covered structures to protect the firewood from rain and snow, as well as cases in which to store tools. Along the back wall are stacks of 2x2 tiles which represent the gizrei eitzim — panels of wood that were burned on the Mizbeyach each day in the morning and afternoon. The large log being carried in the foreground is on its way to the Mizbeyach and is typical of the size of wood used to build the main fire. The snack trolley and coffee mugs are my own innovation to provide some fun and sustenance to the scene.


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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 26, 2025 at 4:52 AM

    Did the door on the left in your shot need a mezuzah? What happens to the wood shavings?
    These pictures provide a wealth of questions from my kids. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yoav ElanMay 26, 2025 at 8:33 AM

    Great question about the mezuzah! In the Beis Hamikdash the only door that had a mezuzah was the living quarters of the Kohen Gadol. That room, funny enough, is called the Chamber of Wood (not to be confused with our current room which is the Chamber of the Wood). The former was made of wood and the latter was for storing wood.
    As for the wood shavings, they would likely use them as tinder to help ignite the Altar fires each morning.
    I am glad your kids take such a keen interest in the Beis Hamikdash, or in Lego, or both.

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