This is what you shall offer upon the altar: sheep within their first year, two each day, continually. You shall offer the one sheep in the morning, and the second sheep shall you offer in the afternoon… as a continual (Tamid) olah-offering for your generations. (Exodus 29:39-42)
Continual (Tamid): that is from day to day; and there should not be an intervening day without this offering. (Rashi ibid)
The Continual/Tamid offering was the mainstay of the Temple. It was so vital that the half-shekel collected from every Jew went toward buying the Tamid, in order to give every single Jew a portion in the Tamid offering. The Talmud recounts the personal sacrifice undertaken by two righteous brothers to continue offering this particular offering whilst Jerusalem was besieged. When a traitorous person got wind of their continued devotion and put an end to the sacrifice, the entire land of Israel shook, and the anniversary of the day that the Tamid ceased being offered is commemorated as a public fast day (17th of Tamuz). Although the actual Tamid offering is no longer offered today, the daily prayers of the Amidah (Shemona Esrei) and the Shema have replaced the Tamid. (Devarim Zuta and Midrash Aggada)
The Jerusalem Talmud (Berachos 4:1) inquires why two daily offering are needed in the Temple? Why didn’t just one offering suffice? The Talmud explains that the morning offerings atoned for the nocturnal sins, and the afternoon offerings atoned for the daytime sins. It therefore follows that nobody who stayed overnight in Jerusalem was ever begrimed with sin. It seems that the Tamid offering was perhaps the most important aspect of worship. That is why its loss was so tragic, and today we continue commemorating it.
What is the significance of the Tamid offering? There are so many commandments in the Torah, why is the Tamid singled out as being of paramount importance?
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains: “It is not the establishment and consecration of Sanctuary and Priests that by itself brings about the promised goal of G-d’s presence in the nation. This goal is achieved only by the priest expressing ever afresh on behalf of the nation the daily devotion of the lives of the people to the ideals of Judaism as represented by the Sanctuary. This, and only this, makes the Temple the place of the Divine presence… The establishment of the Temple does not achieve this object once and for always, but only provides the possibility of it. It is achieved only when the Sanctuary becomes alive and active through the acts of devotion of the people. This is equivalent to the heartbeat, the central driving force of the national life. This constant devotion of the people to the ideals of the Divine Torah for which the Sanctuary was built (which is the necessary condition for the purpose of the Sanctuary), is the meaning of the Tamid Offering.”
In other words, what sets the Tamid apart from everything else is the imperative of continuity and consistency. Sure, there are many holidays and festive occasions in the Jewish calendar. Those are the easy things to fulfill. The true test of devotion is played out in the everyday hum-drum repetitiveness which lacks the glory and grandeur associated with it. It is the daily practices that define a Jew. It is a tragic statement of our state of affairs when certain synagogues must resort to minyanaire clubs of the ten or so people who show up to daily prayers, yet that same synagogue is overflowing on the High Holidays and for bar/bat mitzvah celebrations. The true sign of devotion lies in the daily heart-beat of the active Jew. That is manifest in daily washing of the hands (netilas yadayim), recitation of Shema, daily prayer, daily Torah study, and so much else depending on where one is holding.
The story is told about a religious man who was meeting David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel. Suddenly the man realized that the sun was setting and he still needed to pray the afternoon service of Mincha. He excused himself and went to a corner to pray. After a very short couple of minutes, he sat back down. Ben Gurion peered at this so-called religious man and asked him, “Do you really consider that hasty lip service a prayer?” Embarrassed, the man replied, “Frankly I don’t, but I hope that if I go through the motions every day, occasionally I will have a real heartfelt prayer.” Ben Gurion smiled and responded, “You’re right, even if going through the motions will produce just one genuine prayer in your entire lifetime, all of your lip service is worthwhile!”
The Tamid offering teaches us this very lesson of constancy. The Talmud (Megilla 27b-28a) relates a number of Rabbis’ secrets to longevity. Each one mentioned certain deeds that they believed gave them the merit of a long life. However, the common denominator between all of the Rabbis was the maxim that preceded the good deed: “L’olam”, I Always. They were stressing their constant devotion and daily commitment. Being a Jew is a tremendous responsibility, and it carries with it infinite happiness, meaning, and eternal reward. The litmus test of a devout Jew is how one internalizes the lesson from the Tamid: devotion, faithfulness, and consistency.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION:
What new daily mitzvah can I take on that is achievable and meaningful?
