THE GREATNESS OF UNCHANGING ROUTINE

In yesterday’s Parsha we read about two types of sacrifice; the daily Tamid offering and the additional Musaf offerings brought on Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh and Yom Tov.
 
For the Tamid, two lambs were offered each day; one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Depending on which day was being celebrated, the Musaf offerings varied in the number and type of animals – which included oxen, rams and lambs.
 
The Musaf offerings may have been more “substantial”, but they could only be brought after the morning Tamid had been completed. This is based on a Talmudic principle that precedence is given to a Mitzvah that is more frequent. In this case, the Tamid was brought every single day of the year whereas the Musaf was only brought on specific special days.
 
The fact that the Musaf was limited to days of specific holiness and was subject to change, actually represents a limitation. The consistency of the Tamid, no matter what day of the year it was, represents something unchanging that is not subject to the constraints of time. As such, the Tamid is more intimately connected to Hashem who, in the words of the prophet, says “I am Hashem Who is unchanging.”
 
Human nature is to get excited about the novel whereas that which is constant becomes routine and boring. Do we have the same excitement and devotion for our daily Davening as we do for Shabbos or the Yomim Tovim with their once-a-year Mitzvos?
 
The message of the order of the Tamid and the Musaf is that whilst the novel brings us heightened excitement and may appear more “substantial”, it is the simple day-in day-out Mitzvos with unchanging dedication, that connect us most deeply in emulating Hashem.
 
~ Based on Likutei Sichos Vol 28
*************************
The *Daily Beis Hamikdash Thought* is an initiative of the MAOR Centre, Melbourne.
Invite your friends and family to subscribe: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CpJdBpFrhNRDsyqhdxM4SH
​