הלכה אויף במדבר 18:2

To watch over this edifice continually, as it is said, “…. but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of the testimony” (Num. 18:2).

A levi pours the water¹⁸Only water may be used (Beis Yosef, Peri Chadash), but the Shevus Yaakov Vol. 3:2 rules that anything that cleans may be used (if no water is available). on the hands of the kohanim¹⁹Shulchan Aruch 128:6. (Zohar) as it is said: "And also your brothers, the tribe of Levi bring near to you, and they will accompany you and serve you."²⁰Numbers 18:2. If no Levi is present, a first born of the mother, who is holy, should pour the water on his hands, and if there is no firstborn²¹See Sefer Massah Chaim (cited in Orchos Chaim) that if there are no first-born, the shamash (sexton) of the synagogue should pour the water. present, it is better that the kohein himself pour it rather than a Yisrael. If the Levi or firstborn who pours water on the hands of the kohanim, has unclean hands,²²Shulchan Aruch rules as the Zohar that even if their hands are clean, they should wash again. Ramah says this is not the custom. Bach and Mishnah Berurah 128:23 rule that if they were distracted from their previous handwashing, they should wash again, even if they don’t remember touching anything unclean. he must wash them first.

The commandment to guard the Temple: That the priests and the Levites were commanded to guard the Temple and walk around it constantly the whole night, on each and every night (see R. Chaim Heller — Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 22) — and this guarding is to honor it, to exalt it and to glorify it, and not from there being any fear of the enemy, God forbid — as it is stated (Numbers 18:4), “and they shall guard the guarding of the Tent of Meeting.” And the language of Sifrei Bamidbar 116 is “‘And you and your sons with you will be in front of the Tent of Testimony’ (Numbers 18:2) — the priests inside and the Levites only outside”; meaning to say to guard it and to walk around it. And in the Mekhilta (Sifrei Zuta on Numbers 18:4), they said, “‘And they shall guard the guarding of the Tent of Meeting’ — I only know of a positive commandment, etc.” Behold, it is elucidated that its guarding is a positive commandment. And there it says another greatness of the Temple is that it has guards — “A palace that has guards is not similar to a palace that does not have guards.” And it is known that the palace is a name for the sanctuary.