1. Rambam: One Mitzvah to Build the Sanctuary
In his Sefer HaMitzvos—Book of Commandments, the Rambam explains that there is essentially one mitzvah: to build a structure called the Beis HaBekhira—the chosen house. This house serves as the central location for bringing sacrifices, maintaining a constant fire on the mizbeach—altar, and as the place where all Jews come to visit three times a year on the festivals. The Torah’s command, “Make for Me a sanctuary,” is understood by Rambam as a single mitzvah encompassing all these functions.
The various details found in the Beis HaMikdash—Holy Temple, such as the menorah—lamp, shulchan—table, aron—ark, and other vessels, are all considered by Rambam to be components of this one mitzvah. They are not independent commandments but rather integral parts of the overall structure. Just as a house has windows, doors, and furniture that are not separate from the house itself, so too these vessels are simply elements within the mitzvah of building the sanctuary.
2. Ramban: Each Vessel Is an Independent Mitzvah
The Ramban disagrees with this approach. He maintains that items like the mizbeach, menorah, and shulchan are not merely details or portions of the general Beis HaMikdash. Instead, each vessel is an independent mitzvah. According to Ramban, if for some reason certain vessels are missing—say there is no menorah or shulchan—the sacrificial service can still proceed. The absence of these utensils does not invalidate or prevent service in the Temple.
This demonstrates that each object is its own mitzvah: constructing the aron, making the kapoyres—cover for the ark—and so forth are all counted separately. However, when enumerating mitzvos, even though these vessels are independent according to Ramban and not part of the general structure itself, they are still not counted as individual positive commandments in their own right.
3. The Concept of Hekhsher Mitzvah: Preparation vs. Fulfillment
The Ramban explains why these vessels aren’t counted as separate mitzvos despite their independence. For example, there is no mitzvah simply to have a table in the Mishkan or Beis HaMikdash for its own sake. The table exists solely so that we can place upon it the Lacham Aponim—showbread. Similarly, there is no commandment just to have a menorah present; rather, there is a mitzvah to light it. In order to fulfill that mitzvah, you must first build a menorah.
This makes these acts examples of what’s called a hekhsher mitzvah—a preparatory act necessary for fulfilling another mitzvah but not an end in itself. Just as with Sukkos: while some opinions suggest making a blessing on building a sukkah, in practice we do not recite such a blessing because building it is only preparation for dwelling in it—the actual mitzvah commanded by Torah.
The same logic applies here: constructing items like the menorah or shulchan is only meaningful insofar as it enables us to perform their associated services (lighting or placing bread). Therefore, their construction isn’t considered an independent mitzvah but rather preparation for fulfilling other commandments.
4. Comparing and Distinguishing Rambam and Ramban’s Views
The debate between Rambam and Ramban hinges on whether these vessels are essential components of one overarching commandment (Rambam) or independent yet preparatory acts (Ramban). The Ramban’s argument appears strong: if lacking certain vessels does not prevent sacrificial service from taking place in the Temple, then those vessels cannot be considered essential parts of its structure.
The distinction between their names also comes up frequently due to their similar pronunciation: Rambam refers to Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon (ending with ‘m’) and Ramban refers to Rabbeinu Moshe ben Nachman (ending with ‘n’). To help clarify when speaking about them orally, people emphasize different syllables—“RamBAM” versus “RamBAN.”
5. Reconciling Their Arguments and Looking Ahead
The core challenge remains: according to Ramban’s logic, if missing vessels do not disqualify Temple service then they cannot be considered part of its essence—a point seemingly at odds with Rambam’s view that they are mere details within one unified commandment.
This tension sets up further exploration into how we reconcile these two approaches regarding what constitutes an essential element versus what serves merely as preparation within avodah—sacred service in the Beis HaMikdash. Further clarification will follow in subsequent discussions.