The Torah famously commands in Parashat Teruma (Shemot 25:8), “Ve’asu Li Mikdash” – “They shall make for Me a sanctuary,” establishing the Biblical command to construct a Bet Ha’mikdash, a site for the ritual service of G-d. This command includes the construction of the actual building, as well as the various furnishings which are needed for performing the service, such as the Menorah, the Shulhan (table) and the two altars. The Sefer Ha’hinuch discusses this Misva with extensive elaboration, incorporating poetic passages in offering his insights into the meaning and purpose behind the command to build a Bet Ha’mikdash. We present here the crux of his explanation and the primary points which he develops in this context. The Sefer Ha’hinuch prefaces his remarks with a brief poem expressing the fear and reverence with which he approaches this topic. He writes that he is frightened “to approach the sanctuary of G-d,” knowing the dangers posed to those who come closer than they deserve, approaching without having properly cleansed themselves in advance. The Sefer Ha’hinuch then proceeds to present his understanding of this Misva, establishing first that G-d’s ultimate purpose is to bestow upon us goodness. He wants us to be deserving of His blessings so He can shower us with His bounty. G-d quite obviously has no need for our Misvot, for our prayers, or for our sacrifices, but He gave us commands so that we can thereby be deserving of all the goodness which He has in store for us. And the highest level one can attain, the Sefer Ha’hinuch explains, is the performance of Misvot out of a genuine desire to bond with the Almighty. Many people, the Sefer Ha’hinuch writes, are driven to perform the Misvot by the desire to attain their future rewards. Such people, he says, will certainly earn a portion in Gan Eden, but they fall short of the ideal, which is to be driven out of genuine love for Hashem and a fierce desire to attach oneself to Him. Therefore, G-d commanded us to build a large, beautiful site for prayer and sacrifices – to inspire us to love G-d and desire a connection with Him. He quite obviously does not need a Bet Ha’mikdash, but He commanded that we build such a site for our own benefit, so we are overcome by love for Him. Our feelings and emotions are impacted by our actions, and visiting the Bet Ha’mikdash and serving G-d at that site will influence us and arouse our hearts with love and devotion to our Creator. (This is also the reason why we build large, impressive buildings as synagogues where we come to pray and learn.) The Sefer Ha’hinuch adds that G-d commanded establishing this site in Jerusalem, which was situated in the center of the ancient world, because the center is generally regarded as more significant than the periphery, and thus this location will enhance the impact of the experience of visiting the Bet Ha’mikdash. Turning his attention to the purpose of the sacrifices, the Sefer Ha’hinuch writes that in order to impress upon us the gravity of sin, G-d wants us to do more than merely confess when we err. He wants us to do something far more substantial and demanding, taking a costly animal and making a trip to the Bet Ha’mikdash to offer it as a sacrifice. This elaborate process will impress upon the sinner the severity of a misdeed, thus helping to ensure that he will not repeat it. The Sefer Ha’hinuch proceeds to cite the famous comments of the Ramban (Rav Moshe Nahmanides, Spain, 1194-1270) explaining how the procedure for offering a sacrifice corresponds to the process of sin and thereby brings atonement. The Semicha – placing one’s hands on the sacrifice – corresponds to the sinful act, whereas the Vidui (verbal confession) corresponds to the speech which was involved when committing the sin. The animal’s Kereb (stomach) and Kelayot (kidneys) are burned on the altar, representing sinful desire, which originates in the Kereb, and sinful thoughts, which originate in the Kelayot. The animal’s legs, to