The commandment of awe for the Temple: To be inawed from the Temple, meaning to say that we set it up in our souls as a place of fear and awe, so that our hearts soften in our coming there to pray or to offer sacrifices, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:30), “and be inawed by My Temple.” And they, may their memory be blessed, explained in Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:9 and likewise in Berakhot 54a, “Which is awe? One may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, with his shoes, with his money belt, with the dust on his feet or with money bundled into his cloak; and he may not make it a shortcut” — meaning to say he enter from one opening and exit from an opening across from it, only in order to shorten his path — “and through an a fortiori inference, spit “— and there is no need to say that the place is forbidden for spitting. And they also elucidated in Sanhedrin 101a that it is only fit for kings of the House of David to sit in the [Temple] yard, due to the honor of the monarchy — as it is stated (II Samuel 7:18), “And King David came and sat before the Lord.” And they said in Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:7, “Not from the Temple should you be inawed, but from the One Who commanded about the Temple.”
I have written above on the commandment of “And let them make Me a sanctuary” (Sefer HaChinukh 95) [in the] Order of Vayikchu Li Terumah and in other places about the roots of this commandment.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Megillah 28b) that a person may only enter any of the Temple Mount for the matter of a commandment. And anyone who has finished his service in the [Temple] and retires, walks backwards a little at a time; and so [too,] the men of the shift, the men of the watch and the Levites from their platforms, would leave like this from the Temple. And [also] that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Berachot 61b) [that] it is always forbidden to defecate or sleep between east and west, because the Sanctuary is in the West. And so [too,] (Rosh Hashanah 24a) is it forbidden for a person to build a house in the form of the Sanctuary, nor a portico in the form of the chamber nor a courtyard in the form of the [Temple] yard. And all of this is from the awe of the place. And the rest of the details of the honor of the [Temple] and its awe are in Middot and Tamid. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of The Chosen Temple 7.)
And this commandment is practiced [even today] by males and females. As even though the Temple is destroyed today on account of our iniquities, every person is [still] obligated in its awe. And [so] he should only enter a place that it is permitted to enter when it is built, and he should not even sit in the courtyard; and he should not be light-headed opposite the Eastern Gate — as it is stated (Leviticus 19:30), “You shall keep My Shabbats and be inawed by My Temple”; and they said in Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:8, “Just like keeping the Shabbat is forever, so too is awe of the Temple forever.” And one who transgresses it and acts light-headedly in these matters that we have said has violated this positive commandment.
מִצְוַת הַיִּרְאָה מִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ – לִירֹא מִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁנַּעֲמִידֵהוּ בְּנַפְשׁוֹתֵינוּ מְקוֹם הַפַּחַד וְהַיִּרְאָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְרַכְּכוּ לְבָבֵינוּ בְּבוֹאֵנוּ שָׁם לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אוֹ לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט ל) וּמִקְדָּשִׁי תִּירָאוּ. וּפֵרְשׁוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בַּסִּפְרָא (קדושים ז ט) וּבִבְרָכוֹת (נד, א) כְּמוֹ כֵן אֵיזֶהוּ מוֹרָא? לֹא יִכָּנֵס לְהַר הַבַּיִת בְּמַקְלוֹ וּבְמִנְעָלוֹ וּבַאֲפֻנְדָּתוֹ וּבְאָבָק שֶׁעַל רַגְלָיו וּבְמָעוֹת הַצְּרוּרִים לוֹ בִּסְדִינוֹ, וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂנּוּ קַפַּנְדַּרְיָא, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס בְּפֶתַח אֶחָד וְיֵצֵא מִפֶּתַח שֶׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ כְּדֵי לְקַצֵּר הַדֶּרֶךְ לְבַד, וּרְקִיקָה מִקַּל וָחֹמֶר, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁאָסוּר הַמָּקוֹם בִּרְקִיקָה. וּבֵאֲרוּ גַּם כֵּן בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין (קא, ב) שֶׁאֵין רָאוּי כְּלָל לָשֶׁבֶת בָּעֲזָרָה, כִּי אִם לְמַלְכֵי בֵּית דָּוִד, מִשּׁוּם כְּבוֹד הַמַּלְכוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב ז יח) וַיָּבֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיֵּשֶׁב לִפְנֵי יְיָ. וְאָמְרוּ בַּסִּפְרָא (שם ז) לֹא מִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ אַתָּה יָרֵא אֶלָּא מִמִּי שֶׁפָּקַד עַל הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.
The commandment of awe for the Temple: To be inawed from the Temple, meaning to say that we set it up in our souls as a place of fear and awe, so that our hearts soften in our coming there to pray or to offer sacrifices, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:30), “and be inawed by My Temple.” And they, may their memory be blessed, explained in Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:9 and likewise in Berakhot 54a, “Which is awe? One may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, with his shoes, with his money belt, with the dust on his feet or with money bundled into his cloak; and he may not make it a shortcut” — meaning to say he enter from one opening and exit from an opening across from it, only in order to shorten his path — “and through an a fortiori inference, spit “— and there is no need to say that the place is forbidden for spitting. And they also elucidated in Sanhedrin 101a that it is only fit for kings of the House of David to sit in the [Temple] yard, due to the honor of the monarchy — as it is stated (II Samuel 7:18), “And King David came and sat before the Lord.” And they said in Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:7, “Not from the Temple should you be inawed, but from the One Who commanded about the Temple.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי מִצְוָה זוֹ. כָּתַבְתִּי לְמַעְלָה (מצוה צה) בְּמִצְוַת וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ סֵדֶר וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה, וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת אֲחֵרִים.
I have written above on the commandment of “And let them make Me a sanctuary” (Sefer HaChinukh 95) [in the] Order of Vayikchu Li Terumah and in other places about the roots of this commandment.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מגילה כח, ב) שֶׁאֵין אָדָם נִכְנָס בְּכָל הַר הַבַּיִת אֶלָּא לִדְבַר מִצְוָה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁהִשְׁלִים עֲבוֹדָה בַּבַּיִת וְנִסְתַּלֵּק מְהַלֵּךְ אֲחוֹרַנִּית מְעַט מְעַט, וְכֵן אַנְשֵׁי מִשְׁמָר וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲמָד וּלְוִיִּם מִדּוּכָנָם כָּךְ הֵם יוֹצְאִים מִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. וּמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות סא, ב) אָסוּר לָאָדָם שֶׁיִּפָּנֶה אוֹ יִישַׁן לְעוֹלָם בֵּין מִזְרָח לְמַעֲרָב, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַהֵיכָל הוּא בַּמַּעֲרָב, וְכֵן אָסוּר לְאָדָם לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת תַּבְנִית הֵיכָל, וְאַכְסַדְרָא תַּבְנִית אוּלָם, וְחָצֵר תַּבְנִית הָעֲזָרָה, וְכָל זֶה לְמוֹרָאַת הַמָּקוֹם וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֵי כְּבוֹד הַבַּיִת וּמוֹרָאוֹ, בְּמִדּוֹת וְתָמִיד [הלכות בית הבחירה פרק ז].
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Megillah 28b) that a person may only enter any of the Temple Mount for the matter of a commandment. And anyone who has finished his service in the [Temple] and retires, walks backwards a little at a time; and so [too,] the men of the shift, the men of the watch and the Levites from their platforms, would leave like this from the Temple. And [also] that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Berachot 61b) [that] it is always forbidden to defecate or sleep between east and west, because the Sanctuary is in the West. And so [too,] (Rosh Hashanah 24a) is it forbidden for a person to build a house in the form of the Sanctuary, nor a portico in the form of the chamber nor a courtyard in the form of the [Temple] yard. And all of this is from the awe of the place. And the rest of the details of the honor of the [Temple] and its awe are in Middot and Tamid. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of The Chosen Temple 7.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַמִּקְדָּשׁ חָרֵב הַיּוֹם בַּעֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ חַיָּב כָּל אָדָם בְּמוֹרָאוֹ, וְלֹא יִכָּנֵס אֶלָּא בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא מֻתָּר לְהִכָּנֵס בּוֹ בְּבִנְיָנוֹ, וְלֹא יֵשֵׁב אֲפִלּוּ בָּעֲזָרָה, וְלֹא יָקֵל רֹאשׁוֹ כְּנֶגֶד שַׁעַר הַמִּזְרָח שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט ל) אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ וּמִקְדָּשִׁי תִּירָאוּ וְאָמְרוּ בַּסִּפְרָא (שם ח) מָה שְׁמִירַת שַׁבָּת לְעוֹלָם, אַף מוֹרָא מִקְדָּשׁ לְעוֹלָם וְהָעוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ וְנָהַג קַלּוּת רֹאשׁ בְּעִנְיָנִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה זֶה.
And this commandment is practiced [even today] by males and females. As even though the Temple is destroyed today on account of our iniquities, every person is [still] obligated in its awe. And [so] he should only enter a place that it is permitted to enter when it is built, and he should not even sit in the courtyard; and he should not be light-headed opposite the Eastern Gate — as it is stated (Leviticus 19:30), “You shall keep My Shabbats and be inawed by My Temple”; and they said in Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:8, “Just like keeping the Shabbat is forever, so too is awe of the Temple forever.” And one who transgresses it and acts light-headedly in these matters that we have said has violated this positive commandment.