בית המקדש · Beit HaMikdach

Mizbeach

Mukhni of the Kiyor

מוכני

Mukhni

See it in the tour

The mechanism installed by Ben Katin at the edge of the Kiyor: a wheel that lowers the basin into its well every evening, “so that its water not be disqualified by the night.” The Gemara names only the wheel (Yoma 37a); the well comes from Rashi. The tour gives it a post, a crossbeam, a strut, a spoked wheel and a chain reaching to the edge of the basin.

Sources

  • Yoma 3:10“שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ מֵימָיו נִפְסָלִין בְּלִינָה”
  • Yoma 37a“מַאי מוּכְנִי? אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: גִּילְגְּלָא דַּהֲוָה מְשַׁקְּעָא לֵיהּ”
  • Rashi on Yoma 37a“גלגל לשקעו בו בבור”
  • Middot 3:6
  • Tamid 1:4
  • Tamid 3:8

Project decisionTour's choice: the shape of the mechanism. The sources give only two features: a wheel (Yoma 37a) and wood, whose sound could be heard (Tamid 1:4). Post, crossbeam and chain are designed for the tour; no source mentions a chain.