The Book of Service
About the Book
The Book of Service is the 8th book in the Mishne Torah.
The book opens the second half of the Mishne Torah which deals with leading the People and society. It also begins the third quarter of the books of the Temple, which deal with the Temple, communal sacrifices (The Book of Service), personal sacrifices (The Book of Offerings) and the purity of mind and body (The Book of Purity).
Structure of the Book:
The Laws Pertaining to the Temple:
We must start with building the temple and main vessels.
The Laws Pertaining to the Temple’s Vessels and its workers:
After that we must get the rest of the vessels and symbols ready, the anointing oil and incense, determine the roles of the Levi’im, and especially the roles of the Kohanim and theri garments.
The Laws Pertaining to Entering the Temple:
Who may enter the Temple.
The Laws Pertaining to That which is Forbidden Regarding the Altar:
After preparing the temple and its vessels we can get to the sacrifices. The Laws of sacrifices are arranged accurately: Preparing the sacrifice before sacrificing it, the process of the sacrifice and dealing with abnormalitiesand mistakes. Beginning with defining what can be brought as a sacrifice.
The Laws of Sacrifice:
After that a detailed description of all the types of sacrifices and their ways of preparation.
The Laws of Temidin uMusafim:
Those that are sacrificed daily (“Tamid”) and those which are sacrificed on other occasions (“Musafim”).
The Laws Pertaining to Pesulei Hamukdashim:
What is the pigul? What is the notar? The many malfunctions that may occur during any stage of the sacrifice are detailed in length. With that end the main laws of sacrifices.
The Laws Pertaining to Avodat Yom haKippurim:
The work of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur, which is the most important work in the temple, and all the fundamental details of working in the temple from the beginning of the book are discussed at length.
The Laws Pertaining to Me`ilah:
What is embezzlement? What is the law of an embezzler? The laws distancing you from things that were endowed to God.
Example Pages From the Book
Books From This Category:

The Book of Purity
The book deals with all the rules of purity and impurity, and instructs how to live with a pure mind and body.