David's Siyum on Chagigah and Seder Moed

We are gathered here this evening to commemorate the Yor Tzeit of my Great-Grandfather, Zeide Moshe Weinstein, whom I am partially named after.

Obviously, I never met my Zeide, but am told by my parents that he was a serious man. Someone who always had a sfer open in front of him. A Tehillim, Chumash or even a Mishnayos.

I am sure he would be very proud knowing that I am making a Siyum on my first Seder of Mishnayos, Seder Moed.

Introduction to Last Mishnah in Messechtas Chagigah

I will be making a Siyum on Messechtas Chagigah which is the final Mesechta in Seder Moed.

Mesechtas Chagigah discusses the special Korbonos people would bring when being Olah Regel. After discussing the Korbonos, the Mesechta describes the special considerations and rules related to Tumah and Tahara during the times of the Yomim Tovim. Finally, the MIshna relates that once the people would return tho their homes, the Kohanim would spend time purifying the Beis HaMikdash.

The final part of the last Mishnah can be split into two parts.

The first part tells us that the Beis HaMikdash kept copies of all of the keilim use din the Mikdash in case one of them becomes Tamei they can easily replace the Keili with a Tahor one.

The second, and final, part of the Mishnah tells us that when purifying the Beis HaMikdash, all of the Keilim would require Tevillah in a Mikvah other than the two Mizbeachs. The gold MIzbeach upon which the Ketores was burned and the outer, bronze Mizbeach upon which they would burn the Korbonos.

why the two Mizbeachs did not require Tevillah is the subject of a Machlokes between Rabi eliezer and the Chachomim.

Rabi Eliezer says that we consider the Mizbeachs as attached to the ground and, therefore, just like the ground never requires Tevillah, the Mizbeachs also do not need Tevillah.

The Chachomim say that since both Mizbeach's are covered in metal, the metal plating is not Mekabel Tumah and therefore the Mizbeachs cannot become Tamei.