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Rambam in his Mishneh Torah (Prayer and the Priestly Blessing 11:14) states that a hall of study is holier than a synagogue.

This raises an interesting question if a hall of study can be holier than Beis Hamikdosh? (Of course, I understand that logically the Temple should be the holiest place, yet it would be interesting to see how others would answer this question).

b a
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Dan Weisberg
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From the perspective of Jewish law, the Torah requires that certain actions be done in holy places of various levels. The different levels of holiness are listed in Kelim 1:6-9. A house of study isn't holy in this sense of the word. For example, when the Torah requires eating sacrifices in a holy place (Leviticus 7:6), a house of study wouldn't qualify as "holy" for this purpose; only the designated places, first in the Tabernacle and finally in the Temple. So by this definition, it would follow that a house of study outside of the Temple can't be holier than the Temple.

b a
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Moses was instructed to remove shoes when he saw the Burning Bush because the place is holy.

put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground (Exodus 3,5)

Similarly, it is forbidden to enter the temple wearing shoes. Now, since there is no prohibition to enter a hall of study wearing shoes, it would seem that the beit hamikdash is indeed holier.

Joe Howard
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What is the purpose in G-d telling Moshe to remove his shoes?

In Exodus 3:2 G-d reveals Himself to Moses in a burning bush that is not consumed. Why did G-d choose a bush to reveal Himself? Why was the bush not consumed? Was it a miracle or, was it drawing oil from beneath the ground as scientist Colin J. Humphreys claims in his “The Miracles of Exodus.” Are you bothered if the event was natural? How does this make you feel? What about the revelation. What exactly is “revelation”? Does G-d speak? Does G-d have vocal cords? Is it possible that a person can hear G-d’s voice and yet show disobedience, as in the case of Moses? Does G-d become angry? The Rambam says that G-d does not have emotions. If G-d did not speak, was it inspiration or insight—but nevertheless an act he was uncertain about. If it was G-d’s voice as the Bible implies, was it a small still voice as with Elijah or was it fiery thunder as with the people at Sinai?

Can a place be holy?

Does the earth change in one instance from dirt to holy ground? Can the soil turn holy? In reality, a church or synagogue or mosque is not holy. The earth does not change into holy ground. Because “holy,” actually means “separate.” G-d is separated from us. The Rambam said that nothing is holy per se. The term holiness only comes into effect when people use these things to improve themselves and society. In a proper way. Holiness is the result of actions. The Shabbat is only holy if you keep it. Mount Sinai or the Torah is only holy if we read them. The temples, if we pray in them. Israel is only holy when Jews live there.

Turk Hill
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    A place can for sure be holy. See the mishna in Kelim 1:6 "There are ten grades of holiness: the land of Israel is holier than all other lands. And what is the nature of its holiness? That from it are brought the omer, the firstfruits and the two loaves, which cannot be brought from any of the other lands." See also the writings of R Kook – mbloch Oct 23 '19 at 05:47
  • Holiness can be the result of actions, but the Torah is holy even if it was never read from as it is the word of the Almighty G-d. The Sabbath too is holy even not kept as we say in the Friday night amida: You sanctified the seventh day for you name. – Joe Howard Oct 23 '19 at 06:33
  • @mbloch It would be easy to grow an omer in other countries. The Rambam said Israel is only holy when Jews live there. Since Jews always lived in Israel, even in the diaspora, it is always holy. – Turk Hill Oct 23 '19 at 16:10
  • @JoeHoward The Torah is only holy when you read from it or are motivated to improve yourself and society, the goals of the Torah. – Turk Hill Oct 23 '19 at 16:13
  • And the Shabbat is only holy when you keep it.G-d did not rest on the seventh day. Does G-d rest? No. That is a metaphor telling us to act like G-d, so that we may be holy like Him. G-d visits Abraham when he is sick. Act like G-d and visit sick people. Thus, the Rambam said that things are only made holy when we use them properly. – Turk Hill Oct 23 '19 at 16:13
  • Nothing is holy per se. The only thing that is always holy is G-d. Certainly, our allegiance to G-d is above all, for the Torah is not in heaven. – Turk Hill Oct 23 '19 at 16:26
  • @TurkHill you are making things up. You can't bring an omer without a beit hamikdash. And God did rest on the seventh day as it says in Bereshit 2. Adding sentences one after the other doesn't make them true. – mbloch Oct 23 '19 at 17:34
  • @mbloch Thank you for the harsh words. (1) I agree about the omer but the Samaritans have their own temple and they still do bring the paschal lamb sacrifice to it every Passover, even to this day. (2) Does G-d rest? The Bible often employs anthropomorphisms and anthropopathisms since, as Rabbi Ishmael said, “The Torah speaks in the language of people.” – Turk Hill Oct 23 '19 at 17:39
  • In reality, G-d does not have a face or body nor does He reside in heaven. G-d does not sit on a throne nor does He rest on Shabbat. G-d is transcendental. – Turk Hill Oct 23 '19 at 17:39
  • @TurkHill I didn't mean to be harsh and apologize if this came across as a personal attack. It wasn't meant to be. I don't know about the Samaritans and am not sure how this is relevant. God did rest in the sense that he stopped building a home for us (the world was completed in six days), so we rest and stop building a home for him (the mishkan, therefore the source of the 39 melachot). One doesn't need a face, body or throne to rest – mbloch Oct 23 '19 at 17:42
  • @mbloch I accept your apologies; no worries : ). Just on a philosophical note, one needs organs that work all day to get tired. I do not think an all-powerful G-d rested. Though I think we should try to imitate G-d as described in the Bible. For example, G-d visits Abraham when he is sick. Thus we too should visit people when they are sick. – Turk Hill Oct 23 '19 at 17:49
  • @TurkHill May one dispose of a Torah scroll in a disrespectful way, if it was never read from, or if was read from by people whom where not motivated to improve themselves and society? – Joe Howard Oct 24 '19 at 10:49
  • @JoeHoward No. And the reason I say this now is because I was a little mistaken. The Torah (only exception) is always holy. Why? Because as Rambam says in his first chapter of the Mishneh Torah, that since G-d does not speak, the Torah is a great human achievement but nonetheless a human achievement. But it is still divine. – Turk Hill Oct 24 '19 at 12:48
  • It was written by divine inspiration. Because Moshe wrote the whole Torah by studying G-d’s word written in nature. G-d, who is divine, created the divine laws of nature. Since the Torah copies these divine laws, G-d’s laws, the Torah is always divine and we can make it holy in our lives by reading and improving and this is right in the first chapter of Mishneh Torah. You can’t escape it. – Turk Hill Oct 24 '19 at 12:48
  • @mbloch Definitive proof that G-d did not rest on the Shabbat. Rashi writes, “And He rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11) – He wrote about rest concerning Himself, as it were, to teach a fortiori to man, whose work is by way of exertion and effort, that he should rest on Shabbos. Rashi later reinforces this message, taking no chances that someone may forget what he wrote eleven chapters earlier: “And He was refreshed (vayinafash)” (Exodus 31:17) – In accordance with the Targum, “and He rested.” – Turk Hill Oct 28 '19 at 23:07
  • @mbloch Every terminology of nofesh is one of nefesh (soul), that one’s soul and breathing is restored upon resting from the exertion of work. And with the One about Whom it is written, “He does not become tired or weary” (Isaiah 40:28), and all of His work is by utterances, He writes “rest” about himself to direct26 the ear with that which it is able to understand. – Turk Hill Oct 28 '19 at 23:07