[Avodah] Retzei

[Elliott Shevin]

MSS wrote:
 
> The way my father explained it to me is the following: If one will say,"Ve-ishei Yisrael > utefilatam be-ahava tikabel..." "And receive with love the fire-offerings of Israel and their > prayers....", he has just said something incomprehensible. There are no fire-offerings these > days (unfortunately). 
 
I don't think it's incomprehensible at all. Before asking that the fire-offerings and prayers (once the avodah is resumed) be received, we ask that the prayers we recite now be accepted and the avodah restored. That prayer is mentioned twice doesn't imply concurrency.
 
> The most logical construct is, "vehashaiv et avodah lidvir betacha ve-ishei Yisrael" > "and return the service and the fire-offerings of Israel to the Holy of Holies > of your house".
 
It's logical, but I don't think your translation matches the text.
 
Here's an idea, if you'll permit me to emend the text: 
"... and return the avodah  to the Holy of Holies of your house, and [return] the fire-offerings of 
Israel. 
 
The text before the comma refers specifically to avodah done in the Devir (there's only one such, 
right?) The part after the comma refers to fire-offerings, which, being burned on the mizbeach, 
are offered *outside* the Devir. We're asking for the return of each of two separate things. The 
sentence has two direct objects, separated by a comma. 
 Elly"Striving to bring Torah Judaism into the 58th century"
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