[Avodah] Behaalosekha es haneiros

[Zev Sero]

Micha Berger wrote:
> Even though it would seem from parashas Behaalosekha that lighting the
> menorah is a job for the kohein or even for the kohein gadol, the
> limitation is only on hatavas haneiros, not on the actual hadlaqah.
> 
> I'm wondering about this. First, we learn dinim about how to light the
> menorah (the flame old shouldn't touch the the new wick, but heat it
> until it ignites on its own) from the assumption that "beha'alosekha"
> is a special term for lighting, not hatavah. And that was given to
> Aharon alone, at least while he was alive.
> 
> Second, how can it be mutar for a zar to light the menorah if he was
> already chayav misah for entering the bayis to light it?

Since when is a zar not allowed to enter the hechal if he has some
legitimate purpose there?  AFAIK only the QHQ was off limits to zarim
(i.e. non-kohanim-gedolim), so that maintenance workers had to be
lowered in in boxes.  The hechal, AFAIK, has the same din as the azara, 
that only people with legitimate business are allowed there, but such
people *are* allowed. 

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas