By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Do we really want the Ge’ulah to happen now?  If so, we best be knowing these halachos – because otherwise we are going to be looking pretty clueless.  The Nisuch HaMayim was done every day of Sukkos. It is a Torah Mitzvah to pour a minimum of 3 lugim of water as a libation on the Mizbe’ach on each of the days of Sukkos. A lug is the equivalent of 6 medium eggs. The water was in addition to the wine libations.  This Mitzvah is a Torah Mitzvah but it is derived Halacha L’Moshe Mi’Sinai.  According to the Chazon Ish the volume of the 3 Lugim  would be 1.8 liters.  According to Rav Moshe Feinstein, it would be about 1.6 liters and according to Rav Chaim No’eh it would be about 1.1 liters. There is no upper limit to this Mitzvah, but the Chofetz Chaim writes (Likkutei Halachos Sukkah 29a) that if one uses less than 3 Lugim – one has not fulfilled the Mitzvah. The procedure was as follows: At the call of the rooster which was either slightly before dawn (Tosfos Sukkah 51b acc. to Maharsha), or at dawn (Same Tosfos acc. to Maharshal), two Kohanim would stand at the Niknor Gate (the upper gate) and blow a tekiyah, a truah and a tekiyah from trumpets. They would then go down to the Ezras Nashim and blow again, but they did even more Tekiyos until they reached the gate through which one exits to the east, from the Ezras Nashim to the eastern slope of Har HaBayis. (What follows is mentioned in the Mishna but is left out in the Rambam. The Aruch LaNer writes that in the future Beis HaMikdash it will not be said and this is why the Rambam left it out.)  When they reached the gate through which one exits to the east, they turned from facing east to facing west, toward the Kodesh HaKedoshim, and said: “Our ancestors who were in this place (During Bayis Rishon) who did not conduct themselves appropriately, stood “with their backs toward the Sanctuary of Hashem, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east” (Yechezkel 8:16). But we, our eyes are to Hashem.” Rabbi Yehuda says that they would repeat and say: “We are to Hashem, and our eyes are to Hashem.” Before dawn, those who drew the water would go down to the Maayan HaShiluach, also known as the spring of the Gichon which was located to the south of Har HaBayis. They did not blow the trumpets at the Gichon. The trumpets were only blown in the Mishkan – notwithstanding the simpler implication of the pasuk in Yishayahu 12:3. “ush’avtem mayim b’sasson ,mimaanei hayeshua” – that the drawing should be done in joy.  Chazal had a tradition that all of the trumpet blasts must only be done in the Mikdash.  They, therefore, only blew when they left the Mikdash and when they returned to it. They did not use the spring that was under the azarah in order to publicize it more – since the Tzedukim were against the idea of the water libations.  This is discussed in the pasuk in Yishayahu 12:3. “ush’avtem mayim b’sasson ,mimaanei hayeshua – the mayanei hayeshuah is the Gichon. The […]