There is a commandment to the Levites to protect the Sanctuary. As the Haggadah song states, "Appoint guards to your city all day and all night." There was no need for guards to protect the Sanctuary from external enemies as God's presence was sufficient for that. Rather, these guards were there to protect the Sanctuary's honor.
The guards were on duty 24 hours a day and had 24 stations around the periphery of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Throughout the night, the priestly supervisors would check up on the guards to make sure they were awake. If a guard was caught dozing he had a nasty punishment coming. The punishment and the reason for it provide an important insight into the secret of happiness in life.
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