A process for transalkylating aromatic hydrocarbon compounds while maintaining the purity of a benzene product during an operating cycle comprising two or more portions of the cycle under differing transalkylation conditions, the process comprising: a. introducing a feed stream comprising the aromatic hydrocarbon compounds to a transalkylation zone containing a catalyst comprising an aluminosilicate zeolite component having an MOR framework type, an inorganic oxide binder, and a metal component; b. contacting the feed stream with the catalyst in the transalkylation zone under benzene-purity-directed transalkylation conditions during one or more initial portions of the operating cycle; wherein the benzene-purity-directed operating conditions are applied during no more than 50% of the process cycle; wherein the benzene-purity-directed operating conditions comprise higher operating temperature, and one or more of lower operating pressure and lower hydrogen-to-hydrocarbon ratio relative to standard transalkylation conditions during the latter portion of the operating cycle; wherein the process cycle and the relative fractions thereof devoted to benzene-purity-directed and standard transalkylation conditions are determined on the basis of mass of feed per mass of catalyst; wherein benzene-purity-directed transalkylation conditions are terminated when the benzene product purity requirement is met at standard transalkylation conditions; wherein "high-purity benzene fraction" is assessed in terms of ratio of benzene to benzene co-boilers; wherein "benzene co-boilers" means non-aromatic hydrocarbon compounds having 6 or 7 carbon atoms per molecule c. contacting the feed stream with the catalyst in the transalkylation zone under standard transalkylation conditions in a latter portion of the operating cycle; and, d. producing a reaction product stream comprising xylenes and a high-purity benzene fraction. a. introducing a feed stream comprising the aromatic hydrocarbon compounds to a transalkylation zone containing a catalyst comprising an aluminosilicate zeolite component having an MOR framework type, an inorganic oxide binder, and a metal component; b. contacting the feed stream with the catalyst in the transalkylation zone under benzene-purity-directed transalkylation conditions during one or more initial portions of the operating cycle; wherein the benzene-purity-directed operating conditions are applied during no more than 50% of the process cycle; wherein the benzene-purity-directed operating conditions comprise higher operating temperature, and one or more of lower operating pressure and lower hydrogen-to-hydrocarbon ratio relative to standard transalkylation conditions during the latter portion of the operating cycle; wherein the process cycle and the relative fractions thereof devoted to benzene-purity-directed and standard transalkylation conditions are determined on the basis of mass of feed per mass of catalyst; wherein benzene-purity-directed transalkylation conditions are terminated when the benzene product purity requirement is met at standard transalkylation conditions; wherein "high-purity benzene fraction" is assessed in terms of ratio of benzene to benzene co-boilers; wherein "benzene co-boilers" means non-aromatic hydrocarbon compounds having 6 or 7 carbon atoms per molecule c. contacting the feed stream with the catalyst in the transalkylation zone under standard transalkylation conditions in a latter portion of the operating cycle; and, d. producing a reaction product stream comprising xylenes and a high-purity benzene fraction.