| { | |
| "title": "Mishnah Tamid", | |
| "language": "en", | |
| "versionTitle": "merged", | |
| "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Tamid", | |
| "text": [ | |
| [ | |
| "<b>The priests</b> would <b>keep watch in three places in the Temple</b> courtyard, in honor of the Temple, like guards in royal courtyards: <b>In the Chamber of Avtinas,</b> which is the Chamber where the incense was prepared, <b>and</b> on the two sides of the northern section of the courtyard: <b>In the Chamber of the Spark,</b> where there was a small, perpetual fire, from which the fire of the altar would be lit if it went out; <b>and in the Chamber of the Hearth,</b> where there was also a fire, by which the priests would warm themselves when it was cold. <b>In the Chamber of Avtinas and in the Chamber of the Spark there were upper stories,</b> and <b>the young</b> priests, who were not yet eligible to serve in the Temple, would <b>keep watch there.</b> In <b>the Chamber of the Hearth,</b> there was no upper story, as its ceiling was round like <b>a cupola. And it was a large hall, surrounded</b> by <b>rows of stone</b> that protruded from the walls and that served as benches. <b>The elders of the patrilineal</b> priestly <b>family</b> that would serve in the Temple the following day would <b>sleep there, and the keys to the</b> Temple <b>courtyard</b> were <b>in their possession.</b> The <b>young men of the priesthood,</b> who were old enough to serve in the Temple, would also sleep in the Chamber of the Hearth. They would not sleep on benches, but instead <b>each</b> of the priests would sleep with <b>his garment on the ground.</b> Furthermore, <b>they would not sleep</b> dressed <b>in the sacred vestments; rather, they would remove</b> them and fold them up. <b>And</b> then <b>they</b> would <b>place</b> their vestments on the floor <b>beneath their heads, and cover themselves with their own</b> non-sacred <b>garments.</b> If <b>a seminal emission befell one of</b> the priests, rendering him ritually impure and unfit for service, <b>he would leave</b> the Chamber of the Hearth, <b>and he would walk</b> <b>through the circuitous passage that extended beneath the Temple,</b> as he could not pass through the Temple courtyard, due to his impurity. <b>And</b> there were <b>lamps burning on this</b> side <b>and on that</b> side of the passage. He would walk through the passage <b>until he reached the Chamber of Immersion. And there was a fire</b> burning <b>there</b> to warm the priests after they had immersed, <b>and</b> also <b>a bathroom of honor,</b> so that the priests could urinate before immersion. <b>This was</b> the manifestation of <b>its honor:</b> If one <b>found</b> the door <b>closed,</b> he would <b>know that there was a person there,</b> and he would wait for him to exit before entering. If one found the door <b>open, it was known that there was no person there,</b> and he could enter. In this manner, the one using it was afforded privacy. After the priest <b>descended and immersed</b> in the ritual bath, he <b>ascended and dried himself</b> with a towel, <b>and warmed himself opposite the fire. He</b> then <b>came</b> back to the Chamber of the Hearth <b>and sat with his brethren the priests until</b> dawn, when the <b>gates</b> of the Temple courtyard <b>would be opened.</b> He would then <b>leave</b> the Temple <b>and go on his</b> way. Since the purification process of one who immerses is not complete until sunset, by rabbinic law he could not remain in the Temple during the daytime.", | |
| "The mishna describes the commencement of the daily service in the Temple: Among the members of the priestly family who are to serve in the Temple that day, <b>whoever wants to remove</b> the ashes <b>from the altar rises early and immerses</b> himself in a ritual bath, as required of anyone who enters the Temple courtyard. He must immerse <b>before the appointed</b> priest <b>arrives,</b> as the appointed priest oversees the lottery that determines which priests perform the various rites of the Temple service, and the first of those lotteries determines who will be charged with the removal of the ashes. <b>And at what time does the appointed</b> priest <b>arrive? The times</b> of his arrival <b>are not all the same.</b> There are <b>times that he comes at the call of the rooster [<i>hagever</i>], or</b> he might come at <b>an adjacent</b> time, either <b>before</b> the call of the rooster <b>or after it.</b> <b>The appointed</b> priest <b>arrived</b> at the Chamber of the Hearth, where the priests of the patrilineal family were assembled, <b>and he knocked</b> on the gate <b>to</b> alert <b>them</b> to open the gate for him. <b>And</b> when <b>they opened</b> the gate <b>for him, he said to them: Whoever immersed</b> in the ritual bath <b>may come and participate in the lottery. They</b> then <b>conducted the lottery,</b> and <b>whoever won</b> that lottery <b>won</b> the privilege to perform the rite of the removal of the ashes.", | |
| "At some time near dawn the appointed priest <b>took the key</b> that was kept beneath a marble tablet set in the floor of the Chamber of the Hearth <b>and opened</b> with it <b>the wicket [<i>hapishpesh</i>]</b> in the gate of the Chamber of the Hearth. <b>And he entered</b> through the wicket <b>from the Chamber of the Hearth to the</b> Temple <b>courtyard; and the priests</b> of the patrilineal family <b>entered after him, and two torches of fire</b> were <b>in their hands,</b> to light the way. The priests <b>divided into two groups; these</b> priests would <b>walk along the portico</b> that surrounded the Temple courtyard, starting in the <b>direction of east, and those</b> priests would <b>walk along the portico</b> starting in the <b>direction</b> of <b>west.</b>The priests would ensure that all the service vessels were in place, ready for use in the daily service. Both groups <b>would continue inspecting</b> the vessels <b>until they reached the place</b> where the Chamber of <b>the Preparer of the</b> High Priest’s daily <b>Griddle-Cake</b> Offering was located. When <b>they reached</b> that place, <b>these</b> priests <b>and those</b> priests <b>said</b> to each other: It is <b>well; all is well,</b> and all the vessels are in place. <b>They</b> then <b>set the preparer of</b> the <b>griddle-cake</b> offering <b>to prepare</b> the <b>griddle-cake</b> offering.", | |
| "The priest <b>who won</b> the lottery <b>to remove</b> the ashes <b>from the altar shall</b> then <b>remove</b> the ashes. <b>And</b> the other priests <b>say</b> to him: <b>Be careful that you do not touch the vessel</b> with which you perform the rite <b>until you sanctify your hands and your feet from the Basin,</b> as a priest may not perform any service in the Temple before sanctifying his hands and feet. The priests would continue their reminders: <b>The coal pan</b> with which the ashes are removed <b>is placed in</b> the <b>corner between the ramp and the altar, on the western</b> side <b>of</b> the <b>ramp.</b> <b>No person would enter with</b> the priest who was removing the ashes, as it was permitted to enter the area between the Entrance Hall of the Sanctuary and the altar only when performing the Temple service. <b>And</b> there was <b>no lamp in his hand</b> when he went to fetch the coal pan. <b>Rather, he would walk by the light of the arrangement</b> of wood on the altar, upon which the portions of the offerings sacrificed the previous day were burned during the night. The other priests <b>would not see him,</b> as the altar hid him from their sight, <b>nor could they hear the sound of his</b> steps. They were therefore unaware of his progress <b>until they heard</b> the <b>sound of the wood that ben Katin crafted</b> into <b>a mechanism [<i>mukhani</i>]</b> of pulleys that was used <b>to</b> sink <b>the Basin</b> into flowing water during the night, so that its water would not be disqualified by remaining overnight. When the priests heard the sound of the pulleys raising the Basin from the water, <b>they said</b> to each other: <b>The time</b> for sanctifying hands and feet <b>has come.</b> The priest <b>sanctified his hands and his feet</b> with water <b>from the Basin</b> after he raised it. <b>He</b> then <b>took the silver coal pan</b> from the corner between the ramp and the altar, <b>and ascended to the top of the altar.</b> The priest <b>cleared the</b> upper layer of <b>coals to this side</b> and to that side and <b>scooped</b> into the coal pan <b>the inner</b> coals that were completely <b>consumed.</b> He then <b>descended</b> the ramp. When <b>he reached the floor,</b> in the southeast of the Temple courtyard, <b>he turned his face toward the north. He</b> would <b>walk along the east</b> side <b>of the ramp</b> toward the south side of the altar, walking a distance of <b>about ten cubits</b> from the bottom of the ramp, which was twenty cubits from the altar. <b>He</b> then <b>heaped the coals upon the floor</b> in a location <b>three handbreadths distant from the ramp,</b> in the <b>place where</b> the priests would <b>place the crop of the bird</b> burnt offering, <b>the ashes</b> removed <b>from the inner,</b> golden <b>altar, and the ashes</b> removed <b>from the Candelabrum.</b>" | |
| ], | |
| [ | |
| "The previous mishna described the performance of the removal of the ashes by the priest who was selected to perform this task. This mishna continues: <b>The brethren</b> of the priest who removed the ashes, i.e., the other members of the patrilineal family, <b>saw that he had descended</b> from the altar with the coal pan, <b>and they</b> would <b>run and come</b> to the Basin. <b>They made haste and sanctified their hands and their feet with</b> the water in <b>the Basin,</b> and then <b>they took the shovels and the forks and ascended</b> with them <b>to the top of the altar.</b> The shovels were for shoveling the ashes to the center of the altar, while the forks were required to remove from the altar those limbs that had not been consumed. With regard to <b>the limbs</b> of burnt offerings <b>and the fats</b> of other offerings <b>that had not been consumed</b> and burned to ashes during the time <b>from the</b> previous <b>evening,</b> the priests would <b>clear them to the sides of the altar. If</b> the remaining limbs and fats were so abundant that the <b>sides</b> of the altar were <b>unable to hold</b> them, the priests would <b>arrange them on the ramp, opposite the surrounding ledge</b> of the altar.", | |
| "The priests then <b>began raising the ashes onto</b> the <b>circular heap</b> upon which the ashes were piled. The <b>circular heap was in the middle of the altar. Sometimes there was</b> as much <b>as three hundred <i>kor</i></b> of ashes <b>upon it.</b> When the heap of ashes became excessively large, the priests would remove the ashes and pour them outside the city. <b>But during the Festivals they would not remove the ashes</b> from the altar, <b>as</b> the ashes <b>were</b> considered <b>an adornment to the altar,</b> since they were a sign of the great number of offerings that were sacrificed on it. <b>In all the days</b> of the altar, even when there was an abundance of ashes upon it, <b>the priest</b> tasked with removing the ashes from the circular heap <b>was never indolent in removing the ashes.</b>", | |
| "After the ashes were cleared to the middle of the altar, the priests <b>began raising logs</b> onto the altar in order <b>to assemble the arrangement</b> of wood on which the offerings were burned. The <i>tanna</i> asks: <b>And is</b> wood from <b>all the trees fit for the arrangement?</b> The <i>tanna</i> replies: Wood from <b>all the trees is fit for the arrangement, except for</b> wood <b>from</b> the <b>vine and from</b> the <b>olive</b> tree, <b>but</b> the priests <b>were accustomed</b> to assemble the arrangement <b>with</b> wood from <b>these</b> trees: <b>With young branches of</b> the <b>fig</b> tree, <b>of</b> the <b>nut</b> tree, <b>and of pinewood.</b>", | |
| "The priest who removed the ashes then <b>assembled the large arrangement</b> of wood upon which the daily offering and the sacrificial portions of the other offerings are burned. It was assembled <b>on the eastern</b> side of the altar, <b>and its opening</b> was <b>on the eastern</b> side of the altar, <b>and the inner end of</b> the <b>logs would touch the circular heap</b> of ashes. <b>And there was space between the logs,</b> in which the priests placed twigs, <b>as they would ignite the kindling [<i>ha’alita</i>] from there,</b> so that the fire would spread to the logs.", | |
| "The priests <b>selected from</b> among the logs that were <b>there fine</b> logs from <b>fig trees,</b> as when this type of wood was burned it would become coals rather than ashes. The priest who removed the ashes then <b>assembled the second arrangement</b> of wood, from which the coals were taken to the golden altar in the Sanctuary <b>for</b> the burning of <b>the incense.</b> The second arrangement was assembled <b>next to the southwestern</b> corner of the altar and was <b>removed from the corner toward the north</b> side of the altar by a distance of <b>four cubits.</b> The second arrangement was assembled <b>of</b> an amount of wood <b>estimated</b> to produce <b>five <i>se’a</i> of coals. And on Shabbat,</b> it was assembled <b>of</b> an amount of wood <b>estimated</b> to produce <b>eight <i>se’a</i> of coals, as there</b> the priests <b>would place</b> the <b>two bowls of frankincense that</b> accompanied <b>the shewbread</b> and that were burned on the altar on Shabbat. With regard to <b>the limbs and the fats that were not consumed</b> during the time <b>from the</b> previous <b>evening,</b> the priests would <b>return them to the</b> large <b>arrangement</b> to be burned. <b>And</b> the priests <b>kindled</b> those <b>two arrangements with fire</b> and <b>descended</b> from the altar. <b>And they</b> then <b>came to the Chamber of Hewn Stone,</b> where they would conduct the second lottery in order to determine who would perform the subsequent rites." | |
| ], | |
| [ | |
| "Four lotteries were conducted in the Temple each day in order to determine which priests would perform which of the Temple rites. After describing the first of the lotteries, for removal of the ashes, the <i>tanna</i> describes the second lottery. <b>The</b> priest <b>appointed</b> to oversee the lotteries <b>said to</b> the priests: <b>Come and participate in the lottery</b> to determine <b>who is the</b> priest <b>who</b> will <b>slaughter</b> the daily offering; <b>and who</b> is the priest <b>who</b> will <b>sprinkle</b> its blood; and <b>who</b> will <b>remove the ashes from the inner,</b> golden <b>altar;</b> and <b>who</b> will <b>remove the ashes from the Candelabrum;</b> and <b>who</b> will <b>take</b> the <b>limbs</b> of the daily offering <b>up to the ramp</b> to be burned afterward. The limbs of the daily offering taken up to the ramp were divided among the priests in the following manner: One priest took <b>the head and the right</b> hind <b>leg</b> up to the altar; <b>and</b> a second took <b>the two forelegs;</b> a third <b>the haunch,</b> including the lower spine and the tail, <b>and the left</b> hind <b>leg;</b> a fourth <b>the breast and the cud,</b> i.e., the neck and appended internal organs, including the windpipe, liver, and heart; <b>and</b> a fifth <b>the two flanks;</b> a sixth <b>the innards; and</b> a seventh <b>the fine flour</b> from the accompanying meal offering; <b>and</b> an eighth <b>the griddle-cake</b> offering; <b>and</b> a ninth <b>the wine</b> for the libation. They <b>conducted the lottery</b> to determine the thirteen tasks, i.e., slaughtering, carrying the nine items or pairs of items, sprinkling the blood, removing the ashes from the inner altar, and removing the ashes from the Candelabrum. <b>And whoever won</b> that lottery <b>won</b> the right to perform the slaughter, and the twelve priests standing to his right won the other privileges. ", | |
| "The appointed one <b>said to</b> the priests: <b>Go out and observe if</b> it is day and <b>the time for slaughter</b> has <b>arrived. If</b> the time has <b>arrived, the observer says: There is light. Matya ben Shmuel says</b> that the appointed priest phrased his question differently, saying: <b>Is the entire eastern sky illuminated as far as Hebron? And</b> the observer <b>says: Yes.</b>", | |
| "The appointed priest <b>said to</b> the priests: <b>Go out and bring</b> me <b>a lamb from the Chamber of the Lambs,</b> where lambs that had been examined and found to be unblemished were kept. <b>And the Chamber of the Lambs is located in the northwestern corner</b> of the building of the Chamber of the Hearth. <b>There were four chambers there,</b> in that building: <b>One</b> was <b>the Chamber of the Lambs; and one</b> was <b>the Chamber of the Seals,</b> located in the northeastern corner, where the priest stored receipts given to those seeking to purchase animal offerings; <b>and one</b> was <b>the Chamber of the Hearth,</b> where there was a fire burning to warm the priests; <b>and</b> the last <b>one</b> was <b>the chamber in which</b> the priests <b>prepared the shewbread.</b>", | |
| "The priests <b>entered the Chamber of the Vessels,</b> where the service vessels required for the daily Temple service were stored. They <b>took out from there ninety-three silver vessels and gold vessels. They</b> then <b>gave</b> the lamb selected for <b>the daily offering</b> water <b>to drink in a cup</b> <b>of gold. Although</b> the lamb <b>was examined</b> and deemed unblemished earlier <b>in the evening,</b> the priests <b>examine it</b> now <b>by the light of the torches.</b>", | |
| "The priest <b>who won</b> the lottery <b>to</b> slaughter <b>the daily offering pulled</b> the lamb, <b>and</b> he would <b>go to the slaughterhouse</b> to slaughter it as the daily offering. <b>And</b> the priests <b>who won</b> the right <b>to</b> take <b>the limbs</b> up to the ramp would <b>go with him. The slaughterhouse was to the north of the altar. Adjacent to it</b> there were <b>eight low</b> stone <b>pillars. And cedarwood squares</b> were affixed <b>upon them, and iron hooks were fixed in</b> the wooden squares. <b>And</b> there were <b>three rows</b> of hooks <b>on each and every one</b> of those wooden squares, <b>upon which</b> the priests would <b>suspend</b> the animal after it was slaughtered. <b>And they</b> would <b>flay</b> the animal’s hide <b>onto marble tables that</b> were positioned <b>between the pillars.</b>", | |
| "The priests <b>who won</b> the privilege <b>of the removal of ash from the inner altar and of the removal of ash from the Candelabrum would precede</b> the other priests <b>and</b> would hold <b>four vessels in their hands: The basket, and the jug, and</b> the <b>two keys. The basket is similar to</b> a large <b>gold</b> vessel with a capacity of <b>three <i>kav</i> [<i>letarkav</i>],</b> but it <b>holds</b> only <b>two and a half <i>kav</i>. And the jug is similar to a large flask [<i>lekitton</i>] of gold. And</b> as for the <b>two keys,</b> with <b>one</b> of them the priest <b>would lower his arm to his armpit</b> through a small opening in the door and open the lock that was at the bottom of the door on the inside, and he would pass through that door into a compartment. <b>And</b> the other <b>one</b> is the key with <b>which</b> the priest <b>opened</b> the lock on the inner door of the compartment, through which he entered the Sanctuary, and that lock he opened <b>directly.</b>", | |
| "The priest <b>came to the northern wicket. There were two wickets for the large gate, one in the northern</b> part of the gate <b>and one in the southern</b> part. Through the wicket <b>that was in the southern</b> part, <b>no person entered. In its regard,</b> the wicket’s status <b>is clarified by</b> the prophet <b>Ezekiel, as it is stated:</b> “Then he brought me back the way of the outer gate of the Sanctuary, which looks toward the east; and it was shut. <b>And the Lord said unto me: This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered in by it; and it shall be shut”</b> (Ezekiel 44:1–2). The priest <b>took the key, opened the wicket</b> north of the gate, <b>and entered the compartment.</b> He went <b>from the compartment to the Sanctuary</b> and continued <b>until</b> he would <b>reach the large gate.</b> Once <b>he reached the large gate,</b> which was locked from the inside, <b>he moved the bolt and the locks</b> fixing the bolt in place <b>and opened</b> the gate. The priest <b>who slaughters</b> the daily offering <b>would not slaughter</b> the animal <b>until he</b> would <b>hear that the large gate</b> had been <b>opened.</b>", | |
| "<b>From Jericho</b> the people <b>would hear</b> the <b>sound</b> indicating <b>that the large gate</b> had been <b>opened. From Jericho</b> the people <b>would hear</b> the <b>sound</b> produced in the Temple by the instrument that had the form of <b>a shovel. <b>From Jericho</b> the people <b>would hear the sound of the wood that ben Katin crafted</b> into <b>a mechanism</b> of pulleys <b>for the Basin. <b>From Jericho</b> the people <b>would hear the voice of Gevini</b> the Temple <b>crier,</b> who would proclaim in the Temple each day: Arise, priests, to your service, and Levites to your platform, and Israelites to your non-priestly watch. <b>From Jericho</b> the people <b>would hear the sound of the flute</b> that was played in the Temple twelve days each year. <b>From Jericho</b> the people <b>would hear the sound of</b> ben Arza clashing <b>the cymbals</b> in the Temple. From Jericho</b> the people <b>would hear the sound of the song</b> of the Levites in the Temple. <b>From Jericho</b> the people <b>would hear the sound of the shofar</b> that was sounded several times each day in the Temple. <b>And some say</b> that in Jericho the people would hear <b>even the voice of the High Priest at the moment that he mentioned the</b> ineffable <b>name</b> of God <b>on Yom Kippur.</b> <b>From Jericho</b> the people <b>would smell the fragrance</b> emanating from <b>the preparation of the incense</b> in the Temple. <b>Rabbi Elazar ben Diglai said: There were goats</b> belonging <b>to my father</b> that grazed <b>in the cities of Mikhvar,</b> located at a distance from Jerusalem, <b>and they would sneeze from the fragrance of the preparation of the incense</b> that they smelled. </b>", | |
| "The priest <b>who won</b> the right <b>of the removal of ash from the inner altar entered</b> through the Sanctuary gate, <b>and</b> he <b>took the basket</b> with him <b>and placed it before him</b> on the floor between him and the altar. <b>And</b> he <b>would take handfuls</b> of ashes from upon the altar <b>and place</b> them <b>in</b> the basket. <b>Ultimately,</b> when only a small amount of ashes remained on the altar, <b>the priest swept the rest into</b> the basket, <b>and placed</b> the basket back on the Sanctuary floor, <b>and emerged</b> from the Sanctuary. The priest <b>who won</b> the right <b>of the removal of ash from the Candelabrum entered</b> the Sanctuary. <b>And</b> if <b>he found</b> in the Candelabrum the <b>two easternmost lamps</b>, the second of which is called the <b>western</b> lamp, still <b>burning,</b> he would first <b>remove the ashes</b> and the burned wicks <b>from the rest</b> of the lamps and place them in the jug, and place new wicks and oil in those lamps. <b>And</b> he would <b>leave these</b> two lamps <b>burning in their</b> own <b>place.</b> If <b>he found that</b> the two easternmost lamps <b>were extinguished,</b> he would <b>remove the ashes</b> and the burned wicks from <b>them and kindle them from the</b> lamps that were still <b>burning.</b> If none were still burning, he would kindle them from the fire on the outer altar. <b>And afterward,</b> the priest would <b>remove the ashes</b> and the wicks <b>from the rest</b> of the lamps. <b>And there was a stone in front of the Candelabrum and in it there</b> were <b>three stairs upon which</b> the <b>priest</b> would <b>stand and prepare the lamps</b> for kindling. Since the Candelabrum was eighteen handbreadths high, it was necessary for the priest to stand on an elevated surface to reach the lamps. <b>And</b> after he placed the ashes and the wicks from the five westernmost lamps in the jug, he would <b>place the jug on</b> the <b>second stair</b> of that stone, <b>and</b> then he <b>emerged</b> from the Sanctuary. When the priest later returned to prepare the two easternmost lamps for kindling, he would remove the jug with the ashes from the Candelabrum, and together with the priest removing the basket with the ashes from the inner altar would pour the ashes from the jug and the basket at the side of the altar. " | |
| ], | |
| [ | |
| "In preparing the lamb of the daily offering for sacrifice, the priests <b>would not tie the lamb</b> by fastening all four of its legs together; <b>rather, they would bind it</b> by fastening each hind leg to the corresponding foreleg. The priests <b>who won</b> the right <b>to</b> take <b>the limbs</b> up to the ramp would <b>hold</b> the lamb in place while it was being slaughtered. <b>And this was</b> the manner of <b>its binding:</b> The animal would be stood in the northern part of the courtyard while <b>its head</b> would be directed <b>to the south,</b> toward the altar, <b>and its face</b> would be turned <b>to the west,</b> toward the Sanctuary. <b>And the slaughterer</b> would <b>stand to</b> the <b>east</b> of the animal, <b>and his face</b> would be <b>to the west.</b> Twenty-four rings were affixed to the courtyard floor north of the altar, designated for placement of the animal’s neck during its slaughter. The daily offering <b>of the morning was slaughtered at the northwest corner</b> of the altar, <b>at</b> the <b>second ring.</b> The daily offering <b>of the afternoon was slaughtered at the northeast corner</b> of the altar, <b>at</b> the <b>second ring.</b> After <b>the slaughterer has slaughtered</b> the lamb <b>and the receiver has received</b> its blood in a vessel to sprinkle on the altar, the priest <b>comes to</b> the <b>northeast corner</b> of the altar <b>and places</b> the first sprinkling in such a manner that the blood will reach the <b>eastern</b> and <b>northern</b> sides of the altar. Next, the priest comes to the <b>southwest</b> corner of the altar <b>and places</b> a second sprinkling in a manner such that the blood will reach the <b>western</b> and <b>southern</b> sides of the altar. With regard to <b>the remainder of the blood,</b> the priest <b>would pour</b> it <b>at</b> the <b>southern base</b> of the altar, at its southwest corner.", | |
| "When the priest flayed the hide of the daily offering after its slaughter, <b>he would not break the</b> animal’s <b>leg</b> in the typical manner of flaying an animal; <b>rather, he punctures</b> the leg <b>from within</b> each <b>knee</b> of the hind leg <b>and suspends</b> the animal <b>by</b> placing these holes on two hooks, in order to flay the animal’s hide. The priest began <b>flaying</b> from the top of the inverted animal, <b>descending until</b> he would <b>reach</b> the hide <b>of the breast.</b> Once <b>he reached the breast, he severed the</b> lamb’s <b>head and gave it to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>it</b> up to the ramp. Next <b>he severed the</b> four <b>legs</b> below the knee <b>and gave them to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>them</b> up to the ramp. <b>He completed the flaying</b> of the remaining hide from the breast down, and then the priest <b>cut the heart and drained its blood.</b> Next the priest <b>severed</b> the remaining upper parts of <b>the forelegs and gave them to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>them</b> up to the ramp. Afterward <b>he moved up to</b> the remaining upper part of <b>the right</b> hind <b>leg, severed it, and gave it to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>it</b> up to the ramp; <b>and</b> the animal’s <b>two testicles</b> were cut along <b>with</b> the right leg, leaving the animal suspended by its left hind leg. Then the priest <b>tore</b> open the animal’s midsection, <b>resulting</b> in the innards of <b>the entire</b> animal being <b>exposed before him.</b> <b>He took the fats and placed</b> them <b>on the place of slaughter</b> on <b>the</b> animal’s <b>head above</b> it, to conceal the place where it was severed while the priest would take the head to the altar. Then the priest <b>took the innards and gave them to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>them</b> up to the ramp, in order <b>to rinse them</b> first. <b>And</b> with regard to <b>the stomach,</b> in which there is a significant amount of waste, the priests would <b>rinse it in the rinsing site</b> located in the south of the courtyard, east of the Gate of the Water, <b>and they rinsed it as much it required. And</b> with regard to <b>the innards,</b> the priests would <b>rinse them three times at a minimum, on</b> the <b>marble tables that</b> were positioned <b>between the pillars</b> in the slaughterhouse.", | |
| "The priest then <b>took the knife and separated the lung from the liver, and</b> the <b>finger-</b>like protrusion from the lower edge <b>of the liver,</b> also known as the lobe of the liver, <b>from the liver. And</b> he <b>would not move</b> any one of the organs <b>from its place.</b> He would leave the lung attached to the neck, the lobe attached to the haunch, and the liver attached to the right flank. The priest would <b>puncture</b> around <b>the breast,</b> separating it from the flanks and the ribs, <b>and</b> he <b>gave it to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>it</b> up to the ramp. He then <b>moved up to the right flank</b> and <b>would cut</b> it and separate it from the animal’s body. <b>And</b> he would continue to cut, <b>descending until</b> he would reach <b>the spinal column, and</b> the priest <b>would not touch the spinal column,</b> leaving the spine intact and attached to the left flank. He would continue cutting <b>until he reached</b> the space <b>between the two narrow ribs</b> near the neck, leaving them in place. The priest <b>cut</b> the right flank, separating it from the body of the animal, <b>and gave it to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>it</b> up to the ramp. <b>And the liver</b> was <b>suspended from it.</b> The priest then <b>came to the cud. He left</b> attached <b>to it,</b> in their entirety, the <b>two</b> narrow <b>ribs from here,</b> the right side, <b>and</b> the <b>two</b> narrow <b>ribs from there,</b> the left side. <b>He cut</b> the cud <b>and gave it to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>it</b> up to the ramp; and <b>the windpipe, the heart, and the lung</b> were <b>suspended from it.</b> <b>He came to</b> cut <b>the left flank</b> of the body and <b>left</b> attached <b>to it two narrow ribs above,</b> near the haunch, as the animal was suspended upside down, <b>and two narrow ribs below,</b> near the cud. <b>And he</b> also <b>did that with its counterpart,</b> the right flank, <b>resulting</b> in <b>two</b> narrow ribs <b>in each</b> flank <b>above and two</b> narrow ribs <b>in each</b> flank <b>below.</b> <b>He cut</b> the left flank <b>and gave it to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>it</b> up to the ramp, <b>and the spinal column</b> was <b>with it, and the spleen</b> was <b>suspended from it. And</b> the left flank <b>was greater,</b> i.e., the larger of the two, because it included the spine, <b>but</b> they <b>referred</b> to <b>the right</b> flank as the <b>greater</b> one, <b>as</b> in addition to the flank itself, <b>the liver was suspended from it. He came to the haunch, cut it, and gave it to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>it</b> up to the ramp. And <b>the tail, and the finger-</b>like protrusion <b>of the liver, and the two kidneys</b> were <b>with it. He took</b> the remaining upper part of <b>the left</b> hind <b>leg, cut it, and gave it to</b> the priest <b>who won</b> the right to take <b>it</b> up to the ramp. This <b>resulted</b> in <b>all of</b> the nine priests who won the rights to take the limbs up to the ramp <b>standing in line, and the limbs</b> were <b>in their hands.</b> <b>The first</b> priest stood <b>with the head and with the</b> right hind <b>leg</b> of the animal. Since it was more significant, <b>the head</b> was <b>in his right</b> hand, <b>and its nose</b> was turned <b>toward the</b> priest’s <b>arm. Its horns</b> were <b>between his fingers,</b> and <b>the place of its slaughter</b> was <b>above, and the fats were placed upon it,</b> to conceal the bloody place of slaughter. <b>The right</b> hind <b>leg</b> was <b>in his left</b> hand, <b>and</b> the outer <b>side</b> of the leg, from which <b>its hide</b> was flayed, rather than the side on which the incision was made, was facing <b>out. The second</b> priest stood <b>with</b> the <b>two forelegs.</b> He held the <b>right</b> foreleg <b>in his right</b> hand <b>and</b> the <b>left</b> foreleg <b>in his left</b> hand, <b>and</b> the outer <b>side</b> of the leg, from which <b>its hide</b> was flayed, was facing <b>out.</b> <b>The third</b> priest stood <b>with the haunch and the</b> left hind <b>leg.</b> He held <b>the haunch in his right</b> hand, <b>and the tail</b> was <b>hanging between his fingers, and the finger-</b>like protrusion <b>of the liver and the two kidneys</b> were <b>with it.</b> He held <b>the left</b> hind <b>leg in his left</b> hand, <b>and</b> the outer <b>side</b> of the leg, from which <b>its hide</b> was flayed, was facing <b>out. The fourth</b> priest stood <b>with the breast and with the cud,</b> with <b>the breast in his right</b> hand <b>and the cud in his left</b> hand, <b>and its</b> two <b>ribs</b> were attached to the cud <b>between his two fingers. The fifth</b> priest stood <b>with</b> the <b>two flanks;</b> the <b>right</b> flank was <b>in his right</b> hand <b>and</b> the <b>left</b> flank <b>in his left</b> hand, <b>and</b> the outer <b>side</b> was facing <b>out. The sixth</b> priest stood <b>with the innards, which</b> were <b>placed in a vessel, and</b> the <b>lower legs</b> were placed <b>atop them from above.</b> <b>The seventh</b> priest stood <b>with the fine flour</b> of the meal offering that accompanies the daily offering. <b>The eighth</b> priest stood <b>with the griddle-cake</b> offering sacrificed daily by the High Priest, half in the morning and half in the evening. <b>The ninth</b> priest stood <b>with the wine</b> for the libations that accompany the daily offering. The nine priests <b>went and placed</b> the items they were carrying on the area <b>from halfway</b> up <b>the ramp and below,</b> in the lower portion of the ramp, <b>on the west</b> side of the ramp, <b>and they salted</b> the limbs and the meal offering. <b>And they descended and came to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite</b> the morning <b><i>Shema</i></b> and the other texts that they would recite, as explained at the beginning of the next chapter." | |
| ], | |
| [ | |
| "After the priests completed laying the parts of the daily offering on the ramp, they went to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite <i>Shema</i>. <b>The appointed</b> priest who oversaw the lotteries in the Temple <b>said to</b> the priests: <b>Recite a single blessing</b> of the blessings that accompany <i>Shema</i>. <b>And</b> the members of the priestly watch <b>recited a blessing,</b> and then <b>they recited the Ten Commandments, <i>Shema</i></b> (see Deuteronomy 6:4–9), <b><i>VeHaya im Shamoa</i></b> (see Deuteronomy 11:13–21), and <b><i>VaYomer</i></b> (see Numbers 15:37–41), the standard formula of <i>Shema</i>. Additionally, <b>they blessed with the people three blessings.</b> These blessings were: <b>True and Firm,</b> the blessing of redemption recited after <i>Shema</i>; <b>and</b> the blessing of the Temple <b>service,</b> which is also a blessing recited in the <i>Amida</i> prayer; <b>and the Priestly Benediction,</b> recited in the form of a prayer, without the lifting of hands that usually accompanies that blessing (<i>Tosafot</i>). <b>And on Shabbat,</b> when the new priestly watch would begin its service, the priests would <b>add one blessing</b> recited <b>by the outgoing priestly watch,</b> that love, fraternity, peace, and friendship should exist among the priests of the incoming watch.", | |
| "The appointed priest <b>said to them:</b> Let only those priests who are <b>new to</b> burning <b>the incense come and participate in the lottery</b> for the incense. <b>Whoever won</b> that lottery <b>won</b> the privilege to burn the incense. The appointed priest <b>said to them:</b> Those <b>new</b> priests, i.e., those who had never performed the service, together <b>with</b> those <b>old</b> priests, i.e., those who had already performed it, may <b>come and participate in the lottery</b> to determine <b>who takes the limbs from</b> the bottom half of <b>the ramp,</b> where they had been placed earlier, <b>up to the altar. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says:</b> The priest <b>who takes the limbs up to the ramp is</b> the one who <b>takes them up</b> from the ramp and places them <b>upon the altar.</b>", | |
| "The priests who did not win a lottery were still dressed in the priestly vestments that they were required to don when entering the lottery, so that if they won they would be prepared for immediate service. The appointed priest <b>handed over</b> these priests <b>to</b> the care of <b>the attendants [<i>laḥazanim</i>].</b> The attendants <b>would undress</b> these priests and remove <b>their garments, and they would leave only their trousers on them.</b> After the priests donned their non-sacred garments, they would remove the priestly trousers and don their non-sacred trousers. <b>And there were</b> four storage <b>compartments there</b> in the Temple for the storage of priestly vestments for each priestly watch, <b>and on</b> each of <b>them was written the use of the garment</b> stored there: Trousers, tunic, belt, and mitre.", | |
| "The priest <b>who won</b> the lottery to burn <b>the incense would take the spoon</b> used for carrying the incense. <b>And the spoon</b> was <b>similar to</b> a large <b>gold vessel</b> that <b>held three <i>kav</i>, and the smaller vessel was</b> placed <b>inside</b> the spoon. The vessel was <b>filled to overflow</b> with <b>incense. And it had a cover</b> to prevent spillage of the incense, <b>and there was a type of cloth</b> placed <b>upon it from above,</b> to preserve the fragrance of the incense.", | |
| "The priest <b>who won</b> the right <b>to</b> bring <b>the coal pan</b> with the coals from the outer altar to the incense altar in the Sanctuary <b>took the silver coal pan, ascended to the top of the</b> outer <b>altar, and cleared</b> the extinguished coals from the perimeter of the flame <b>to here</b> and to there. Then he <b>shoveled</b> four <i>kav</i> from the consumed inner coals, which were burned in the depths of the flame, into the coal pan. <b>He descended</b> from the altar <b>and emptied</b> the coals <b>into</b> the coal pan made <b>of gold. Approximately one <i>kav</i> of coals from it was</b> spilled and <b>scattered</b> on the courtyard floor, as the capacity of the gold pan was only three <i>kav</i>. <b>And</b> a priest <b>would sweep</b> the scattered coals <b>into</b> the Temple courtyard <b>drain</b> that passed through the courtyard to drain the waste outside the Temple. <b>And on Shabbat,</b> when it is prohibited to extinguish fire, the priest would not sweep the coals into the canal; rather, <b>he would overturn a <i>pesakhter</i> upon them. And</b> the <b><i>pesakhter</i> was a large vessel</b> that <b>held a half-kor. And</b> since the <i>pesakhter</i> was a very heavy vessel, <b>there were two chains on it,</b> to facilitate its standard use, removal of ashes from the altar: <b>One</b> chain with <b>which</b> a priest would <b>pull</b> the vessel filled with ashes <b>down</b> the ramp, <b>and one</b> chain <b>that</b> another priest <b>would grasp from above, so that</b> the vessel would <b>not roll</b> down the ramp and the ashes would not spill. <b>And</b> the <i>pesakhter</i> <b>would serve three purposes:</b> The priests would <b>overturn it upon</b> the <b>coals</b> that scattered in the Temple during the transfer from the silver to the gold coal pan on Shabbat, <b>and</b> they would overturn it <b>upon the</b> carcass of <b>a creeping animal</b> found in the Temple <b>on Shabbat, and</b> they would <b>take the ashes down from atop the altar in it.</b>", | |
| "The priest with the spoonful of incense and the priest with the gold coal pan filled with coals <b>reached</b> the place <b>between the Entrance Hall</b> to the Sanctuary <b>and the</b> outer <b>altar,</b> on their way to the Sanctuary. <b>One</b> of them <b>took the shovel and threw it between the Entrance Hall and the</b> outer <b>altar. No person</b> could <b>hear the voice of another</b> speaking to him <b>in Jerusalem,</b> due <b>to</b> the <b>sound</b> generated by <b>the shovel.</b> <b>And</b> that sound <b>would serve three purposes:</b> Any <b>priest who hears its sound knows that his brethren the priests are entering to prostrate</b> themselves in the Sanctuary at that time, <b>and he</b> would <b>run and come</b> to prostrate himself with them. <b>And</b> any <b>Levite who hears its sound knows that his brethren the Levites are entering</b> the courtyard to stand on their platform <b>to recite the psalm</b> accompanying the libation, <b>and he</b> would <b>run and come</b> to sing with them. <b>And the head of the</b> non-priestly <b>watch,</b> which stands in the courtyard as the agents of the Jewish people, <b>would position the ritually impure</b> priests and singers <b>at the eastern gate</b> of the courtyard, to make it clear that those priests were not performing the Temple service due to their ritual impurity." | |
| ], | |
| [ | |
| "The priest with the panful of incense and the priest with the gold coal pan filled with coals <b>began ascending</b> the twelve <b>stairs of the Entrance Hall.</b> The priests <b>who won</b> the rights <b>of the removal of ash from the inner altar and</b> the removal of ash from <b>the Candelabrum would precede them,</b> to remove the vessels that remained in the Sanctuary. The priest <b>who won</b> the right <b>of the removal of ash from the inner altar entered</b> the Sanctuary <b>and took the basket</b> that he had left there after removing the ashes from the altar. <b>And</b> when he completed his tasks, he <b>prostrated</b> himself with his hands and feet spread <b>and emerged</b> from the Sanctuary. The priest <b>who won</b> the right <b>of the removal of ash from the Candelabrum entered</b> the Sanctuary, <b>and</b> if he <b>found</b> the <b>two western lamps,</b> i.e., the easternmost and the one immediately to its west, of the Candelabrum <b>burning,</b> he would <b>remove the ash from the easternmost</b> lamp and prepare it anew. <b>But</b> he would <b>leave burning the</b> lamp immediately <b>west</b> of the easternmost lamp, <b>as from</b> that lamp <b>he would kindle</b> the lamps of <b>the Candelabrum in the afternoon.</b> If <b>he found that</b> the lamp west of the easternmost lamp <b>was extinguished, he</b> would <b>remove the ashes and kindle it</b> from the fire on <b>the altar of the burnt offering.</b> He then <b>took the jug</b> in which he had placed the ashes and wicks of the Candelabrum <b>from</b> the <b>second stair</b> of the stone before the Candelabrum <b>and prostrated</b> himself <b>and emerged</b> from the Sanctuary.", | |
| "The priest <b>who won</b> the right <b>to</b> bring <b>the coal pan</b> filled with coals to the inner altar for the burning of the incense first <b>piled the coals on the</b> inner <b>altar and</b> then <b>flattened them,</b> distributing them evenly on the altar <b>with the bottom of the coal pan. And</b> when he finished distributing the coals, he <b>prostrated</b> himself <b>and emerged</b> from the Sanctuary.", | |
| "The priest <b>who won</b> the right <b>to</b> burn <b>the incense would take the smaller vessel</b> containing the incense <b>from within the spoon, and</b> would <b>give it to</b> a priest who is <b>his friend or his relative,</b> whom he designated to assist him, and enter the Sanctuary with him. If the incense <b>was scattered from</b> the smaller vessel <b>into</b> the spoon, the priest accompanying him would <b>give</b> the incense <b>to</b> the priest burning the incense <b>in his handfuls. And</b> the experienced priests would <b>teach</b> the priest burning the incense: <b>Be careful,</b> because if you are not careful <b>you might begin</b> scattering the incense on the side of the altar that is <b>before you;</b> rather, start scattering on the far side of the altar, <b>so</b> that <b>you will not be burned</b> by the burning incense when you are scattering it. The priest <b>began flattening it,</b> distributing the incense evenly on the coals on the altar, <b>and</b> when the Sanctuary would become filled with the smoke of the incense, he would <b>emerge</b> from the Sanctuary. The priest <b>burning</b> the incense <b>would not burn</b> it until <b>the appointed</b> priest would <b>say to him: Burn</b> the incense. <b>And if it was the High Priest</b> who was burning the incense, <b>the appointed</b> priest would <b>say to him</b> deferentially: <b>My master,</b> the <b>High Priest, burn</b> the incense. It is derived from the verse: “And there shall be no man in the Tent of Meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Sanctuary, until he comes out” (Leviticus 16:17), that no one may be standing between the Entrance Hall and the outer altar when the priest burns the incense. Therefore, <b>the people,</b> i.e., the priests, <b>left</b> that area. <b>And</b> the priest <b>burned</b> the incense on the inner altar <b>and prostrated</b> himself <b>and emerged</b> from the Sanctuary." | |
| ], | |
| [ | |
| "After the priests concluded sacrificing the daily morning offering, they would enter the Sanctuary to prostrate themselves. <b>On occasions when the High Priest</b> would <b>enter</b> the Sanctuary <b>to prostrate</b> himself, he would enter before the other priests. When the High Priest enters the Sanctuary, <b>three</b> priests <b>hold him</b> to assist him and support him, in order to distinguish the service of the High Priest from that of the other priests entering the Sanctuary. <b>One</b> priest held <b>his right</b> hand <b>and one</b> priest held <b>his left</b> hand, <b>and one</b> priest stood behind the High Priest, holding <b>onto</b> the two <b>precious</b> onyx <b>stones</b> located on the shoulders of the High Priest, on the ephod. <b>And once the appointed</b> priest <b>heard</b> the <b>sound</b> from the <b>feet of the High Priest,</b> produced by the bells attached to the bottom of his robe, he knew <b>that</b> the High Priest was <b>emerging</b> from the Sanctuary, and he <b>lifted the curtain</b> suspended at the opening of the Entrance Hall <b>for him,</b> to facilitate his exit. After the High Priest <b>entered and prostrated</b> himself <b>and emerged</b> from the Sanctuary, <b>his brethren the priests entered, prostrated</b> themselves, <b>and emerged</b> from the Sanctuary. ", | |
| "After the priests emerged from the Sanctuary, <b>they came and stood on the</b> twelve <b>stairs</b> before <b>the Entrance Hall. The first</b> five priests <b>stood to</b> the <b>south</b> of <b>their brethren, the priests,</b> who had taken the limbs of the daily offering up to the altar. <b>And</b> those five priests had <b>five vessels in their hands: The basket</b> with the ashes from the inner altar was <b>in the hands of one</b> priest; <b>and the jug</b> with the ashes from the Candelabrum was <b>in the hands of one</b> priest; <b>and the coal pan</b> was <b>in the hands of one</b> priest; <b>and the</b> smaller <b>vessel,</b> the bowl that held the incense, was <b>in the hands of one</b> priest, who had burned the incense; <b>and</b> the <b>spoon and its cover</b> were <b>in the hands of one</b> priest, the friend or relative of the one who burned the incense. The priests placed their vessels on the ground <b>and</b> then <b>blessed the people,</b> reciting <b>one blessing.</b> The Priestly Benediction was recited outside the Temple as well, <b>but</b> in the Temple, it was recited differently, <b>as in</b> the rest of <b>the country</b> the priests would <b>recite it</b> as <b>three blessings,</b> and the listeners would answer amen after each blessing. <b>But in the Temple</b> they would recite it as <b>one blessing,</b> and the listeners would not respond to each blessing. Rather, at the conclusion of the entire Priestly Benediction they would answer: Blessed are You Lord, God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. <b>In the Temple,</b> the priests <b>would recite the name</b> of God <b>as it is written,</b> with the letters <i>yod</i>, <i>heh</i>, <i>vav</i>, <i>heh</i>, whereas <b>in</b> the rest of <b>the country</b> the priests would recite the name of God <b>by His appellation,</b> <i>alef</i>, <i>dalet</i>, <i>nun</i>, <i>yod</i>. Furthermore, <b>in</b> the rest of <b>the country,</b> while reciting the Priestly Benediction <b>the priests lift their hands opposite their shoulders, and in the Temple</b> they raise them <b>above their heads.</b> That is the <i>halakha</i> with regard to all priests in the Temple, <b>except for</b> the <b>High Priest, who does not raise his hands above the frontplate</b> on his forehead, as the name of God is written on the frontplate. <b>Rabbi Yehuda says: Even</b> the <b>High Priest</b> would <b>raise his hands above the frontplate</b> while reciting the Priestly Benediction in the Temple, <b>as it is stated</b> with regard to the Priestly Benediction recited by Aaron the High Priest: <b>“And Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them”</b> (Leviticus 9:22).", | |
| "The High Priest is entitled to sacrifice any offering brought to the Temple, at his discretion. <b>When the High Priest wishes to burn</b> the limbs of the daily offering and the accompanying meal offering, he <b>would ascend the ramp</b> to the altar, <b>and the deputy</b> High Priest would walk <b>to his right.</b> When he <b>reached half</b> the height of <b>the ramp, the Deputy</b> would <b>hold his right</b> hand <b>and take him up</b> to the altar at the top of the ramp. <b>And the first</b> of the nine priests who took the limbs up to the altar <b>handed</b> the High Priest <b>the head and the hind leg</b> of the offering, <b>and</b> the High Priest <b>placed his hands upon them and</b> then <b>threw them</b> onto the altar fire. Next <b>the second</b> of the nine priests <b>handed the two forelegs</b> of the offering <b>to the first</b> priest. He <b>gave them to the High Priest,</b> who <b>placed his hands upon them and</b> then <b>threw them</b> onto the altar fire. At that point, <b>the second</b> priest <b>slipped away and left. And</b> in <b>that</b> manner the priests <b>would hand</b> the High Priest <b>the rest of all the limbs, and he</b> would <b>place his hands upon them and</b> then <b>throw them</b> onto the altar fire. <b>And when he wishes, he places his hands and others throw</b> the limbs onto the fire. When the High Priest, who was at the top of the ramp on the south side of the altar, <b>came to circle the altar</b> to reach the southwestern corner, where he would pour the libation of wine, <b>from where does he begin?</b> He begins <b>from the southeastern corner</b> and continues to the <b>northeastern</b> corner, then to the <b>northwestern</b> corner, and ultimately reaches the <b>southwestern</b> corner. At that point, the priests <b>gave him wine to pour.</b> <b>The Deputy stands</b> at the High Priest’s side <b>at the corner</b> of the altar <b>and the cloths</b> are <b>in his hand,</b> so that he can wave them to signal to the Levites to begin singing when the High Priest pours the libation. <b>Two priests stand at the</b> marble <b>table of the fats,</b> where the limbs and fats were placed before being taken to the altar, <b>and</b> there were <b>two</b> silver <b>trumpets in their hands.</b> These two priests <b>sounded a <i>tekia</i>,</b> a long continuous blast; they then <b>sounded a <i>terua</i>,</b> a series of staccato blasts; <b>and</b> lastly they <b>sounded</b> another <b><i>tekia</i></b> to alert the Levites to prepare to recite the psalm. The priests with the trumpets <b>came and stood near ben Arza,</b> the title given to the person who was tasked with striking the cymbals, <b>one to his right and one to his left.</b> Then the High Priest <b>stooped to pour</b> the libation, <b>and the Deputy waved the cloths, and ben Arza struck the cymbals, and the Levites recited the psalm</b> of that day of the week. Each psalm was divided into three sections. Whenever the Levites <b>reached the</b> end of one <b>section</b> of the psalm, the priests <b>sounded a <i>tekia</i>, and the people</b> in the courtyard <b>prostrated</b> themselves. <b>At</b> the end of <b>each section</b> there was <b>a <i>tekia</i>, and for every <i>tekia</i></b> there was <b>a prostration. That is the procedure for</b> the sacrifice of <b>the daily offering in the service of the House of our God; may it be</b> His <b>will that it will be speedily rebuilt in our day, amen.</b>", | |
| "The following is a list of each daily <b>psalm that the Levites would recite in the Temple. On the first day</b> of the week <b>they would recite</b> the psalm beginning: “A psalm of David. <b>The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains, the world and all who live in it”</b> (Psalms, chapter 24). <b>On the second</b> day <b>they would recite</b> the psalm beginning: “A song; a psalm of the sons of Korah. <b>Great is the Lord and highly to be praised in the city of God, on His sacred mountain”</b> (Psalms, chapter 48). <b>On the third</b> day <b>they would recite</b> the psalm beginning: “A psalm of Asaph. <b>God stands in the divine assembly; among the judges He delivers judgment”</b> (Psalms, chapter 82). <b>On the fourth</b> day <b>they would recite</b> the psalm beginning: <b>“O Lord God, to Whom vengeance belongs, God to Whom vengeance belongs, shine forth”</b> (Psalms, chapter 94). <b>On the fifth</b> day <b>they would recite</b> the psalm beginning: “For the leader; upon the Gittith, a psalm of Asaph. <b>Sing for joy to God, our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob”</b> (Psalms, chapter 81). <b>On the sixth</b> day <b>they would recite</b> the psalm beginning: <b>“The Lord reigns: He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed,</b> girded with strength” (Psalms, chapter 93). <b>On Shabbat they would recite</b> the psalm beginning: <b>“A psalm, a song for Shabbat day”</b> (Psalms, chapter 92). This is interpreted as <b>a psalm, a song for the future, for the day that will be entirely Shabbat and rest for everlasting life.</b>" | |
| ] | |
| ], | |
| "versions": [ | |
| [ | |
| "William Davidson Edition - English", | |
| "https://korenpub.com/collections/the-noe-edition-koren-talmud-bavli-1" | |
| ] | |
| ], | |
| "heTitle": "משנה תמיד", | |
| "categories": [ | |
| "Mishnah", | |
| "Seder Kodashim" | |
| ], | |
| "sectionNames": [ | |
| "Chapter", | |
| "Mishnah" | |
| ] | |
| } |