Tamid

DOWN THE WINDING STAIR1 WHICH WENT UNDER THE BIRAH,2 AND WHICH WAS LIT BY LIGHTS ON EACH SIDE UNTIL HE REACHED THE BATHING PLACE. THERE WAS A FIRE CLOSE BY AND A SUPERIOR PRIVY. ITS SUPERIORITY LAY IN THIS: IF HE FOUND IT LOCKED, HE KNEW THERE WAS SOMEONE THERE; IF IT WAS OPEN, HE KNEW THERE WAS NO ONE THERE. HE WOULD GO DOWN AND BATHE AND THEN COME UP AND DRY HIMSELF AND WARM HIMSELF IN FRONT OF THE FIRE, AND THEN GO AND TAKE HIS SEAT NEXT TO HIS BROTHER PRIESTS UNTIL THE GATES WERE OPENED, WHEN HE WOULD TAKE HIS DEPARTURE.3 ANYONE WHO DESIRED TO REMOVE THE ASHES FROM THE ALTAR USED TO RISE EARLY AND BATHE BEFORE THE SUPERINTENDENT4 CAME. AT WHAT TIME DID THE SUPERINTENDENT COME? HE DID NOT ALWAYS COME AT THE SAME TIME; SOMETIMES HE CAME JUST AT COCK-CROW, SOMETIMES A LITTLE BEFORE OR A LITTLE AFTER. THE SUPERINTENDENT WOULD COME AND KNOCK AND THEY WOULD OPEN FOR HIM, AND HE WOULD SAY TO THEM, LET ALL WHO HAVE BATHED COME AND DRAW LOTS. SO THEY DREW LOTS, AND ONE OR OTHER WAS SUCCESSFUL.5 GEMARA. Whence [in the Scripture] is this rule derived?6 — Abaye replied: Scripture says, And those that were to pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary, even the charge for the children of Israel.7 We say, Yes; we have found a basis for the rule of watching, and that it requires priests and Levites. But the Mishnah states:8 The priests keep watch in three places and the Levites in twenty-one; [furthermore] whereas Scripture places priests and Levites9 together the Mishnah places them separately. — We reply: What it means is this: ‘Those that were to pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses’; and then, ‘Aaron and his sons keeping the charge of the sanctuary — Aaron in one place and his sons in two places.10 Whence do you learn [that priests and Levites are separate]? — Because it is written ‘those that were to pitch’ and it is written ‘keeping’ which implies, that those who pitched and those who kept were separate. But I may still say that all [of those who kept] were in one place? — Do not imagine such a thing. Just as Moses was in one place by himself, so Aaron and his sons were each in one place by themselves. R. Ashi said: This can be learnt from the latter part of the verse, [from the words] keeping the charge . . . even the charge.11 sometimes used to designate the whole of the Temple, but it does not seem to have that meaning here. V. Yoma 2a. until sunset.