תמיד 28 — Soncino English Talmud

¹I greet you, it was a proof that he was asleep, and he would beat him with his stick. He was also permitted to burn his clothes. The others would say, What noise is that in the Azarah? It is the cry of a Levite who is being beaten and whose garments are being burnt because he was asleep at his post. R. Eliezer b. Jacob said: Once they found my mother's brother asleep and they burnt his clothes. R. Hiyya b. Abba said: When R. Johanan came to this Mishnah he used to say: Happy were the former generations who punished even for being overpowered by sleep; how much more then when there was no overpowering as of sleep! It has been taught: Rabbi says: Which is a right way that a man should choose? Let him love reproof, since as long as there is reproof in the world ease of mind comes to the world, good and blessing come the world, and evil departs from the world, as it says, But to them that are reproved shall come delight; and a good blessing shall come upon them. Some say: Let him have scrupuluos honesty, as it says, Mine eyes are upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me, etc. R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Jonathan: Whoever reproves his neighbour for a purely religious motive is deemed worthy to be in the portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says, He that rebuketh a man is after Me. Not only so, but a thread of favour shall twine about him, as it says, He shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue. IF HE FOUND IT LOCKED HE KNEW etc. . . . WHOEVER WANTED TO REMOVE THE ASHES FROM THE ALTAR etc. This statement contains a contradiction. You say first: WHOEVER WANTS TO REMOVE THE ASHES FROM THE ALTAR RISES EARLY AND BATHES BEFORE THE SUPERINTENDENT COMES, which would show that the matter does not depend on drawing of lots, and then it states, LET HIM COME AND DRAW LOTS, which shows that it does depend on the casting of lots?-Abaye replied: There is no contradiction. The first statement refers to the period before the regulation, the second to the period after the regulation, as we have learnt: At first whoever desired to remove the ashes from the altar used to do so. When there were several of them they used to run and go up the Ascent and whoever was first in the last four cubits had the privilege. If two were level, the superintendent said to them, put your fingers out. They put out the one or two fingers, but they did not put out the thumb in the Temple. It happened once that two were running level up the Ascent and one of them pushed the other and he broke his leg, and when the Beth din saw that they were endangering themselves, they ordained that the task of removing the ashes should be assigned only by lot. Raba said: Both statements refer to the period after the regulation, and what it means is this: Whoever wanted to come and draw lots used to rise early and bathe before the superintendent came. MISHNAH. HE TOOK THE KEY AND OPENED THE SMALL DOOR AND WENT FROM THE FIRE CHAMBER INTO THE AZARAH, AND THE PRIESTS WENT IN AFTER HIM CARRYING TWO LIGHTED TORCHES. THEY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS, ONE OF WHICH WENT ALONG THE PORTICO TO THE EAST, WHILE THE OTHER WENT ALONG IT TO THE WEST. THEY WENT ALONG INSPECTlng UNTIL THEY CAME TO THE PLACE WHERE THE GRlddle-CAKES WERE MADE. THERE THE TWO GROUPS MET AND SAID, IS IT WELL? ALL IS WELL. THEY THEN APPOINTED HIM THAT MADE THE GRIDDLE-CAKES TO MAKE GRIDDLE-CAKES. THE ONE ON WHOM THE LOT HAD FALLEN TO CLEAR THE ASHES FROM THE ALTAR MADE READY TO DO SO. THEY SAID TO HIM: ‘BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH ANY VESSEL UNTIL YOU HAVE WASHED YOUR HANDS AND FEET FROM THE LAVER. SEE, THE FIREPAN IS IN THE CORNER BETWEEN THE ASCENT AND THE ALTAR ON THE WEST OF THE ASCENT’. NO ONE ENTERED WITH HIM, NOR DID HE CARRY ANY LIGHT BUT HE WALKED BY THE LIGHT OF THE ALTAR FIRE. NO-ONE SAW HIM20^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ

^ᵃnote:For an alternative rendering, v. Mid. (Sonc. ed). pp. 1 and 2, trans. and notes.
^ᵇnote:For transgressions committed not under constraint.
^ᶜnote:Prov. XXIV, 25. E.V., But to them that decide.
^ᵈnote:So Rashi. Lit., ‘abundant faithfulness’.
^ᵉnote:Ps. CI, 6.
^ᶠnote:Lit., ‘in the name of Heaven’.
^ᵍnote:I.e., in the inner circle of the righteous in heaven.
^ʰnote:Prov. XXVIII, 23. E.V. shall in the end find more favour.
^ⁱnote:Ibid.
^ʲnote:Yoma, 22a.
^ᵏnote:The sloping board which led from the pavement of the Azorah to the altar. It was 32 cubits long, v. Mid.Ili, 3.
^ˡnote:Mid. I, 9.
^ᵐnote:Which ran right round the Azarah, and where various vessels were kept.
^ⁿnote:To see if all the vessels were in order.
^ᵒnote:Which were offered every day by the High Priest. V. Lev. VI, 12-15.
^ᵖnote:The south-east corner of the Temple court, v. Mid. I,14.
^ᵠnote:I.e., the vessels are all in order.
^ʳnote:Because no-one was allowed in the Azarah save for purposes of service.
^ˢnote:Because he needed to have both hands free.
^ᵗnote:Because he was hidden by the ascent.

²OR HEARD A SOUND FROM HIM UNTIL THEY HEARD THE NOISE OF THE WOODEN MACHINE WHICH BEN KATIN MADE FOR HAULING UP THE LAVER, WHEN THEY SAID, THE TIME HAS COME. HE WASHED HIS HANDS AND FEET FROM THE LAVER, THEN TOOK THE SILVER FIREPAN AND WENT UP TO THE TOP OF THE ALTAR AND CLEARED AWAY THE CINDERS ON EITHER SIDE AND SCOOPED UP THE ASHES IN THE CENTRE. HE THEN DESCENDED AND WHEN HE REACHED THE PAVEMENT HE TURNED HIS FACE TO THE NORTH AND WENT ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE ASCENT FOR ABOUT TEN CUBITS, AND HE THEN MADE A HEAP OF THE Clnders ON THE PAVEMENT THREE HANDBREADTHS AWAY FROM THE ASCENT, IN THE PLACE WHERE THEY USED TO PUT THE CROP OF THE BIRDS AND THE ASHES FROM THE INNER ALTAR AND THE ASH FROM THE CANDLESTICK. GEMARA. But were there porticoes in the Azarah? Has it not been taught: R. Eliezer b. Jacob says: Whence do we learn that porticoes [of wood] are not made in the Azarah? Because it says: Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah or any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord thy God, the meaning of which is this: Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah; nor shalt thou plant thee any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord thy God?-R. Hisda replied: [It is permitted] with porticoes of stone. THEY WENT ALONG INSPECTING. . . . TO MAKE GRIDDLE CAKES. This would imply that the griddle cakes were the first thing offered. But it has been taught: Whence do we know that nothing preceded the regular morning offering? It says: And he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and Rabbah said, ‘the burnt-offering’ [implies that] it goes up first? Rab Judah replied: He is appointed to prepare hot water for the soaking. MISHNAH. WHEN HIS BRETHREN SAW THAT HE HAD DESCENDED [FROM THE ASCENT]. THEY CAME RUNNING AND HASTENED TO WASH THEIR HANDS AND FEET IN THE LAVER. THEY THEN TO OK THE SHOVELS AND THE FORKS AND WENT UP TO THE TOP OF THE ALTAR. SUCH LIMBS AND PIECES OF FAT AS HAD NOT BEEN CONSUMED SINCE THE EVENING THEY REMOVED TO THE SIDES OF THE ALTAR. IF THERE WAS NOT ROOM ON THE SIDES THEY ARRANGED THEM ON THE SURROUND AND ON THE ASCENT. THEY THEN BEGAN TO THROW THE ASHES ON TO THE HEAP. THIS HEAP WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ALTAR, AND SOMETIMES THERE WAS AS MUCH AS THREE HUNDRED KOR ON IT. ON FESTIVALS THEY DID NOT USE TO CLEAR AWAY THE ASH BECAUSE IT WAS RECKONED AN ORNAMENT TO THE ALTAR. IT NEVER HAPPENED THAT^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ

^ᵘnote:The laver was sunk underground in the evening so that its waters should not become disqualified by being exposed throughout the night, but it was hauled up by a pulley.
^ᵛnote:Which would be more on the side of the altar, where the heat was not so intense. The top of the altar was 28 cubits square. V. Mid. III, 1.
^ʷnote:Lit., ‘the consumed’; the fuel more in the centre which had been completely reduced to ashes.
^ˣnote:The floor of the Azarah which was of stone.
^ʸnote:I.e., turned back and faced the altar.
^ᶻnote:V. Lev. I, 16. It was reckoned that the priest standing at the altar would cast the crop behind him about twenty cubits.
^ᵃᵃnote:The altar of incense.
^ᵃᵇnote:Deut. XVI, 21.
^ᵃᶜnote:Lit., ‘of building’, i.e., supported on stone pillars.
^ᵃᵈnote:Lev. VI, 5.
^ᵃᵉnote:V. Zeb. 103a.
^ᵃᶠnote:V. Lev. VI, 14.
^ᵃᵍnote:To collect the ashes and to turn the limbs.
^ᵃʰnote:With the intention of replacing them after the fire had been lit. Once the pieces had left the altar, it would not have been permitted to replace them, since they were reckoned as nothar.
^ᵃⁱnote:The ledge running round the altar half way up. V. Mid. III, 1.
^ᵃʲnote:Which was counted as part of the altar. The ‘and’ is not in the text, but seems necessary for the sense, v. Sh. Mek. Var. lec. ‘or on the Ascent’.
^ᵃᵏnote:Lit., ‘apple’.
^ᵃˡnote:Showing that a large number of sacrifices had been brought.