Tamid

HEAPED UP WITH INCENSE;1 THIS HAD A COVERING, OVER WHICH WAS SPREAD A KIND OF JACKET.2 MISHNAH . THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN ASSIGNED THE SHOVELLING,3 TOOK THE SILVER FIREPAN AND ASCENDED TO THE TOP OF THE ALTAR AND CLEARED AWAY THE LIVE COALS TO THIS SIDE AND THAT [AND SWEPT AWAY SOME OF THE ASH AT THE BOTTOM]4 AND THEN WENT DOWN AND EMPTIED THEM INTO A GOLD [FIREPAN]. ABOUT A KAB OF THE COALS WAS SPILT,5 AND THESE HE SWEPT INTO THE SEWER6 , ON SABBATH7 HE USED TO PUT AN OVERTURNED POT8 ON THEM. THIS POT WAS A LARGE VESSEL HOLDING A LETHEK.9 IT HAD TWO CHAINS; WITH ONE HE USED TO DRAW IT DOWN,10 AND WITH THE OTHER HE USED TO HOLD IT ABOVE SO THAT IT SHOULD NOT ROLL OVER.11 IT WAS USED FOR THREE PURPOSES — FOR PLACING OVER LIVE COALS, AND OVER A [DEAD] CREEPING THING ON SABBATH,12 AND FOR DRAWING DOWN THE ASHES FROM THE TOP OF THE ALTAR. MISHNAH . WHEN THEY13 CAME BETWEEN THE PORCH AND THE ALTAR, ONE TOOK THE ‘SHOVEL’14 AND THREW IT BETWEEN THE PORCH AND THE ALTAR. PEOPLE COULD NOT HEAR ONE ANOTHER SPEAK IN JERUSALEM FROM THE NOISE OF THE SHOVEL. IT SERVED THREE PURPOSES. WHEN A PRIEST HEARD THE SOUND OF IT HE KNEW THAT HIS BROTHER PRIESTS WERE GOING IN TO PROSTRATE THEMSELVES,15 AND HE WOULD RUN TO JOIN THEM. WHEN A LEVlte HEARD THE NOISE OF IT HE KNEW THAT HIS BROTHER LEVITES WERE GOING IN TO CHANT,16 AND HE WOULD RUN TO JOIN THEM. AND THE HEAD OF THE MA'AMAD17 USED TO MAKE THE UNCLEAN STAND IN THE EAST GATE.18 MISHNAH . THEY19 COMMENCED TO ASCEND THE STEPS OF THE PORCH.20 THOSE WHO HAD BEEN CHOSEN TO CLEAR THE ASHES FROM THE INNER ALTAR21 AND FROM THE CANDLESTICK LED THE WAY.22 THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN CHOSEN TO CLEAR THE INNER ALTAR WENT IN AND TOOK THE TENI AND PROSTRATED HIMSELF AND WENT OUT AGAIN. THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN CHOSEN TO CLEAR THE CANDLESTICK WENT IN, AND IF HE FOUND THE TWO WESTERN LIGHTS23 STILL BURNING HE CLEARED OUT THE EASTERN ONE24 AND LEFT THE WESTERN ONE BURNING,25 SINCE FROM IT HE LIT THE CANDLESTICK FOR THE EVENING. IF HE FOUND THAT THIS ONE HAD GONE OUT, HE CLEARED THE ASH AWAY AND LIT IT FROM THE ALTAR OF BURNT-OFFERING. HE THEN TOOK THE KUZ FROM THE SECOND STEP26 AND PROSTRATED HIMSELF AND WENT OUT. MISHNAH . THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE FIREPAN MADE A HEAP OF THE CINDERS ON THE TOP OF THE ALTAR AND THEN SPREAD THEM ABOUT WITH THE END OF THE FIREPAN27 AND PROSTRATED HIMSELF AND WENT OUT. MISHNAH. THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE INCENSE TO OK THE DISH FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE SPOON AND GAVE IT28 TO HIS FRIEND OR HIS RELATIVE. IF SOME OF IT WAS SPILT INTO THE SPOON, HE WOULD PUT IT INTO HIS HANDS. THEY USED TO INSTRUCT HIM29 SAYING, BE CAREFUL NOT TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF YOU OR ELSE YOU MAY BURN YOURSELF.30 HE THEN COMMENCED TO SCATTER THE INCENSE AND [AFTER FINISHING] WENT OUT. THE ONE WHO BURNT THE INCENSE DID NOT DO SO UNTIL THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID TO HIM, BURN THE INCENSE. IF IT WAS THE HIGH PRIEST WHO BURNT, HE WOULD SAY TO HIM, SIR,31 PRAY BURN THE INCENSE. THE PEOPLE32 LEFT AND HE BURNT THE CENSE AND PROSTRATED HIMSELF AND WENT OUT. MISHNAH . ashes. however, takes it in its usual sense (v. G]os. s.v.) and supposes that the unclean persons mentioned in the next sentence are lepers awaiting the sprinkling of the blood. reason is given in Pes. 82a. IV, 2.