meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt_done/Mishnah/Seder Kodashim/Mishnah Tamid/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Mishnah Tamid
  משנה תמיד
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Mishnah Tamid
  
  
  
  
  
  The <i>Kohanim</i> [priests] stood watch in three places in the Temple:  in the Chamber of Avtinas [name of a family] , in the Chamber of <i> Nitsots</i> [spark] , and in the Chamber of Fire.  The Avtinas and <i> Nitsots</i> chambers were elevated  and the youngsters [priests] would [stand] watch there.  The Chamber of Fire  was domed structure, surrounded by benches of stone.  The elders of the ministering priestly family would sleep there and the keys to the courtyard were in their hands.  The young  priests would sleep in their clothes on the ground.  They did not sleep in their holy clothes but would take them off, fold them, put them under their heads and sleep wearing their own clothing.  If one had a seminal emission, he would exit and walk down a circular [staircase] that led under the Temple where  candles were burning on both sides [to give light] until he got to the Room of Immersion.  There was a bonfire and a restroom there.  This was the respectfulness:  If he found it locked, he would know that there was somebody there.  If it was open, he would know that there was nobody there, he would go down and immerse himself, come up and dry off and warm himself by the bonfire.  He would go [to the Chamber of Fire] and sit with the other  priests until the gates opened and leave and go on his way.
  Anybody [of the priests] who wishes to remove [the ashes] from the altar must rise early and immerse himself [in the mikva] as long as the supervising priest  hasn't yet arrived. When did the supervising priest arrive? There is no set time; sometimes he comes when the rooster crows, or close to it, sometimes before, sometimes after. The supervisor  would knock on them [the doors to the Temple] and they [the priests] would open [the doors] for him. He would say to them, "Whoever has immersed, come and participate in the lottery." They would perform the lottery and whoever won, won.
  He [the supervising priest] took the key and opened the small door [located in the Chamber of Fire] and entered from the Chamber of Fire to the Courtyard. And they [the other priests] entered after him with two torches of fire were in their hands. They would split into two groups. [One group] walked under the portico [surrounding the Courtyard] towards the east and [the other group] walked under the portico towards the west. They would check [the temple vessels] and walk until they reached the place where the <i>Chavitim</i> [loaves of bread brought as meal offering] are made. They [the two groups] met each other and would say, "It is fine, all is fine," [the vessels are in order]. They would appoint [from their group] makers of the <i>Chavitim</i> to make the <i>Chavitim</i>. 
  The one who won the right to remove the ashes from the altar, would remove [the ashes] and they [the other priests] say to him, "Be careful to not touch the utensil [the shovel] until you have sanctified your hands and feet from the laver." And [they would continue saying],"Look, the shovel is placed in the corner between the ramp [of the altar] and the altar, on the west of the ramp." No one would enter [the area between the altar and the antechamber] with him, and he didn't have a candle in his hand, rather he would walk by the light of the altar's pyre. They [the other priests] would not see him and would not hear him until they heard the sound of the wood that Ben Kitin made [into] a wheel for the laver [being turned], and they would say, "The time has come to sanctify your hands and feet from the laver." He would take the silver shovel and go up to the top of the altar and stir the coals from side to side, and then scoop from the inner consumed [coals]. He then went back down. When he reached the floor, he would turn his face to the north [and] walk along the eastern side of the ramp for about ten <i>amot</i> [cubits]. He piled the coals on the floor three <i>tefachim</i> [hand-breadths] from the ramp, the [same] place where they would put the crop of the bird [ of a burnt offering ] and the ashes from the [golden] inner altar and the ashes of  the <i>menora</i>.
  
  
  
  His brothers [the other priests] saw him go down [from the altar] and they would run; they hurried and sanctified their hands and feet from the laver [and] took the shovels [used to scoop ash] and the forks [used for moving sacrificial parts] and  go up to the top of the altar. The limbs and the fats that weren't consumed [by the fire] the previous evening, would be moved to the sides of the altar. If the sides of the altar could not hold them, they would arrange them around the altar [on the ledge surrounding it].
  They [the priests] began heaping the ash onto the <i>Tapuach</i> [heap of ashes on the top of the altar in the Temple courtyard] The <i>Tapuach</i>  was in the middle of the top of the altar.  Sometimes there was approximately three hundred <i>kor</i> [measurement of volume] on it. During pilgrimage festivals, they would not remove its ash, because it was a decoration for the altar [to show that it was being used frequently]. During the days [of the Temple], the priests were never lazy about removing the ash [when there was too much].
   They [the priests] began transferring the [wood] logs to arrange the pyre [on the altar]. But are all [types of] wood valid the pyre? Yes, all [types of] wood are valid for the pyre, except wood from an olive [tree] and from a vine. It was [the wood] of these [trees] they was commonly used, branches of a fig tree, walnut [tree] or an oil [tree].
  He [the priest] arranged the large pyre towards the east [side of the altar], and it "looked" [small openings] towards the east [side] and the ends of the inner logs would touch the <i>Tapuach</i>. There was  space between the logs from where they would ignite the twigs.
  They would select [from the stockpile] nice [logs] of fig wood to arrange the secondary pyre  [used for] incense. [It was]  opposite the south western corner [of the altar], pulled in from the corner four <i>amot</i> [cubits] towards the north. [They placed enough wood] that by their estimation[ would produce] five <i>Se'ah</i> [Mishnaic volume] of coals and on Shabbat [they would place on this pyre enough wood] that they esimated [would produce] eight <i>Se'ah</i> of coals, for that was where  they would placed the two spoonfull of frankincense of the <i>Lechem HaPanim</i> [show breads placed on the table in the Temple]. The limbs and the fats that were not consumed [by the primary fire] the previous evening [and had been temporarily placed on the sides of the altar] they [the priests] would return them to the pyre. They ignited the pyres with fire and went down [from the altar] and went to the Chamber of Hewn Stone.
  
  
  
  The appointed [priest] said to them: Come and draw lots [to determine] who will slaughter [the daily <i>Tamid</i> offering], who will throw the blood [of the offering on the altar], who will remove the ash from the inner altar,  who will remove the ash from the <i>Menora</i> who will take the limbs [of the <i>Tamid</i> offering] up the ramp [of the altar]. [Specifically who will transport] the head, the right hind leg, the two forelegs, the tail, the left hind leg, the chest, the neck, the two sides, the intestines, the fine flour [for the meal offering, offered daily along with the tamid], the <i>Chavitim</i> [the <i>Kohen Gadol's</i> daily meal offering of flour and oil baked in a pan] loaves and the wine [for libation]. They would draw lots, and whoever won, won.
  The appointed [priest] said to them: Go out and see if the time of slaughtering [the <i>Tamid</i>] has arrived. If it [the time] has arrived, the watchman would say, "It [the eastern sky] is shining [it is dawn]." Masya ben Shmuel says: [the priest would then ask] "Has the eastern sky is lit up until Chevron?" and he [the watchman] would say "Yes!"
  He [The appointed priest] said to them: Go out and bring a lamb from the Chamber of Lambs. Now, the Chamber of Lambs was in the north-western corner [of the Chamber of Fire]. There were four chambers there: one was the chamber of lambs, one was the Chamber of Seals, [where one could buy tokens marked with the appropriate meal offering], one was the Chamber of Fire, and one was the chamber where they would make the <i>Lechem HaPanim</i>.
  They [the priests] then went to the Chamber of Vessels  and took out from there ninety three silver vessels and golden utensils. They would give the [lamb to be] the <i>Tamid</i> [offering] to drink from a golden cup. Even though it had been checked [for blemishes] the previous evening, they would check it [now] by the light of a torch.
  The one who won [the right to slaughter] the <i>tamid</i> [offering], would drag it and go to the House of Slaughtering [the area where the offerings were slaughtered] and the ones who won [the right to place] the limbs would walk with him. The House of Slaughtering was to the north of the altar and near it there were eight short pillars and squares of cedar wood  were [each] of them and iron hooks were inserted into them [the squares]; there were three sets [of hooks] for each one [block], upon which they would hang [the slaughtered animal]. The [animal] would be skinned on  marble tables that were between the pillars.
  The one who won [the right to remove] the ash from the inner altar and [the one who won that right] for the Menora would go ahead and had four vessels were in their hands: [they were] the basket [to hold the ash from the inner altar] and the jug [to hold the ash from the Menora] and two keys. The basket was similar [approximately] to a <i>tarkav</i> [measurement of volume]of [made of] gold that could hold two and a half <i>kav</i> [measurement of volume]. The jug was similar to a large pitcher [made of] of gold. And the two keys, one [was to unlock the door from the inside] he put [his hand through a small opening]  up to the armpit, and one [was for a lock] that could be opened quickly.
  He came to the northern small opening. There were two small openings in the Great Gate, one in the north [side of the gate] and one in the south [side]. The one in the south, no one ever entered through it, and about it Yechezkel explained and said,  "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 G-d of Israel, hath entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut." (Ezekiel 44:2) He took the key and opened the small opening. He entered the cell and from the cell to the sanctuary until he reached the Great Gate. [When] he reached the Great Gate he removed the bolt and the locks and opened it. The one who was slaughtering [the <i>tamid</i> offering] would not slaughter until he heard the sound of the Great Gate was opened.
  From Jericho they would hear the sound of the Great Gate being opened. From Jericho they would hear the sound of the <i>Magrefa</i> [lit. shovel, a musical instrument with holes in it ] From Jericho they would hear the sound of the wood that ben Katin made for the wheel of the laver. From Jericho they would hear the sound of Gevini the Announcer [that the priests should begin their service]. From Jericho they would hear the sound of the flute. From Jericho they would hear the sound of the cymbal. From Jericho they would hear the sound of the [daily] song [of the Levites]. From Jericho they would hear the sound of the shofar [sounded daily]. There are those that say [they even heard] the sound of the <i>Kohen Gadol</i> [the High Priest] at the time when he would mention the name [of G-d] on Yom Kippur. From Jericho they would smell the aroma of the compounding of the incense. Rabbi Eliezer ben Daglai said: [My] father had goats on the mountains of Michvar and they would sneeze from the smell of the compounding of the incense.
  The one who won [the right] to remove the ash from the inner altar, went in and took the basket [used to collect the ash] and placed it in front of him, and he would scoop [the ashes] and put them inside it [the basket], and in the end, he swept the rest into it [the basket] and he would leave it [in the sanctuary] there and leave. The one who won [the right] to remove the ashes from the Menora , would enter [the sanctuary], [if] he found the two eastern lamps [still] lit, he would remove the ash from the other [lamps] ned leave the ones burning in their place. If he found them extinguished, he would remove the ashes from them and re-kindle them from the ones that were still lit  and then remove the ashes from the rest. There was a stone in front of the Menora which had three steps that on them the priest would stand and prepare the lamps. He would leave the jug on the second step and leave.
  
  
  
  They would not tie the lamb up [for slaughtering, as was normally done], but would bind it  [right forelimb to right hind limb and left forelimb to left hind limb]. The ones who won [the right] to [carry] the limbs would hold it [as it was being slaughtered]. This is how they would bind it: its head would face south and its face turned [to face]to the west. The one slaughtering it stood to the east [of the lamb] with his face to the west. [The <i>Tamid</i> offering] of the morning was slaughtered on the north western corner [of the altar], on the second ring. The [<i>Tamid</i> offering] of the evening was slaughtered on the north eastern corner on the second ring. The slaughterer would slaughter and the one who [was designated] to receive [the blood] would receive it and go to the north eastern corner [of the altar] and tossed it to the east and north. [Then he went to] the south western [corner] and tossed it to the west and south. The rest of the blood was poured on the southern base [of the altar].
  [The one who hung the <i>Tamid</i> and cut it apart] would not break its leg [as butchers do], rather he would make a hole in it through its knee and hang it [from the hole]. He would skin it and go downward until he reached the chest. [When] he reached the chest, he would cut the head and give it the one who won [the right] to [carry] it. He would cut the feet [lower end near the hoof] and give them to the one who won [the right] to [carry] them. He would then finish the skinning. [Then] he would rip [out] the heart and remove its blood. He would cut [off] the front [upper] legs and give them to the one who won [the right] to [carry] them. He went up to the right hind [upper] leg and cut it off and give it to the one who won [the right] to [carry] and the two testicles were [attached] to it. He would tear apart [the rest of the lamb] and [the body cavity] would be exposed before him. He would take the fat and put it over [cover] the place of slaughter of the head, on top of it. He would take the intestines and give them to the one who won [the right] to them to rinse them. And the rumen, they would rinse in the rinsing chamber. They would rinse it as much as necessary. The intestines, were rinsed at least three time on the tables of marble that were between the pillars.
  He [the priest] took the knife and separated the lung from the liver and the finger [lobe] from the liver but he would not move it from its place. He would puncture the chest [to remove it] and give it to the one who won [the right] to it. He went up to the right flank and he would cut downward until the spine but he would not touch the spine until he reached the two soft ribs [near the neck]. He would cut [the right flank] and give it to the one who won [the right] to it and the liver would [remain] hanging from it. He came to the neck and left on it the two ribs on this side and two ribs on this side.  He  cut it [the neck] and give it to the one who won [the right] to it. The trachea and the heart and the lungs [were left] hanging from it. He came to the left flank and left on it two soft ribs [that were] above it [near the tail] and two soft ribs below it [near the neck]. He left the same on its opposite side [the right flank]. Thus, he left two [ribs] on the right and two [ribs] on the left above, and two [ribs] on the right and two [ribs] on the left below. He would cut it [the left flank] and give it to the one who won [the right] to it and the spine with it and the spleen was hanging from it. And [the left flank] was bigger [than the right because it had the spine] yet the right was called "the larger one" because the liver was hanging from it. He went to the back part [of the spine]. He cut it off and give it to the one who won [the right] to it. The tail and the finger [lobe] of the liver and the two kidneys were with it. He took the left rear leg and give it to the one who won [the right] to it. Thus, all of them [the priests] were standing in a line and the limbs were in their hands. The first [priest stood] with the head and the [right] rear leg. The head was in his right hand and its snout was towards his arm and its horns were between his fingers and the place of slaughter was facing up and the fat was placed on it. The right rear leg was in his left hand and the place where the [side] the skin [used to be] was facing outwards. The second  [priest stood] with the two front legs. The right one in his right hand and the left one in his left hand and the [side] where the skin [used to be] was facing outwards. The third  [priest stood] with the hind part and the rear [left] leg. The hind part was in his right hand and the tail was dangling between his fingers. The fourth [priest stood], with the chest and the neck. The chest in his right hand and the neck in his left hand with its ribs between his fingers. The fifth  [priest stood], with the two flanks. The right one in his right hand and the left one in his left hand with the side where the skin [used to be] was facing outwards. The sixth  [priests stood], with the intestines placed in a golden bowl and the feet were on top of them. The seventh  [priest stood] with the [meal offering] of fine flour. The eighth  [priest stood] with the <i>chavitin</i>. The ninth [priest stood] with the wine [for the  wine libation]. They [the first six priests] went and put them from the mid-point of the ramp [to the altar] and downwards, on the west side, and they would salt them [there]. They then went down from there to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite the Shema.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  They [the two priests] began to ascend the steps of the vestibule.    Those who had won the right to remove the ashes from the inner altar and from the <i>Menorah</i> went before them. The one who won the right to remove the ashes from the inner altar went in and took the basket and bowed down and went out again.  The one who had won the right to remove the ashes from the <i>Menorah</i> went in, and if he found the two eastern lamps still burning he would remove the ash from  the eastern one and left the western one burning, since from it he [the priest] lit the <i>Menorah</i> in the evening.  If he found that this one [the western one] had gone out, he removed the ash and lit it [in the evening] from the  burnt-offering altar.  He then took the jug from the second step and bowed down and went out. 
  The one who had won the right to do the firepan [service], made a heap of coals on the top of the [inner] altar and then spreading them out with the bottom of the firepan and bowed down and went out.
  The one who had won the right to the incense [service] took the censer from the spoon and gave it [the censer] to his friend or his relative [of his choice].  If some of it spilled into the spoon, he [the friend or relative] would give it to him [the priest] and put it into his hands.  They would instruct him: Be careful not to begin [by dropping the incense] in front of you or else you may burn yourself.    He then began spreading the incense and then went out.  The one who burned the incense did not do so until the appointed one said to him,"Burn the incense."  If it [the one offering] was the <i>Kohen Gadol</i> he would say to him:"Master <i>Kohen Gadol</i>, burn the incense."  The people went out and he [the priest] burned the incense, he bowed down and went out. 
  
  
  
  When the <i>Kohen Gadol</i> entered [the sanctuary] to bow,  three [other priests] would hold him, one on his right side, one on his left side and one held on to the precious stones [on the vestments of the <i>Kohen Gadol</i>]. As soon as the appointed priest heard the steps of the  <i>Kohen Gadol</i> as he was leaving [the sanctuary], he lifted the curtain [to the vestibule of the sanctuary], entered, bowed and left, and [only then] did the rest of his brothers, the priests, enter, bow and leave.
  They [the three priests who did the incense service] would come and stand on the steps of the vestibule. The first [the two who removed the ashes] stood to the south of their colleagues the priests [who did the incense service] and had five utensils in their hands, the basket in the hand of one of them, the jug in the hand of one of them, the firepan in the hand of one of them, the censer in the hand of one of them, and the spoon and its cover in the hand of the other one. And they [all the priests] blessed the nation with one blessing, which in the [outer] districts [outside the temple] are said as three blessings, but in the temple as one blessing. In the temple they would say the [G-d's] name as it is written but outside the temple they would use a pseudonym. Outside the temple the priests lifted their hands [when reciting the blessing] up to their shoulders, but in the temple [they would lift them] above their heads except for the <i>Kohen Gadol</i> who would not lift his hands above the forehead plate [worn by the <i>Kohen Gadol</i>]. Rabbi Yehuda says, even the <i>Kohen Gadol</i> lifts his hands above the forehead plate, as it says, "And Aaron raised his hands towards the people and blessed them."(Leviticus 9:22)
  Whenever the Kohen Gadol wanted to offer the incense [instead of the priest who won the lottery], he would go up the ramp with his assitant on his right side. When he reached half-way up the ramp, the assistant would hold his right hand and helped him go up. The first [priest] passed him [the Kohen Gadol] the head and rear [right] leg [of the Tamid] and he [the Kohen Gadol] would lean his hands on them and then throw them [on the fire]. The second one passed to the first one the two front legs who would then give them to the Kohen Gadol, who would then lean on them and throw them [onto the fire]. When second one would then go away. And so they would pass him the rest of the limbs and he would lean on them and throw them. And whenever [the Kohen Gadol] wanted, he would [only] lean on them and others would throw them. He then went around [full circle] the altar. From where would he start [his circle]? From the southeastern corner [to] the northeast [corner then to] the northwest [corner then to] southwest [corner]. They gave him the wine to pour [for the libation]. The assistant stood on the horn [of the altar] with two flags in his hand. Two Kohanim stood in the table of [used for] fats and two trumpets were in their hands. They blew a <i>teki'ah</i> [long steady sound], then a <i>teruah</i> [a series of very short sounds] and then again a <i>teki'ah</i>. They came and stood next to ben Arza [the one who played the cymbal], one on his right and one on his left.When he [the Kohen Gadol] bent and to pour [the wine], the assistant waved the flags and ben Arza swung the cymbals and the Levites began to sing. When they [the Levites] reached [the end of] a chapter [of Psalms], they would blow [a set of blasts; <i>teki'ah</i>, <i> teruah</i> and a <i>teki'ah</i>] and the people [that were looking on] would bow down. At the end of every chapter, they would blow a [set of blasts; <i>teki'ah</i>, <i> teruah</i> and a <i>teki'ah</i>]. After each set of blasts, they [the people] would bow. This  is the order of the <i>Tamid</i> offering for the service of the House of G-d, May it be His will that it be built speedily in our days. Amen.
  [These are] the songs that the Levites would say in the temple: On Sunday they would say, "To Hashem is the world and that which fills it, the inhabited land and its inhabitants." (Psalms 24) On Monday they would say,  "Great is Hashem and very praised, in the city of G-d, His Mountain of Holiness." (Psalms 48) On Tuesday they would say, "G-d stands in the divine, in the midst of the judges He judges." (Psalms 82) On Wednesday they would say, "G-d of vengeance, Hashem G-dof vengeance appear." (Psalms 94) On Thursday they would say , "Sing for joy to G-d our strength, shout out loud to the G-d of Yaakov." (Psalms 81) On Friday they would say, "Hashem has reigned, he wears his splendor etc."  On Shabbat they would say (Psalms 92), "A Psalm, a Song for the sabbath day."(Psalms 93) [The latter song] is a psalm for the future, for the day that is completely Shabbat [tranquil] for all eternity.