Sie [die beiden Priester] begannen, die Stufen des Vestibüls hinaufzusteigen. Diejenigen, die das Recht gewonnen hatten, die Asche vom inneren Altar und von der Menora zu entfernen, gingen vor ihnen her. Derjenige, der das Recht erhielt, die Asche vom Innenaltar zu entfernen, ging hinein und nahm den Korb und verbeugte sich und ging wieder hinaus. Derjenige, der das Recht gewonnen hatte, die Asche von der Menora zu entfernen, ging hinein, und wenn er die beiden noch brennenden östlichen Lampen fand, entfernte er die Asche von der östlichen und ließ die westliche brennen, da er [der Priester] davon war ] zündete die Menora am Abend an. Wenn er feststellte, dass dieser [der westliche] ausgegangen war, entfernte er die Asche und zündete sie [am Abend] vom Brandopferaltar an. Dann nahm er den Krug von der zweiten Stufe und verbeugte sich und ging hinaus.
Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
החלו – those who won the spoon of the incense and the coal pan of the coals to ascend on the steps of the hall leading to the interior of the Temple, for there were twelve steps to the hall. But in front of them, they would go first [to ascend]: whomever won the cleansing of the inner altar in order to to take the basket that was placed there, after it was needed to place the ashes near the eastern altar like the Menorah, he would wait until after the sprinkling of the daily offering, for the person who won the cleansing of the Menorah/candelabrum would make the preparations of the two lamps/candles/lights and finish the completion of the cleansing of the Menorah, and then both of them would remove – this one the basket and that one the oil vessel (in the shape of a large wine cup) and they would pour the ashes in one place near the altar eastward.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
Introduction
The priests now make their way into the Sanctuary.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
והשתחוה ויצא – for now the Mitzvah had been completed.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
They began to ascend the steps of the Sanctuary. The two priests, one who had won the right to offer the incense and the other who had won the right to bring the coals from the outer altar to the inner altar, begin to make their way up the twelve steps that lie in front of the Sanctuary.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
מצאו שכבה – as for example, after Shimon the Righteous had died, there was no miracle, whether it (i.e., the lamp) went out now after the slaughtering of the daily offering, or whether they found that it had gone out prior to the slaughtering of the daily offering, and they kindled, as we stated above in the first “The Superintendent said to them” (Tractate Tamid, Chapter 3, Mishnah 9), even though that now they found that it was still burning/flickering, since there was no miracle existing, they would put it out and clean its ashes in order to finish the preparation of the two lamps/candles/lights together.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
Those who had won the right to clear the ashes from the inner altar and from the candlestick went in front. The two priests, one who had won the right to clear the ashes off the inner altar and the other who had won the right to clear the candlestick, went before them. We should note that the Mishnah described these two jobs in 3:9. Our mishnah takes place after they have already done the work referred to there.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
ומדליקו מעל מזבח העולה – for they would not kindle the western lamp/candle/light ever other than from the fire of the altar of the burnt offering, as it is written (Leviticus 6:6): “A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar [not to go out],” and it is written (Leviticus 24:2): “for kindling lamps regularly”, above the outer altar it was kindled.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
The one who won the right to clear the inner altar went in and took the teni and bowed down and went out again. The teni is the basket that the priest left inside the Sanctuary after clearing the altar. He now goes in takes the teni, bows down and then goes out again.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
ממעלה שניה – of three steps that were before the Menorah/candelabrum.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
The one who had been chosen to clear the candlestick went in, and if he found the two eastern lights still burning he cleared out the eastern one and left the western one burning, since from it he lit the candlestick for the evening. This section is largely a repeat of mishnah 3:9. The two eastern lights are the first that he encounters when he enters. If both are still burning, then he cleans out the first one, which is called “the eastern one” but he leaves the “western one,” the second of these two lights, still lit. This is the light that he will use to light the other branches in the night.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
והשתחוה ויצא – for his Mitzvah was completed.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
If he found that this one had gone out, he cleared the ash away and lit it from the altar of burnt-offering. If he finds that both are out, then he lights the menorah with fire taken from the outer altar.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
He then took the kuz from the second step and bowed down and went out. He then takes the kuz (another vessel) from the second step where he left it (3:9), bows down and then goes out. These two priests will now put the ashes from the inner altar and the menorah near the ramp, as we learned at the very end of 1:4.
