Mishnah
Mishnah

Commentary for Rosh Hashanah 2:3

כֵּיצַד הָיוּ מַשִּׂיאִין מַשּׂוּאוֹת, מְבִיאִין כְּלֻנְסָאוֹת שֶׁל אֶרֶז אֲרֻכִּין וְקָנִים וַעֲצֵי שֶׁמֶן וּנְעֹרֶת שֶׁל פִּשְׁתָּן וְכוֹרֵךְ בִּמְשִׁיחָה, וְעוֹלֶה לְרֹאשׁ הָהָר וּמַצִּית בָּהֶן אֶת הָאוּר, וּמוֹלִיךְ וּמֵבִיא וּמַעֲלֶה וּמוֹרִיד, עַד שֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה כֵן בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר הַשֵּׁנִי, וְכֵן בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי:

How did they light the beacons? They brought long cedar beams [which would be seen from afar], and reeds, and oil-wood, and hatchelled flax [to increase the flame], and one would tie them all together with a rope and go up to the top of the mountain and light it, and move it from side to side and up and down until he saw his friend (i.e., his counterpart) doing so on top of the second mountain; and so, on top of the third mountain, etc.

Bartenura on Mishnah Rosh Hashanah

כלונסאות – long and tall trees/wood; the Aramaic translation is flag of a beam/pole (See Talmud Rosh Hashanah 22b), in order that it could be seen from afar.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Rosh Hashanah

How did they light the torches? They used to bring long poles of cedar and reeds and olive wood and flax fluff and they tied them all together with a string. And someone used to go up to the top of a mountain and light them with fire and wave them back and forth and up and down until he saw the next one doing the same thing on the top of the second mountain; and so on the top of the third mountain.
This mishnah teaches how the torches were made and how the signals were passed from the top of one mountain to another. The mishnah is simple to understand and so no commentary appears below.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Rosh Hashanah

‘וקנים ועצי שמן ונעורת של פשתן – all of these increase the flame.
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