Commentary for Shekalim 5:1
אֵלּוּ הֵן הַמְמֻנִּין שֶׁהָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, יוֹחָנָן בֶּן פִּנְחָס עַל הַחוֹתָמוֹת, אֲחִיָּה עַל הַנְּסָכִים, מַתִּתְיָה בֶּן שְׁמוּאֵל עַל הַפְּיָסוֹת, פְּתַחְיָה עַל הַקִּנִּין. פְּתַחְיָה, זֶה מָרְדְּכָי. לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פְּתַחְיָה. שֶׁהָיָה פּוֹתֵחַ בִּדְבָרִים וְדוֹרְשָׁן, וְיוֹדֵעַ שִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן. בֶּן אֲחִיָּה עַל חוֹלֵי מֵעַיִם, נְחוּנְיָא חוֹפֵר שִׁיחִין, גְּבִינֵי כָרוֹז, בֶּן גֶּבֶר עַל נְעִילַת שְׁעָרִים, בֶּן בֵּבָי עַל הַפָּקִיעַ, בֶּן אַרְזָה עַל הַצִּלְצָל, הֻגְרַס בֶּן לֵוִי עַל הַשִּׁיר, בֵּית גַּרְמוּ עַל מַעֲשֵׂה לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, בֵּית אַבְטִינָס עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַקְּטֹרֶת, אֶלְעָזָר עַל הַפָּרוֹכוֹת, וּפִנְחָס עַל הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ:
These are the appointees that were designated in the Temple [The fifteen varieties of appointment and station mentioned in our Mishnah always obtained in the Temple. The men mentioned here did not all live at the same time; the saintliest and the best of all the generations are mentioned. Our rabbis explained that because the first appointees were thus called, all who came after them were called by their name]: Yochanan b. Pinchas over the seals and over the flour [to be explained below in the Mishnah], Achiyah over the libations, Matitya b. Shmuel over the lots [to teach the order of the lots; who performs this service, who the other, as explained in Yoma], Petachyah over the kinin (birds), — [Those lacking atonement, who bring obligatory bird-offerings, turtle-doves and young pigeons, put their money into the shofroth in the Temple, and the appointees over the shofroth take the money and buy kinin for it. The one appointed over the kinin had to be a great sage and expert, as stated in Avoth (3:18): "Kinin and the (determination of) the onset of niddah (the menstrual period) are the essentials of halachah."] Petachyah is Mordecai. Why was he called "Petachyah"? Because he would "open" words and expound them and was fluent in seventy languages. [This is "Mordecai Bilshan" (Ezra 2:2), who went up from the exile. He was thus called ("Bilshan") because he assimilated (balal) many languages (leshonoth)], Ben Achiyah over those suffering intestinal disorders [Because the Cohanim walked barefoot on the floor and ate much meat and drank water, they were subject to intestinal disorder and they were always in need of a doctor to prescribe for them.], Nechuniah over the pits [He was appointed over the digging of pits and caves to provide drinking water for the festival pilgrims], Gevini over the proclamations [Gevini would proclaim every morning in the Temple: "Arise, Cohanim, for your service," and his voice could be heard from Jericho.] Ben Gever over the closing of the doors [closing them in the evening and opening them in the morning], Ben Bevai over the pekia [a strap with which to lash Cohanim and Levites found sleeping on their Temple watches at night, as stated in Middoth 1: "Whoever was found sleeping would be lashed and his garment burned. The Yerushalmi explains "pekia" as wicks for the altar and beth hashoevah, as stated (Succah 5:3): "From the worn-out breeches of the Cohanim and from their sashes they made wicks (mafki'im pethiloth)"], Ben Arzah over the tziltzal (cymbal) [as in (I Samuel 3:11): "His two ears shall 'tingle'" (tetzilenah). When the Levites heard it sounding, they would begin their song.], Hugras b. Levi over the song [to begin the song; and when he would conclude, they all would conclude], Beth Garmo over the preparation of the show-bread, [which was in the form of an open chest. They were artists in its preparation and its baking, (expert in) removing it from the oven without breaking it and processing it so that it not mould.], Beth Avtinas over the preparation of the incense [They were expert in the compounding of the incense and were privy to an herb called "ma'aleh ashan" ("the smoke raiser"), which, when added to the spices of the incense would cause the smoke to rise in a column.], Elazar over the parocheth (the Temple curtains) [to make new curtains when the need arose], and Pinchas over the wardrobe [He was appointed to attire the Cohanim for the service and to remove the priestly garments after the service and secure them in the compartments assigned to them.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Yohanan the son of Pinchas was over the seals.
Ahiyah over the libations.
Mattityah the son of Shmuel over the lots.
Petahiah over the bird-offering. (Petahiah was Mordecai. Why was his name called Petahiah? Because he ‘opened’ matters and expounded them, and he understood the seventy.
The son of Ahijah over the sickness of the bowels.
Nehuniah, the digger of ditches.
Gevini, the crier.
The son of Gever over the locking of the gates.
The son of Bevai over the strips [for lighting the menorah].
The son of Arza over the cymbal.
Hugras the son of Levi over the song.
The house of Garmu over the making of the showbread.
The house of Avtinas over the preparing of the frankincense.
Elazar over the curtains.
And Pinchas over the priestly vestments.
This mishnah lists and names fifteen officers who performed various services in the Temple. There are various interpretations as to the names. Albeck explains that in every generation the officers who filled these functions were called by these names. Another explanation is that this is the list of the names of those who served in the Temple at the time when this mishnah was composed.
1) Yohanan the son of Pinchas was over the seals: This will be explained below in mishnayot 3-5.
2) Ahiyah over the libations: This too will be explained in mishnayot 3-5.
3) Mattityah the son of Shmuel over the lots: Lots were cast between the priests in order to determine who got to offer which sacrifice.
4) Petahiah over the bird-offering. (Petahiah was Mordecai. Why was his name called Petahiah? Because he ‘opened’ matters and expounded them, and he understood the seventy tongues): Petahiah sold bird-offerings to those who needed to bring them. The section in parentheses is a late addition to the mishnah that is missing from most manuscripts. Petahiah comes from the word “petach” which means to open and can refer to the opening of a midrashic sermon.
5) The son of Ahiyah over the sickness of the bowels: Many priests had gastrointestinal ailments. This is probably due to their frequent contact with raw meat and infected water. The son of Ahiyah was responsible for the medicines and other cures for these illnesses.
6) Nehuniah, the digger of ditches: Nehuniah oversaw the digging of wells, cisterns and irrigation channels.
7) Gevini, the announcer: Gevini would cry out each morning, “Rise up priests to your worship (avodah), Levites to your stands and Israelites to your stations (maamadot).”
8) The son of Gever over the locking of the gates: He would close the gates in the evening.
9) The son of Bevai over the strips: these were the wicks used in lighting the menorah.
10) The son of Arza over the cymbal: The cymbal was used to signal to the Levites to begin to sing.
11) Hugras the son of Levi over the song: he conducted the Levites in their daily songs.
12) The house of Garmu over the making of the showbread: this house of priests was responsible for baking the twelve loaves that were on the table throughout the week.
13) The house of Avtinas over the preparing of the frankincense: they crushed the herbs and prepared the mixture.
14) Elazar over the curtains: he sewed the curtains and then maintained them.
15) And Pinchas over the priestly vestments: he made the vestments, put them on the priests and then took them off when their service was completed.