Once, a certain priest was engaged in his work [removing worms from wood. He had a blemish, and the work of blemished priests was to prepare wood for the (altar) wood pile (for all wood in which worms are found is unfit for the altar)] when he perceived one of the floor tiles to be different from the others. [It was not aligned with the other tiles and he realized that it had been removed and replaced.] He went to inform his friend of this, but could not finish what he had to say before his soul departed — and they knew for a certainty that the ark was secreted there.
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
שהיה מתעסק – in his service (see also Tractate Middot, Chapter 2, Mishnah 5) removing the wormy parts from the wood/sorting it, and he had a blemish (i.e., he was unfit for the altar, for priestly service), and the work of those with a blemish was to prepare the wood for the altar, and any wood in which was found worms was unfit/disqualified for the altar.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
Introduction
This mishnah continues to discuss the hidden location of the Ark of the Covenant.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Shekalim
שהוא משונה – the stone was not even with the other stones of the floor, and he understood it (i.e., the Holy Ark) was taken from there and then returned.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Shekalim
It once happened that a priest who was busy [there] noticed that the floor [of the wood storage area] was different from the others. He went and told it to his friend but before he had time to finish his words his soul departed. Then they knew for certain that there the Ark was hidden. In this legendary tale a priest is busy chopping wood in the wood storage area of the Temple when he notices that the floor looks a little different. He rushes off to tell his friend about what he saw but before he can get the words out of his mouth, he dies (I hope his face didn’t start to melt off. Indy should have told him to just close his eyes!). From this the other priests knew for certain that the Ark was hidden there.
