They spread a sheet of linen between him and the people, [so that he remember that the service of the day was in linen garments (for he was accustomed to serving the entire year in golden vestments).] He undressed, went down and immersed, ascended and dried himself. They brought him the golden vestments. He donned them and laved his hands and his feet [from the laver. For all of the clothes changes of the day required laving for doffing and laving for donning. But this first immersion (where the doffing was that of non-priestly clothing) did not require laving of hands and feet for the doffing.] They brought him the tamid. He cut it, [the greater part of the two (slaughtering), signs, incipient slaughtering], and another finished the slaughtering al yado. [For the receiving of the blood is kasher only with the high-priest, so that he had to hasten to receive it. ("al yado":) "for him"; or else, "after him," "close to him," as in (Nechemiah 3:10): "Ve'al yado hechzik, etc."] He received the blood and sprinkled it. He went in to burn the incense of the morning, to adjust the lamps, to offer up the head, the limbs, the chavitin, and the wine.
Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
סדין של בוץ – in order that he recognize that the Divine service of the Day (i.e., Yom Kippur) would be in linen garments, since he is accustomed to serve all year long in golden garments.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
Introduction
This mishnah proceeds to outline the precise order of the day’s worship. We need to remember that on this day the high priest must basically perform all of the work himself. Hence we will feel throughout this description a sense of his being hurried; after all there is a lot to do.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
ונסתפג – be wiped off (i.e., dried off).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
They spread out a linen sheet between him and the people. For modesty’s sake, when he got undressed they would spread out a linen sheet between him and the rest of the people. The Talmud explains that the reason for the sheet being of linen is to remind him that when performing services that are done only on Yom Kippur he will need to wear all white clothes from linen. The rest of the year he wears eight garments, four of which are made of gold (as we shall explain below).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
וקדש ידיו ורגליו – from the basin (i.e., the laver for the priests in the Temple court), for he requires for all changes of clothing during the Day (i.e., Yom Kippur) sanctification for undressing and sanctification for dressing. But this first immersion [in the Mikveh] [is needed] since undressing was of weekday clothing, and tit was not necessary for sanctification of the hands and feet upon undressing.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
He stripped off [his clothes], went down and immersed himself, came up and dried himself. Now that the sheet is up, he can remove his clothes and go and immerse himself for the first time during the day. He then dries off and is ready to get dressed.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
קרצו – he slaughtered it through the majority of the two signs (i.e., the windpipe and gullet), he who was fit for slaughtering.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
They brought him the golden garments, he put them on and sanctified his hands and feet. The first clothes he wears are the same clothes that he wears all year long, the “golden garments”. The garments are: “a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a fringed tunic, a headdress and a sash (Exodus 28:4) and a “frontlet” (v. 36) and “breeches” (v. 42). In three of them there was some gold, in the breastpiece, the ephod, and the robe (it had golden bells) and the frontlet was made totally of gold. However, before he puts on his clothes he again washes his hands. Note however that when he removed his previous clothing he did not wash his hands because at that time he was just wearing his own clothes. From this point until the day’s worship is completed, he will wash his hands both when putting on new clothes and taking off the old ones.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
ומירק אחר – Another Kohen completed the slaughtering, for the receiving of he blood is not fit other than by the High Priest who needs to do it quickly and receive the blood.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
They brought him the tamid. After he has put on the clothes, they bring him the lamb to slaughter as the morning tamid offering.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
על ידו – for him; alternatively, by him, after him and next to him, such as in the Book of Ezra (actually the Book of Nehemiah) (Chapter 3, verses 8 and 17): “Next to them, Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite repaired….”(and) “After him, the Levites repaired: Rehum son of Bani. Next to Him, Hashabiah, chief of Sof half the district of Keilah, repaired for his district.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
He made the required cut and some one else finished it for him. He received the blood and sprinkled it. The high priest begins the slaughtering process by slicing the animal’s neck in a means that renders it “kosher” fit for consumption. This means he cuts the windpipe and the gullet. Since there is a lot of service to be done, the high priest immediately receives the blood and sprinkles it. Someone else completes the slaughtering process so that the priest can be free to do other things.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
He went inside to smoke the morning incense and to trim the lamps; Having slaughtered the tamid, the high priest now turns his attention to the incense. He enters into the Temple (the Ulam) where the golden altar is found and turns the incense into smoke (see Exodus 30:7). At the same time he removes the ashes from the menorah (ibid, and see above mishnah 2:3).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
And to offer up the head and the limbs and the griddle cakes and the wine. He now must bring the head and limbs of the tamid sacrifice up to the altar (above 2:3). He must also offer his own daily minhah offering, which consists of griddle cakes (Leviticus 6:13-14). Finally, he must offer the wine that always accompanies the tamid offering (see above 2:3). The mishnah does not mention offering the tamid minhah (grain offering). Perhaps it is included in the “griddle cakes”, which also come from grain although they are prepared differently.
