Liturgy for Yoma 3:4

Each day he was visited by wise men, the elders of the Sanhedrin⁶¹Mishnah Yoma Ch. 1:3. who said to him, “Please study [the order of the Daily Service.]”⁶²Ibid. The Mishnah continues, “Perhaps you have forgotten (the service), or perhaps you never learned it.” Tiferes Yisroel explains that he himself was asked to read since this would help him best to remember. On the morning of the ninth day of Tishrei, he was placed at the eastern gate [of the Temple courtyard]. The choice [animals] which would be sacrificed, were brought before him.⁶³Ibid. This was done in order to acquaint him with the animals that he would sacrifice the next day. The goats, however, were not shown to him, for being that they would be an atonement for sin, he might become frightened and shaken. Before sunset [of the Day of Atonement] his food intake was diminished, for fear he might become impure during the sleep brought on by excess food.⁶⁴Mishnah Yoma ch. 1:4. During the first six days, he was permitted to eat and drink as much as he wanted. The Mishnah states that too much food and drink could bring about sleep, during which time an emission could occur. He was instructed how to take the handful of spices used for the incense offering of the Day of Atonement. [Before] the elders of his tribe taught him how to perform chafina (ִחֲפִינָה),⁶⁵Mishnah Yoma ch. 1:5. The ritual of taking a handful of incense and bringing it in the Holy of Holies was a special service done only on the Day of Atonement and was one of the most difficult of all temple services. Consequently, it was important to instruct him how to perform it. and burn the incense inside [the Holy of Holies,] the elders of Sanhedrin gave him an oath.⁶⁶Ibid. It is a tradition of the oral law that the incense should be placed on the pan of coals inside the Holy of Holies and not outside, as the Sadducees contended. The oath was administered because there were priests who were suspected of being Sadducees (see Rambam 1:7). They made him swear in the Name of Hashem, that he would not change anything of what he was instructed. His flesh crept [with fear]; and he cried because he was suspected. The elders of Sanhedrin turned aside and also wept for having suspected him.⁶⁷Mishnah Yoma ch. 1:5. The Rambam writes that it is forbidden by our Torah to suspect someone or to think ill of someone when the matter is in doubt, except if absolutely necessary. They lectured to him and read from Scriptures. They gathered around him to study,⁶⁸Mishnah Yoma ch. 1:6. Since it was necessary that he not fall asleep lest he have an impure emission while sleeping, those around him kept him up all night. to keep him awake until midnight.⁶⁹Ibid. For at midnight, the service of Yom Kippur begins with the Terumas HaDeshen, which consisted of removing some of the burnt coals and placing them on the floor next to the Altar. It should be noted that according to the Talmud Maseches Yoma, 19:6 it seems that he did not commence until dawn and that it was therefore necessary to keep him awake until then. Joyously they chose⁷⁰Each day in the Temple there were four lots to determine which kohanim would do the various services. There is a dispute among the commentaries whether lots were drawn also on Yom Kippur or whether these services too (in addition to the main services of sacrifice, sprinkling blood etc.) had to be performed by the High Priest (See Rambam 4:1, Ramban, Tosafos Yeshonim Yoma 20b, Ba’al Meor). for the Terumas Hadeshen,⁷¹Mishnah Yoma Ch. 2:1. The Terumas Hadeshen was the first service of the day and consisted of the priest going up to the center of the Altar, collecting some burnt coals, and placing them on the floor next to the Altar. the first choosing of the day. They chose again⁷²Mishnah Yoma Ch. 2:3. According to the Talmud, Yoma 24b, the four choosing’s were not held at one time because they wanted to summon a crowd four times during the day. It is considered an honor to the King to assemble a great multitude in the Temple (בְּרוֹב עָם הַדְרַת מֶלֶךְ). to clean the inner Altar and five wicks of the meonrah.⁷³The second lot was for picking two priests: one to clean the inner Altar (upon which incense was barred), and a second after him to clean five wicks from the Menorah (Yoma 25:1). However, the choosing to burn the incense was limited to those who had never done so.⁷⁴Mishnah Yoma Ch. 2:4. The third lot to determine who would burn the incense on the inner Altar was drawn just among the new priests who had not yet performed that service. The reason for this, explains the Talmud, is that this service increases the wealth of the priest who performed it. Therefore, care was taken to give every priest an opportunity to partake of the blessing. It should be noted that all commentaries agree that on Yom Kippur, only the High Priest could burn incense on the inner Altar. Bringing up the limbs to the Altar, was the fourth choosing. The break of dawn was announced by the watchman.⁷⁵Mishnah Yoma Ch. 3:1. A watchman was stationed on a high place in the courtyard (Tifferes Yisroel) to watch for the break of dawn, which signaled the time to proceed with the sacrifice of the daily morning offering, i.e. the Tamid Shel Shachar. A sheet of linen was placed before the mikvah⁷⁶Mishnah Yoma Ch. 3:4. Before putting on the eight garments, he immersed himself in the ritual bath, the Mikvah, since whoever enters the Temple Courtyard (Azarah) is required to immerse himself. The opening to the chamber of the mikvah was covered with a linen cloth to symbolize the fact that the special Yom Kippur services would be performed in linen clothes. for his modesty. He took off his clothes,⁷⁷Ibid. That is to say, he took off his daily everyday clothes. immersed himself and put on the eight golden garments.⁷⁸Mishnah Yoma Ch. 3:4. The High Priest performed his service during the entire year with eight garments, four which were worn by regular priests, and four additional ones. On Yom Kippur he wore two types of clothing. For those services which were not specially performed for Yom Kippur, he wore his usual eight garments. For those services, however, which were performed especially in the Holy of Holies for Yom Kippur, he wore only four white garments (shirt, pants, belt, and hat). Before commencing service, he wore “everyday” clothes, and put on the eight garments of “gold” for the opening service which was the slaughtering of the daily morning sacrifice. He washed his hands and feet⁷⁹Ibid. It is a positive commandment in the Torah for a priest to wash his hands and feet from a special laver. The initial dressing requires only one washing (afterwards), but the subsequent changes in clothing require one washing before taking off the initial set of clothes and another when dressing in the next set (Rambam 2:2, 4:1). and made the incision⁸⁰Ibid. The High Priest performed the minimal cut; the major part of each of the two “signs” which characterize the slaughter of an animal according to the Torah: the gullet and trachea (Rambam 4:1). The reason for this was so that he could quickly receive the blood coming out of the neck of the animal. The slaughter was completed by another priest. in the Daily morning Sacrifice. Another priest was appointed to complete the slaughter,⁸¹Mishnah Yoma Ch. 3:4. Since only the High Priest could receive the blood of the animal, it was necessary to give him time to do so. Consequently, he only performed the minimal cut, leaving the rest to another priest. (Rambam 4:1, Rashi Yoma 31b). permitting the High Priest to receive [the blood] and sprinkle it [on the outer Altar.] He withdrew, [entered the Sanctuary,] and burned incense⁸²Ibid. This was the daily burning of incense upon the smaller Golden Altar that is inside the Sanctuary. [upon the inner altar;] then he cleaned the wicks of the Menorah. Then he burnt the Daily Morning Offering,⁸³After cleaning the Menorah, the High Priest left the Sanctuary and offered the daily morning sacrifice upon the outer Altar. and poured a libation of wine upon the Altar. The Daily Morning Offering he thus completed and proceeded in order with the next services. A white sheet was set before him as before.⁸⁴The white sheet afforded him privacy for his immersion. This immersion, the second, proceeded the change of clothes from the “eight golden garments” to the “white garments.” The white garments were worn for those parts of the service which were special to Yom Kippur. He was brought to the Parve chamber⁸⁵The first immersion was in a mikvah adjacent to his personal chamber but was not considered to be part of the Temple courtyard, as indeed it was forbidden for him to enter the courtyard until he immersed himself. Subsequent immersions took place in the Parve chamber which was considered part of the courtyard (Rambam 2:3). [which was located] within the Temple courtyard. There he washed his hands and feet, and took off the eight golden garments. He stepped [into the Mikvah] and immersed himself, and after which he put on white garments; then washed his hands and feet.⁸⁶It was incumbent upon him to wash before taking off his clothes and then once again after putting on new ones. The white garments were of linen from Pallus worth eighteen measures, the finest linen with which to serve the King of Glory. His ox stood⁸⁷Mishnah Yoma 3:8. The High Priest would sacrifice two oxen on Yom Kippur. One he brought for himself, from his own funds, and one for the Jewish people, from public funds. between the antechamber and the outer Altar;⁸⁸The ox stood in the northern sector of the area between the outer Altar and the Sanctuary. It was positioned there in order to minimize the distance the High Priest would have to walk in carrying its blood to the outer Altar. its face to the West, its head to the South.⁸⁹The head of the ox faced south and its body to the north. The reason it was not placed from east to west was in order that it should not emit waste in the direction of the Altar (Yoma 35b, 36a). He leaned his hands upon its head, and confessed his sins, not hiding even one.