מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִין וְרָצִין וְעוֹלִין בַּכֶּבֶשׁ, וְדָחַף אֶחָד מֵהֶן אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ, וְנָפַל וְנִשְׁבְּרָה רַגְלוֹ. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ בֵית דִּין שֶׁבָּאִין לִידֵי סַכָּנָה, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ תוֹרְמִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶלָּא בְפַיִס. אַרְבָּעָה פְיָסוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם, וְזֶה הַפַּיִס הָרִאשׁוֹן:
Two (priests) were once running neck to neck up the ramp, when one of them pushed his neighbor, who fell and broke his leg. When beth-din saw that there was risk in this, they instituted that the removal of the ashes be awarded only by lottery [as described above]. There were four lotteries there (in the Temple). [They would assemble for lotteries four times a day, and not conduct all at the same time, in order to raise a din four times, there being a large crowd in the azarah. And this is to the honor of the King, viz. (Psalms 55:15): "In the house of G d we went resoundingly!"] This is the first lottery.
Tosefta Yoma
It happened that two priests were running to go up the ramp. One pushed his fellow into the four cubit space. He took a knife and stabbed him in the chest. R. Zadok came and stood on the steps leading up the Ulam and said, "Hear me my Israelite brothers. Behold it says, (Deuteronomy 21) 'When one finds a dead body...and the elders and judges shall go out and measure...' Let us measure who should bring the calf, the sanctuary or the courtyards." Everyone groaned and cried. Afterwards the father of the young [priest] came and said, "My brothers, I am your atonement. My son's pulse is still beating and the knife has not yet been defiled." This shows that the impurity of the knife was more difficulty for Israel than bloodshed. And so it says, "Moreover, Manasseh put so many innocent persons to death that he filled Jerusalem [with blood] from end to end." From here they said, "Through the sin of bloodshed the Shekhinah departs and the Temple is defiled."
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