Comentario sobre Tamid 1:1
בִּשְׁלשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹמְרִים בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. בְּבֵית אַבְטִינָס, בְּבֵית הַנִּיצוֹץ וּבְבֵית הַמּוֹקֵד. בֵּית אַבְטִינָס וּבֵית הַנִּיצוֹץ הָיוּ עֲלִיּוֹת, וְהָרוֹבִים שׁוֹמְרִים שָׁם. בֵּית הַמּוֹקֵד, כִּפָּה, וּבַיִת גָּדוֹל הָיָה, מֻקָּף רוֹבָדִים שֶׁל אֶבֶן, וְזִקְנֵי בֵית אָב יְשֵׁנִים שָׁם, וּמַפְתְּחוֹת הָעֲזָרָה בְּיָדָם. וּפִרְחֵי כְהֻנָּה אִישׁ כִּסְתּוֹ בָאָרֶץ. לֹא הָיוּ יְשֵׁנִים בְּבִגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ, אֶלָּא פוֹשְׁטִין וּמְקַפְּלִין וּמַנִּיחִים אוֹתָן תַּחַת רָאשֵׁיהֶן, וּמִתְכַּסִּין בִּכְסוּת עַצְמָן. אֵרַע קֶרִי לְאַחַד מֵהֶן, יוֹצֵא וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ בַּמְּסִבָּה הַהוֹלֶכֶת תַּחַת הַבִּירָה, וְהַנֵּרוֹת דּוֹלְקִין מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן, עַד שֶׁהוּא מַגִּיעַ לְבֵית הַטְּבִילָה. וּמְדוּרָה הָיְתָה שָׁם, וּבֵית כִּסֵּא שֶׁל כָּבוֹד. וְזֶה הָיָה כְבוֹדוֹ, מְצָאוֹ נָעוּל, יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁיֶּשׁ שָׁם אָדָם. פָּתוּחַ, יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵין שָׁם אָדָם. יָרַד וְטָבַל, עָלָה וְנִסְתַּפֵּג וְנִתְחַמֵּם כְּנֶגֶד הַמְּדוּרָה. בָּא וְיָשַׁב לוֹ אֵצֶל אֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים עַד שֶׁהַשְּׁעָרִים נִפְתָּחִים, יוֹצֵא וְהוֹלֵךְ לוֹ:
Los Kohanim [sacerdotes] vigilaban en tres lugares en el Templo: en la Cámara de mAvtinas [nombre de una familia], en la Cámara de Nitsots [chispa] y en la Cámara de Fuego. Las cámaras Avtinas y Nitsots estaban elevadas y los jóvenes [sacerdotes] [se paraban ] a mirar allí. La Cámara de Fuego era una estructura abovedada, rodeada de bancos de piedra. Los ancianos de la familia beit av dormían allí y las llaves del patio estaban en sus manos. Los jóvenes sacerdotes dormirían en sus ropas en el suelo. No dormían con sus ropas sagradas, pero se los quitaban, los doblaban, se los ponían debajo de la cabeza y dormían con sus propias ropas. Si uno tuviera una emulsión seminal, saldría y caminaría por una circular [staicase] que conducía debajo del Templo, donde las velas estaban encendidas en ambos lados [para iluminar] hasta llegar a la Sala de Inmersión. Había una hoguera y un baño allí. Este fue el respeto: si lo encontraba cerrado, sabría que había alguien allí. Si estaba abierto, sabría que no había nadie allí, bajaría y se sumergiría, subiría, se secaría y se calentaría junto a la hoguera. Iría [a la Cámara de Fuego] y se sentaría con los otros sacerdotes hasta que se abrieran las puertas y se iría.
Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
בשלשה מקומות הכהנים שומרים בבית המקדש – because of the honor, and it is greatness to the Temple that it should not be without guards/watchmen, and three places we derive as it is written (Numbers 3:38): “Those who were to camp before the Tabernacle, in front, before the Tent of Meeting, on the east – were Moses and Aaron and his sons, attending to the duties of the sanctuary, as a duty on behalf of the Israelites...],” those who guard from one watch to another, which is a hint to three divisions of duty for priests [and Levites] in three places, but just as we find in the Tabernacle that the Kohanim, Aaron and his sons were guarding in it in three places, even so too in the Temple.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
Introduction
Mishnah Tamid begins with a description of the priests sleeping in the Temple, before their daily work began.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
בית אבטינס ובית הניצוץ היו עליות – [According to the Jerusalem Talmud, Tractate Yoma, Chapter 1, Halakhah 5, the chamber of the House of Avtinas (see also Tractate Shekalim, Chapter 5, Mishnah 1 and Tractate Yoma, Chapter 1, Mishnah 5 concerning facts about this clan) was in the southern part of the Temple courtyard by the side of the Water Gate – which was the gate where they would enter on the holiday of Sukkot with a flask of water that was drawn from the Shiloah spring fo the libations on the altar, but according to the Talmud, Tractate Yoma 19a, there were doubts as to where this chamber was – in the south or in the north, which is the preference of this commentary to the Mishnah] – that were built on the side of the gates of the Temple courtyard.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
In three places the priests keep watch in the Temple: in the chamber of Avtinas, in the chamber of the spark, and in the fire chamber. There were three places in the Temple where the priests would keep watch at night. When we learn Tractate Midot we will see a list of 21 places where the Levites kept watch. The three places here are also mentioned there. These three places are: The chamber of Avtinas, where they would prepare the incense. The chamber of the spark, where they kept the fire to light the fires on the altars. The fire chamber where they kept a large fire to keep the priests warm at night.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
והרובין (young priests, or possibly “archers”) – children; the Aramaic Targum/translation is רביא /child. Another explanation: הרובין/ those who shoot arrows with bows, from the language of {Genesis 21:20): “[God was with the boy (i.e., Ishmael) and he grew up; he dwelt in the wildeness] and became a bowman.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
In the chamber of Avtinas and in the chamber of the spark there were upper chambers where the youths kept watch. Two of the chambers had upper chambers so that the younger priests who could not yet serve in the Temple could keep watch.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
בית המוקד כפה – there was nothing over the bulding of the House of the Hearth other than a [round] arch, AREUVLETU in the foreign language, made m the earth.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
The fire chamber was vaulted and it was a large room surrounded with stone projections, and the elders of the clan [serving in the Temple] used to sleep there, with the keys of the Temple courtyard in their hands. The fire chamber did not have an upper chamber. Rather it was vaulted, and surrounded by rows of stones. On these rows of stones the priests serving in the Temple at the time (the Temple guard was split into 24 houses) would sleep, while holding the keys to the Temple courtyard.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
והיה מוקף רובדים של אבן (was surrounded with stone pavements) – colonnades/porticos surrounding, [made] of hewn stones that were sunk in the wall and came out from the wall into the House of the Hearth/בית המוקד – to the side of the ground, and on top of them were other stones, shorter than them that also came out from the wall. And they were similar to steps one on top of the other.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
The priestly initiates used to place their bedding on the ground. The young priests did not get to sleep on the rows of stones. They had to put their bedding down on the ground and sleep on the floor.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
וזקני בית אב – the division for duty of priests and Levites/guard that was divided into seven priest’s divisions corresponding to the days of the week, each one serves on his day, and the elders of the priest’s division of that day would sleep there on those paved level spaces between steps in the Temple hall.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
They did not sleep in their sacred garments, but they used to take them off [and fold them] and place them under their heads and cover themselves with their own ordinary clothes. None of the priests slept in the clothes that they would wear while performing the Temple service. Based on the continuation of the Mishnah it seems that they feared lest they would have an emission at night and thereby contaminate their clothes. Therefore, they slept in their regular, non-sanctified clothing.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
ופרחי כהונה (fledgling priests) – young boys whose hair begins to sprout, and they were guards.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
If one of them had a seminal emission, he used to go out and make his way down the winding stairs which went under the Birah, and which was lit by lights on each side until he reached the bathing place. There was a fire close by and an honorable seat [i.e. toilet]: and this was its honor: if he found it locked, he knew there was someone there; if it was open, he knew there was no one there. He would go down and bathe and then come up and dry himself and warm himself in front of the fire. He would then go and take his seat next to his fellow priests until the gates were opened, when he would take his departure. This section describes what would happen if one of the priests had a seminal emission while sleeping in the Temple. According to Deuteronomy 23:11 such a person must leave the “camp”, which the rabbis interpret to be parallel to the Temple. The priest would exit the Temple by using a set of underground stairs. It was forbidden for him to walk through the courtyard, or even on the Temple mount because he was impure. These stairs were lit so that he could see his way. He would then come to the ritual bath and a private toilet. The mishnah notes that a private toilet was unique generally toilets were used by a number of people at the same time. So unique was this toilet that it was even called “The Seat of Honor.” After taking care of his needs, he would bathe and then warm up next to the fire kept there for his comfort (sounds like a spa!). He would then go back to the other priests until the gates of the Temple were opened, when he would exit. He could not go serve in the Temple because he was not fully pure until the following evening. However, since he had been to the mikveh, he was no longer impure, so he could exit through the normal gates.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
כסתו – the language of pillows and cushions.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
איש כסתו בארץ – there were not able to lie down there on the beds but rather on the ground in the manner of those who guard the courtyards of the kings.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
ומניחים אותן תחת ראשיהן – corresponding to their heads, but not actually under their heads, because there are the clothes of the Kohen that have in them Kilayim/mixture of linen and wool, as for example, the belt, and it is not permitted to use them other than at the time of [Divine] service.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
ומתכסים בכסות עצמן – in weekday clothing.
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במסבה (winding staircase)- in a cavity/cave that goes underneath the Temple, for the cavity was underneath the Sanctuary, and the entire Sanctuary is called בירה /the chosen Divine residence/the Temple, as it is written (I Chronicles 29:19 – the verse is slightly misquoted by Rabbi Obadiah of Bertinoro in the printed editions: He writes: אל הבירה אשר הכינותי – whereas the correct quote is:לבנות הבירה אשר הכינותי ): “and to build this temple for which I have made provision.” But because he was one to whom a nocturnal emission/pollution had occurred, he would not walk on the path of the Temple courtyard, but rather on he path of the cavities/caves, for he holds that these cavities were not sanctified.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
והנרות היו דולקים – in the cavity/cave from this side and that side.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
ומדורה היה שם – hat the Kohen would warm himself in it after he immersed [in a ritual bath].
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
וזה היה כבודו – that no person who enter in it ever all the while that his fellow was there.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
מצאו נעול – this is his sign that there is a person there, and he would not enter.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
נסתפג – wiped off the water that was on his skin.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
בא וישב לו – in the house of the Hearth.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
עד שהשערים נפתחים – he would leave and go outside, because one who has immersed [in a Mikveh] must wait for sunset to be perfectly clean – see Leviticus 22:7) is sent off outside of the Temple courtyard, as we stated in these matters that every person who had a flux, including one with a nocturnal emission.
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