Cualquiera [de los sacerdotes] que desee quitar [las cenizas] del altar debe levantarse temprano y sumergirse [en la mikva] mientras el sacerdote supervisor aún no haya llegado. ¿Cuándo llegó el sacerdote supervisor? No hay un tiempo establecido; a veces viene cuando el gallo canta, o cerca de él, a veces antes, a veces después. El supervisor los golpearía [las puertas del Templo] y ellos [los sacerdotes] le abrirían [las puertas]. Les decía: "El que se haya sumergido, ven y participa en la lotería". Realizarían la lotería y quien ganara, ganaría.
Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
לתרום את המזבח – the removal of the ashes from the Altar (see Leviticus 6:3).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
Anyone who desired to remove the ashes from the altar used to rise early and bathe before the superintendent came. The first work done in the morning was clearing the ashes from the altar. This could be done by anyone who wished to do so (see Leviticus 1:2). Before removing the ashes, the priest would have to bathe, because it is always forbidden to enter the Temple courtyard before bathing (see Yoma 3:3).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
משכים וטובל – for no person enters the Temple courtyard to perform Divine service, even if he is ritually pure, until he immerses [in a ritual bath].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
At what time did the superintendent come? He did not always come at the same time; sometimes he came just at cock-crow, sometimes a little before or a little after. The superintendent was in charge of the lottery used to determine who would get to perform what ritual in the Temple. The lottery is described in Yoma 2:1-2. The superintendent would arrive around the time when the cock crows (see Yoma 1:8).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
וכי באיזו שעה הממונה בא (superintendent/deputy/officer) -meaning to say, is there a fixed time for the coming of the superintendent/officer, for it is stated that he (i.e., the Kohen) would get up early and immerse [in a ritual bath] prior to the arrival of the superintendent, but rather, definitely there was no fixed time for his arrival, for all of the times were not equal, for sometimes he would come from the crowing of the cock (see Tractate Yoma, Chapter 1, Mishnah 8), etc., but therefore, whomever wanted to remove the ashes would wake up whenever he could, and afterwards, the superintendent would come and he would knock on them, to those who were in the House of the Hearth, and they would open it for him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid
The superintendent would come and knock and they would open for him, and he would say to them, let all who have bathed come and draw lots. So they drew lots, and whoever was successful. The superintendent would knock on the door and let the priests know that whoever had prepared by taking a ritual bath, could come and participate in the lottery. But if you didn’t bathe you’re out of luck. The early priest gets the meat, as they say.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
מקריאת הגבר – there are those who interpret It as the calling of the rooster, and there are those who interpret that [an individual] would customarily call [to the Kohanim] near the rising of the sun [saying: “Arise Kohanim to your Divine service”].
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tamid
מי שטבל יבוא ויפיס (see Tractate Yoma, Chapter 2, Mishnah 1) – all of those to whom they would give a white [slip of paper] to remove the ashes from the Altar, would immerse prior to the superintendent’s coming and afterwards they would take a lottery between them, and the one to which the lottery comes (i.e., the one who wins) goes up and removes the ashes. And the order of the lottery and its actions is explained in Tractate Yoma, Chapter 2.
