Comentario sobre Tamid 1:5

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.

Introduction Mishnah Tamid begins with a description of the priests sleeping in the Temple, before their daily work began.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

ופרחי כהונה (fledgling priests) – young boys whose hair begins to sprout, and they were guards.

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.

כסתו – the language of pillows and cushions.

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.

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.

ומתכסים בכסות עצמן – in weekday clothing.

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.

והנרות היו דולקים – in the cavity/cave from this side and that side.

ומדורה היה שם – hat the Kohen would warm himself in it after he immersed [in a ritual bath].

וזה היה כבודו – that no person who enter in it ever all the while that his fellow was there.

מצאו נעול – this is his sign that there is a person there, and he would not enter.

נסתפג – wiped off the water that was on his skin.

בא וישב לו – in the house of the Hearth.

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.

לתרום את המזבח – the removal of the ashes from the Altar (see Leviticus 6:3).

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).

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].

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).

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.

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.

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”].

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.

פשפש (wicket) – small opening that is within the body of the lare opening, and through it they wouold enter from the House of the Hearth to the Temple courtyard.

He took the key and opened the small door, and went from the fire chamber into the Temple courtyard, and the priests went in after him carrying two lighted torches. After waking them up, the superintendent would take the key and open the small door in the fire chamber that was connected to the courtyard. The regular gates to the courtyard did not open until it began to be light outside. The priests then entered the courtyard each carrying two torches.

אלו – they would walk in the parlor/covered place in front of the house in the Temple courtyard in the eastern direction. For the parlors/recesses were around the Temple courtyard from the inside, with pillars going out beyond the walls of the Temple courtyard, and from the pillars until the walls of the Temple courtyard, there was overhanging boughs/twigs on top of them and they are called in the foreign language PRITIKAN (i.e., Porticos), and from the pillars towards the outside it was without overhanging boughs/twigs, and he Altar was in a place without overhanging boughs. And they were divided into two divisions/parties, in order that they would check and see all of the sacred vessels, that all of them will be in their places in peace. And they would walk on the parlors that were made in the northern direction, these walk on it on the eastern half and those walk on it on the half of he western side until they come in contact with each other in the place where they make the cakes of the meal of offering of the High Priest, who would bring each day half of it in the morning and half of It in the evening (see Leviticus 6:13-14 and Tractate Menahot, Chapter 4, Mishnah 5), and this was near the Nicanor Gate, and there they would say “Shalom” to each other, everything is “peace/Shalom,” meaning to say, we found all of the utensils in peace and no utensil was missing.

They divided into two groups, one of which went along the portico to the east, while the other went along it to the west. They then divided into two groups to check the Temple to make sure that everything was still in its proper place.

They went along inspecting until they came to the place where the griddle-cakes were made. There the two groups met and said, Is all well (? All is well (! They then appointed they that made the griddle-cakes to make griddle-cakes. Each day the high priest would offer a tenth of an ephah of griddle cakes, half in the morning and half in the evening (see Leviticus 6:13-14; Menahot 4:5). They would end their examination at the place where these cakes were made and each group would ask the other if everything was okay. They would then formally appoint those who made the griddle-cakes to make the griddle-cakes.

הזהר של תגע בכלי – in the coal-pan which is a sacred vessel, for a person is not permitted to draw close to the Altar nor to any [Divine] Service until he sanctifies his hands and his feet.

Introduction Today’s mishnah deals with clearing the ashes from the altar.

במקצוע (corner) – in the corner-piece.

The one who had merited to clear the ashes, would get ready to clear the ashes. After getting the griddle-cakes on their way, its now time to clear the ashes from the altar, the first ritual performed each morning. Mishnah two noted that the priest who performed this ritual was not chosen by lottery, but rather by his being the first to get out of bed and immerse.

בן קטין – this was the name of the High Priest who made the wheel work (a machine for sinking the wash basin (the laver for the Kohanim in the Temple courtyard) into the well (see Tractate Yoma, Chapter 3, Mishnah 10 and Tractate Tamid, Chapter 3, Mishnah 8). It was a revolving wheel that through it the wash basin was sunk into the cistern, so that their waters would not be invalidated/unfit for use by being kept overnight, because anything that was sanctified in a sacred vessel is invalidated/unfit for use by being kept overnight, but when the wash basin was sunk into the cistern, its waters were not invalidated. But Maimonides states, that the wheel work which is a utensil surrounding the wash basin, that was not sanctified in the Temple vessel, and there they would leave the water at night in order that it not become sanctified and would be invalidated overnight.

They said to him: “Be careful not to touch any vessel until you have washed your hands and feet from the laver. See, the fire-pan is in the corner between the ascent and the altar on the west of the ascent.” Despite the fact that he had immersed, he still can’t touch holy vessels until he washes his feet and hands from the water in the laver. This would include the fire-pan. Therefore, before he begins the process, the other priests would remind him not to touch the fire-pan until he first washes his hands and feet. They would also remind him where the fire-pan was kept. This was helpful because it was dark in the courtyard.

מהאכלות הפנימיות (the thoroughly lighted coals in the center) – the coals that are in the center of the fire that were well consumed/burned up to be ashes.

No one entered with him, nor did he carry any light. Rather, he walked by the light of the altar fire. He would not carry a flame in with him rather he would walk along using only the dim light from the remaining fire on the altar.

צבר את הגחלים על גבי הרצפה (he heaped up the cinders on the pavement) – because it is written (Leviticus 6:3): "ושמו" /”[and he shall take up the ashes to which the ffire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar] and place them beside the altar,” and we expound [Tractate Temurah 34a], “and place them” – all of it, and “place them” – so that it should not scatter.

No-one saw him or heard a sound from him until they heard the noise of the wooden wheel which Ben Katin made for hauling up the laver, when they said, “The time has come.” The other priests couldn’t see him or hear him until he began to draw water using the water wheel invented by Ben Katin. This water wheel is described in Yoma 3:10. The following is my commentary on that mishnah: Ben Katin is also credited with another improvement in the Temple, this one also connected to issue of water. He made a wheel that went into the water cistern which would cause the water in the laver to be connected to the water in the cistern. The reason for this is that any water left out overnight in a vessel in the Temple is rendered unfit. Without this wheel, the water left over in the laver would need to be emptied out every morning. Once they heard the wheel, they would say, “The time has come” meaning the time to wash his hands and feet.

He washed his hands and feet from the laver, then took the silver fire-pan and went up to the top of the altar and cleared away the cinders on either side and scooped up the ashes in the centre. The priest would then wash his hands and then clear the ashes and the cinders from the Temple.

He then descended and when he reached the floor he turned his face to the north and went along the east side of the ascent for about ten cubits, and he then made a heap of the cinders on the pavement three handbreadths away from the ascent, in the place where they used to put the crop of the birds and the ashes from the inner altar and the ash from the menorah. He would then descend from the altar, and deposit the ashes in the place where they would also dump out other waste-products, including the crop from the heads of bird offerings, and the ashes from the inner altar and the menorah.