Commentaire sur Tamid 3:9

ובאחרונה – for there wasn’t only just a little big of ashes, and he was not able to take them in handfuls, he swept the rest of the ashes into the basket.

Introduction Our mishnah discusses removing the ashes from the inner altar and the menorah, both of which were inside the Sanctuary.

והניחו – in the basket there and then he left. But immediately, he would not remove it, for since he had to put the ashes near the Eastn Altar like the removal of the ashes of the Menorah, he waits until after the sprinkling of [the blood of] the daily offering, which he would make the preparations of the two lamps and finish the completion of the removal of he ashes of the Menorah, and then both of of them would remove this basket and that oil vessel and pour the ahses into one place near the altar and they are absorbed there in their place.

The one who had been chosen for clearing the ashes from the inner altar went in carrying the teni which he set down in front of it, and he scooped up the ash in his fists and put it into it, and in the end he swept up what was left into it, and then he left it there and went out. The teni is the basket mentioned in mishnah six. The priest would first scoop up whatever ashes he could with his hands, and then would sweep out the remainder. The teni would be left in the Sanctuary for the time being. It will be removed in mishnah 6:1.

ומצא שתי נרות מזרחיות דולקים – this Tanna/teacher holds that the Menorah is placed in the aeast and west. And sometimes that he finds also the rest burning, and it (i.e., the Mishnah) took [the words] “the two eastern lights flickering” because the rest of the lights, even if they are burning, he puts them out and removes the ashes, but these two lights/candles, if he found them flickering/burning, he does not put them out, and further, because it teaches in the concluding segment [of the Mishnah] “that if he found that they had gone out, he cleaned them and lit them from those which were [yet] flickering/burning,” but with the rest of the lights, if he found that they had gone out, he does not re-kindle them until the evening.

The one who had been chosen to clear the ashes from the menorah went in. If he found the two eastern lights burning, he cleared the ash from the rest and left these two burning. If he found that these two had gone out, he cleared away their ash and kindled them from those which were still lit and then he cleared the ash from the rest. There was a stone in front of the candlestick with three steps on which the priest stood in order to trim the lights. He left the kuz on the second step and went out. The menorah stood on the southern side of the Sanctuary, aligned from east to west. The eastern lights were on the left side (when facing south). If these two lights were still lit, he would first clear the ashes and waste of the other five and put it into the kuz (see mishnah six). If these two lights were already out, then he would clear their ashes as well, and if necessary add oil and relight them from candles which were still lit. If all of the candles had gone out, then he would light the first two from the fire on the outer altar (as we shall learn in 6:1). He would then remove the ashes from these two candles after the sprinkling of the blood of the tamid, and after the limbs of the tamid had been put onto the ramp. After either relighting, or clearing the ashes from the first two, he would clear the ashes from remainder. He would leave the kuz in the Sanctuary until he had completed clearing the ashes from the other two candles, as we shall see in 6:1.

מדשן את השאר – five lights/candles for the west side, he removes from them the old oil and the old wick and the ashes, and places everything in the oil vessel, and puts new oil and a new wick, and after the slaughter of the daily offering and the sprinkling of its blood, he removes the ashes of the two eastern [lights]/[candles], and places in them 0il and a new wick. But surely, when he stops the preparing with the slaughter of the daily offering and the sprinkling of its blood and he doesn’t prepare all of them together, because it is written (Exodus 30:7): “[On it Aaron shall burn aromatic incense:] he shall burn it every morning when he tends the lamps,” the Torah stated that part of the preparation for the two cows, and perform the preparation of the five candles/lights in the first clause of the Mishnah and then he returns with the preparation of the two lights/candles, because for since that he began, he did most of it. But that which he didn’t do six [of them] and then return to do one, because it is written (ibid.), “when he tends the lamps, the preparation [is not] less than two candles/lambs. And these words are at a time where there is no miracle, as, for example, after Shimon the Righteous died. But prior to Shimon the Righteous dying, the western light/candle always burned/flickered through a miracle, as it is taught in a Baraita (Talmud Shabbat 22b) : from outside the curtain of the Pact (see Leviticus 24:2-3), the testimony is that God’s presence rests upon Israel, this is the western candle/light that we place in it oil according to the measure of its fellow and from it he would begin and from it he would conclude, for when he came to prepare the two eastern lights/candles, he would not remove the ashes other than from the first candle/light alone and prepare it, but he leaves the second light/candle that is adjacent to it burning/flickering until the evening when he kindles he lights/candles, and from it candles all of the other lights/candles, but after he kindled the rest of the candles/lights, he prepares it and removes the ashes for this candle in the evening and kindles it. But even though it is written (Exodus 30:7) “when he tends the lamps,” that there is no tending less than “two,” this is more preferable that he didn’t tend to other than one light/candle from the two eastern candles/lights/lamps and to leave the second lamp/candle/light burning so that he would not tend to it until the evening, in order to publicize the miracle that he always kindles. But if even that he tends five [lights/candles/lamps] that are on the western side of first, and not the five of the eastern side anad at the end the two of the western side, and from them, he would have to kindle, but he doesn’t do this because it is written (Leviticus 24:2-3): “for kindling lamps regularly. [Aaron shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting] outside the curtain of the Pact [to burn] from evening to morning before the LORD regularly,” the Torah stated, set up a fixed lamp/candle/light to kindle from it all the rest of the candles, and which is this? The second candle/light/lamp of the eastern side, for when he ascends in the hall of the golden altar, it is that candle/lamp/light that he approaches first, but we don’t forgo the occasion to perform a religious act, but one could say that in this, the miracle was established and it was fixed to kindle from it. But, with the first light/lamp/candle, it is impossible, for behold it is written (ibid.,): “before the LORD”, from that candle of the side of God’s presence, which is the the western side, but the first candle/lamp/light is not called, “before the LORD.”

מצאן שכבו – the two eastern ones (i.e., candles/lamps/lights). As, for example, after Shimon the Righteous died.

מדשנן ומדליקן מן הדולקים – not that he would put a new wick and new oil, in the manner of taking care of/preparing the lights/lamps/candles, for always, we don’t prepare the two eastern lights/candles/lamps other than after the slaughtering of the daily offering in order to interrupt between the preparation of the five to the preparation of the two, but rather, we cleanse them, that is, we remove the ashes that are at the head of the old wick, and lift it up and kindle it, in order that it be interruption between preparing the five candles to the two be well recognized. But if the candles/lights/lamps are not burning, we kindle them from the altar of the burnt offering.

ומדשן את השאר – this is the preparation of the five candles/lamps/lights, that we place a new wick and new oil and leave them extinguished until the evening when he comes and kindles [them]. But he removes the ashes from here and it is not like the removal of the ashes of the two eastern [lights] that is above. But after the slaughtering of the daily offering and the sprinkling of its blood, he returns and removes the eastern ashes and places oil and and a new wick and leaves it until the evening extinguished. But a second candle/light/lamp which is called, “western” just like this, he cleans and removes the ashes and the old wick and puts in new oil and kindles it from the altar of the burnt offering in order to kindle from the lamps/candles/lights in the evening, the others that the western lamp/candle/light was fixed to kindle from it other candles/lamps/lights, and therefore, also he kindles if he found it extinguished prior to the slaughtering of the daily offering, since he needs nevertheless, to kindle it when he comes and prepares after the slaughtering. Such I found the explanation of this Mishnah in the commentary of our Rabbi, Baruch bar Yitzhah, and he is the clearest of all of the commentaries. But the words of Maimonides are very astonishing, and also what he thinks in that the preparation of the candles/lamps/lights is their kindling, and when he would kindle the lamps/lights of the entire Menorah in the morning, as he kindles it in the evening, it is an exalted hidden thing/miracle in my eyes, but I did not hear nor did I see any of my Rabbis who think thus.

ואבן היתה לפני המנורה – because the Menorah is eighteen handbreadths high and it was necessary to ascend to a high place in order to prepare the lamps/lights/candles.

ובה שלש מעלות – corresponding to the three ascents that are written regarding the Menorah (see Numbers 8:2, Exodus 25:37 and Exodus 27:20): "בהעלותך את הנרות"/”when you mount the lamps; "והעלה את נרותיה"/”the lamps shall be so mounted;” "להעלות נר תמיד" /”for kindling the lamps regularly.”

והניח הכוז ויצא – until after the sprinkling of the blood of the daily offering for then he makes he preparations of two lamps/candles/lights and removes it, and then his neighbor removed the basket. And when they removed them, they bowed down (according to Tractate Megillah 22b – this is the spreading of one’s hand and feet on the floor), at the conclusion of the Divine Service, but not now, fo still their Divine Service was not completed.