Chaque jour, il y avait quatre tas de bois là [sur l'autel extérieur. Il y avait quatre piles de bois sur lesquelles le feu était allumé: l'une, la grande pile de bois sur laquelle le tamid était sacrifié; un autre, le deuxième tas de bois d'où le feu a été pris pour l'autel de l'encens; un troisième, le tas de bois de la perpétuation du feu, que le feu ne manque jamais de l'autel; et le quatrième, le tas de bois des membres et les gros morceaux du tamid de l'après-midi, qui (membres) n'avaient pas été consommés de la soirée et qui n'avaient pas été brûlés de toute la nuit. Ils sont brûlés dans ce tas de bois. Et sur Yom Kippour un autre tas de bois est ajouté à partir de laquelle sont pris les charbons pour l'encens (offrande) dans le saint des saints.] Ce sont les paroles de R. Meir. R. Yossi dit: Chaque jour, trois; et aujourd'hui, quatre. [Car il y a trois versets à cet égard: (Lévitique 6: 2): "… sur son bois de feu sur l'autel toute la nuit jusqu'au matin." C'est le gros tas de bois. (Ibid. 5): «Et le feu de l'autel s'enflammera». Ceci est le deuxième tas de bois, de l'encens. (Ibid. 5): "Et le feu sur l'autel brûlera par là; il ne s'éteindra pas." C'est le troisième tas de bois, de la perpétuation du feu. Et R. Yossi ne soutient pas qu'il y a un quatrième tas de bois pour les membres non consommés et les morceaux de graisse, soutenant que ceux-ci sont brûlés sur les côtés du grand tas de bois.] R. Yehudah dit: Chaque jour, quatre; et aujourd'hui, trois, [R. Yehudah ne soutenant pas qu'il y a un troisième tas de bois pour la perpétuation du feu. Quant à: "Et le feu sur l'autel brûlera par là; il ne s'éteindra pas", il explique que comme signifiant que celui qui allume de petits morceaux de bois avec lesquels allumer le grand tas de bois ne doit pas les allumer sur le sol et amenez-les à l'autel, mais allumez-les sur le dessus de l'autel. La halakha est conforme à R. Yossi.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
בכל יום היו שם – in the outer altar.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
Introduction
The final mishnah of the chapter continues to deal with differences between Yom Kippur and other days.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
ארבע מערכות – [piles] of wood which are burned with fire; one large pile [of wood] that we offer upon it the daily offering and a second pile [of wood] that from it we take fire to the altar of the incense, and one pile [of wood] of maintaining the fire, in order that fire not depart from it ever, and another pile of limbs and fats of the daily offering of the eventide that had not been consumed by evening, and which was not burned all night long, we burn them in this pile, and we add for Yom Kippur an additional pile to take from it coals for the incense for the innermost part.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
On other days there were four wood-piles there, but on this day five, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yose says: on other days three, but on this day four. Rabbi Judah says: on other days two, but on this day three. The topic of this mishnah is how many piles of burning wood were on the outer altar on normal days and on Yom Kippur as well. Rabbi Meir holds that there were normally four wood-piles. The Talmud explains that each pile had its own function. The first was a large pile on which the tamid and its remnants were offered. The second was the pile from which cinders were taken to burn the daily incense offering. The third was to keep an eternal flame (see Leviticus 6:5). The fourth was to burn the limbs of sacrifices that they had not succeeded in burning during the night. On Yom Kippur they added one more wood-pile from which the high priest would collect the cinders to burn the special incense which he will bring into the Holy of Holies. Rabbi Yose holds that there was no special wood-pile for the limbs that had not been burned during the night. Rabbi Judah holds that there wasn’t a special wood-pile to preserve an eternal flame. Evidently, the other wood-piles were sufficient to ensure that there would always be a flame.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
רבי יוסי אומר בכל יום ג' – for three verses are written (Leviticus 6:2): “[This is the ritual of the burnt offering: The burnt offering itself] shall remain where it is burned upon the altar all night until morning,” – this is the large pile of wood. (Leviticus 6:2): “while the fire on the altar is kept going on it” – this is the second pile of the incense. (Leviticus 6:5): “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning, not to go out,” – this is the third pile for the preservation of the fire. But the fourth pile for the limbs and fats that were not consumed, Rabbi Yosi does not have, for he holds that the limbs and fats that were not consumed are burned on the sides of the large pile.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
רבי יהודה אומר בכל יום שתים – He (i.e., Rabbi Yehuda) does not hold the third pile for the preservation of the fire, and from the third Biblical verse of (Leviticus 6:5): “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning, not to go out,” Rabbi Yehuda expounds it that the one burns thin chips in order to kindle the fire of the large pile [of wood], he should not kindle it on the floor and raise them while they are burning to the altar but he should kindle them at the top of the altar. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yosi.
