Commento su 'Arakhin 2:5

אין פוחתין מששה טלאים המבוקרים (there are no less than six inspected lambs) – this Tanna/teacher holds that lambs of the daily burnt-offering require examination from blemish four days prior to their slaughter, similar to the Passover offering of Egypt, that was taken from the tenth [of Nisan] and its slaughter was on the fourteenth, for we derive (Numbers 28:2): "מועדו"/”at stated times,” that is stated in the daily offerings: “Be punctilious in presenting to Me at stated times [the offerings of food due Me],” from [the word] "מועדו"/at its set time, that is stated (Numbers 9:2): “[Let the Israelite people offer] the Passover sacrifice at its set time.” Therefore, prior to the day of inauguration [as a common priest] is four days of examination of eight lambs and we place them in the chamber of lambs, and on the day of inauguration, we take two for daily burnt-offerings and here remains there six inspected lambs, and after that, prior to the night, we examine two and place them there. And because that those are not yet at the time of the taking up of the two, they are not considered. And always, we take two and give two, an those two that we give, we take them on the fifth day of their being given.

There were never less than six inspected lambs in the chamber of lambs, enough for Shabbat and the [two] festival days of Rosh Hashanah, and their number could be increased infinitely. Every day there were at least two lambs that were used as the daily tamid offering, one in the morning and one at night. These lambs needed to be examined four days before being used, a halakhah found in the Torah in connection with the passover sacrifice offered in Egypt (see Exodus 12:3, 6). There was a special chamber where these lambs were kept (see Tamid 3:3). Generally, there were eight lambs in the chamber, enough for four days. Every morning they would take out two for that day, and then in the evening they would examine two new lambs to make sure that they were unblemished. There always had to be at least six checked lambs in the chamber, in case Rosh Hashanah fell immediately before or after Shabbat. If this happened they would need six lambs for the tamid, two for each day. There is no upper limit as to how many lambs they could put into the chamber. Of course, space, noise and stench might have become an issue at a certain point, but theoretically, they could keep adding as many as they wanted.

כדי לשת ושני ימים טובים של ראש השנה – he took a general sign, for just as that if Shabbat and two Festival days of Rosh Hashanah fall together I was necessary to advance and to examine this lamb for Shabbat on the Eve of the Sabbath, for he was not able prior to that day to go and to request a lamb and to examine it, for that is taking four days prior to slaughter, here also we always require four days prior to slaughter.

There were never less than two trumpets and their number could be increased infinitely. There always had to be at least two trumpets in the Temple. These trumpets were used on various occasions. See for instance Number 10:2, 10. They could have a much greater number. Indeed in II Chronicles 2:5, 12, we hear about 120 priests blowing on trumpets in the Temple.

ומוסיפין עד לעולם – if they wanted to add examined lambs in the chamber of the lambs, they add according to as they will want.

There were never less than nine lyres, and their number could be increased infinitely. But there was only one cymbal. In the Temple they would use at least nine lyres, and they could use many more, but only one set of cymbals.

משתי חצוצרות – when they sounds the trumpets, there are no less than two.

ומוסיפין עד לעולם – But in the Gemara (Tractate Arakhin 13b – quoting Rav Zabdi in the name of Rav Huna) until one-hundred and twenty, as it states (II Chronicles 5:12): “and with them were one-hundred and twenty priests who blew the trumpets.”

והצלצל לבד – one cymbal was there and no more. For it states in Scripture (First Chronicles 16:5): “And Asaph sounding the cymbals” (note: the Hebrew in the verse is slightly different – ואסף במצלתים להשמיע in the Bartenura – than what is found in the Bible: ואסף במצלתים משמיע ). But even though the word מצלתים is written in a plural form, because they are two wide pieces of metal that strike each other, but however, it is one occupation/trade that he is performing (i.e., playing the cymbals, with one set of utensils), for one of them does not work without its partner, and one person plays them.