Komentarz do Sukka 5:11

החליל – many kinds of musical instruments were there, and by the name of the flute, as its sound is heard more than the others, all of them are called by its name.

Introduction The first four mishnayot of the final chapter of Sukkah are about a Sukkot ritual called “Simchat Bet Hashoevah”, which is usually translated as the “Celebration of the Water-Drawing.” The water-drawing refers to the drawing of the water from the Shiloah in order to perform the water-libation, described above in chapter four. At the end of the all-night Simchat Bet Hashoevah ceremony, early in the morning, they would leave the Temple, go down to the Shiloah and draw the water. It seems that the function of the ceremony was twofold. First of all it highlighted the importance of the water-libation, which as we saw before, was controversial. Secondly, it allowed non-priests a chance to participate in the Sukkot ritual in the Temple. This seems to be one of the major differences between the Pharisees and Sadducees the former encouraged the participation of non-priests in Temple ritual as much as was possible, whereas the Sadducees seemed to have abhorred it.

חמשה וששה – sometimes five [days] and sometimes six [days]. If the first day of the Festival [of Sukkot] occurs on Shabbat, the flute [is sounded] for six [days]; if it (i.e., the first day of the Festival of Sukkot) falls on the other days of the week, the flute [is sounded for] five days, because it does not supersede neither the Sabbath nor the Holy Days [of the Festival].

The flute was for five or six days. This refers to the flute at the Bet Hashoevah [the place of the water-drawing] which does not override Shabbat or the festival day. The mishnah refers to a flute that was played during the Simchat Bet Hashoevah. This celebration would only take place on five or six days because it did not override Shabbat or the festival day. So if the first day of Sukkot and Shabbat coincided, then it would happen for six days; if not for only five. Interestingly, in the descriptions of the Bet Hashoevah that follow, the flute is no longer present. I do not have a good answer for this absence.

שמחת בית השואבה – because all of this rejoicing is on the drawing of waters of libation, they called it the Rejoicing of the House of Drawing on account of (Isaiah 12:5): “Joyfully shall you draw water [from the fountains of triumph].”

They said: he who has not seen the Simchat Bet Hashoevah has never seen rejoicing in his life. The Simchat Bet Hashoevah was supposed to have been the most joyous, celebratory occasion in the Jewish calendar. Indeed, to this day in our tefillot we call Sukkot “the time of our rejoicing (z’man simchatenu)”.

תקון גדול – they would surround it with balconies (see Talmud Sukkah 51b), and would place the women above and the men from below, in order that they would not come to act with irreverence.

Introduction This mishnah begins to describe the Simchat Bet Hashoevah ritual. The ritual seems to be centered around fire, which has led some scholars to suggest the Simchat Bet Hashoevah really means “The Celebration of Fire.”

בראשיהן – at the top of each Menorah/candelabrum.

At the conclusion of the first festival day of Sukkot they descended to the Women’s Court (Ezrat and they would make there a great enactment. As we learned in yesterday’s mishnah, they did not celebrate the Simchat Bet Hashoevah on either Shabbat or on the festival. They would not begin until after the first festival day was completed. The celebration would start with the people going into the “Women’s Court.” This was a section in the Temple into which both men and women could enter, but it was as far as women could go in the Temple. Hence it was called the “Women’s Court.” The mishnah says that they would make their a “great enactment” but does not explain what this was. The Talmud explains that they separated the men and women, putting the men below and the women up into the balcony so that they wouldn’t mix. The fear was that in the midst of such a raucous occasion the mixture of men and women together could lead to transgression. Hence they separated between the sexes. However, on normal occasions men and women seem to have been together in the Women’s Court.

And golden candlesticks were there, and four golden bowls on the top of each of them and four ladders to each, and four youths drawn from the young priests, and in their hands there were jars of oil containing one hundred and twenty logs which they poured into the bowls. The first thing they would do was light an enormous menorah. On each candlestick there were four golden bowls according to tomorrow’s mishnah, there was enough light to light up all of Jerusalem! Children would climb ladders to light the menorah and they would use 120 logs of oil, which is the equivalent of fifteen liters of oil. This works out to about half a liter of oil for each bowl.

מבלאי מכנסי כהנים – from the rags of the pants of the Kohanim/priests, and from their old belts.

Introduction Today’s mishnah continues the description of the incredible light which shone from the menorah at the Simchat Bet Hashoevah.

היו מפקיעים – they tear them to make wicks.

From the worn-out pants and belts of the priests they made wicks and with them they kindled the lamps. The wicks that they used to light the candles were not made from any old ordinary material. They used the worn-out pants and belts the priests, which they wore in their Temple service. This teaches us that once something has been used for one mitzvah it is fitting that it should be used in another mitzvah as well.

שלא היתה מאירה – because the Menorahs/candelabrums were fifty cubits tall and the Tempe Mount was tall and its light would shine throughout the entire city.

And there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the light of the Bet Hashoevah. The light from the menorah was so great that according to the mishnah it lit up all of Jerusalem.

באבוקות של אור – with four torches or eight (Talmud Sukkah 53a), this one who throw it and the other person would receive it.

Introduction This mishnah describes the Simchat Bet Hashoevah.

דברי שירות ותשבחות – there were those from them that would say: “Happy is our childhood that we did not embarrass our elders,” these are our pious ones and men of deeds. And there were those who would say: “Happy are our elders who atoned for our childhoods,” these are the repentant individuals. Both groups would say: “Happy are those who did not sin, and he he who did sin and was pardoned.”

Men of piety and good deeds used to dance before them with lighted torches in their hands, and they would sing songs and praises. After having lit the menorah, the party kicks off with dancing, singing and the playing of musical instruments. The first participants mentioned are the “Hasidim” or the men of piety and men whom are known for their good deeds. This group’s participation is unusual and noteworthy for these were men chosen based on their deeds and not on their lineage. In my opinion this was indeed one of the functions of the Simchat Bet Hashoevah, to give a greater role to those who are not of the priestly or Levitical clans. It is these people whose dancing, songs and praise would probably have stood out the most. This dancing and singing took place in the Court of the Women.

שעליהם הלוים עומדים בשיר – at the joy of the house of the water-drawing. But the platform for the song of the [sacrificial] offering was near the altar.

And Levites with innumerable harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets and other musical instruments stood upon the fifteen steps leading down from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women, corresponding to the fifteen songs of ascents in the Psalms, and it was on these [steps] that the Levites stood with their musical instruments and sang their songs. The second group is the Levites who would arrange themselves on the fifteen steps leading up from the Court of the Women to the Court of the Israelites. The mishnah notes that these fifteen steps correlate with the fifteen Psalms which begin “A Song of Ascents (Shir Hamaalot)” (Psalms 120-134). One can only imagine how beautiful, indeed sublime, their music must have been.

תקעו והריעו ותקעו – this was a sign to go and fill up water for libations from the Shiloah.

Two priests stood by the upper gate which leads down from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women, with two trumpets in their hands. When the cock crowed they sounded a teki'ah [drawn-out blast], a teru'ah [staccato note] and again a teki'ah. When they reached the tenth step they sounded a teki'ah, a teru'ah and again a teki'ah. When they reached the Court [of the Women] they sounded a teki'ah, a teru'ah and again a teki'ah. They would sound their trumpets and proceed until they reached the gate which leads out to the east. The third group involved is the priests. The priests begin the ceremony standing above everyone else, up in the Court of the Israelites. When the cock crows at the crack of dawn they begin a process of descending and blowing shofar blasts at set stages. Eventually this leads them down through the women’s court and out to the eastern gate.

הגיעו לעזרה – to the ground of the Women’s courtyard.

When they reached the gate which leads out to the east, they turned their faces from east to west and said, “Our fathers who were in this place ‘their backs were toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun toward the east’, but as for us, our eyes are turned to the Lord.” Rabbi Judah said: they used to repeat [the last words] and say “We are the Lord’s and our eyes are turned to the Lord.” When they get to the eastern gate they are facing the sun. They turn around so that their backs are to the sun and use this opportunity to profess their faith in God and their denial of the worship of the sun. They quote from Ezekiel 8:16 in order to highlight that the sin of sun-worship is not just something that “others” or Greeks were engaged in, but something that Israelites themselves were accused of by Ezekiel. It seems to me likely that there is also a polemic here against other contemporary Jewish groups who had a solar calendar. A calendar based on the sun and actual worship of the sun could probably have been associated. Certainly it would make sense that the Pharisees/rabbis would claim that their rivals, the Essenes and perhaps the Sadducees, were not just basing their calendar on the sun but were worshipping the sun as well. We have already seen on a number of occasions that Sukkot was a holiday full of strife between the various sects of ancient Judaism. The mishnah ends its procession at this point, but it is quite clear that it was not actually over at this moment but that from the eastern gate they would make their way down to the Shiloah spring in order to draw water for the water-libation.

הפכו פניהם למערב – to the side of the courtyard and the Temple, in order to state this matter.

שונין – they would repeat saying.

אנו ליה – they would prostrate and give thanks on what had taken place.

וליה עינינו – to trust in what will come.

שלש לפתיתת שערים – When they open the gates of the courtyard, they would sound [the Shofar] with a Tekiah (a succession of connected notes), Teruah (a tremolo) and a Tekiah, and it would be considered to them as three Tekiot.

Introduction Since the previous mishnah mentioned the extra shofar blasts that were sounded during Sukkot, today’s mishnah discusses how many shofar blasts were sounded on other occasions in the Temple. As we shall see, more shofar blasts were blown on the eve of Shabbat during Sukkot than at any other time during the year.

ותשע לתמיד של שחר – when they would offer the daily libations, the Levities would recite songs, and [during] three periods they would stop, and during each period the Kohanim would sound [the Shofar] Tekiah, Teruah, Tekiah, and the people would prostrate themselves [the Tekiah, Teruah, Tekiah would be considered to them as three], hence there were nine Tekiot.

They never have less than twenty-one blasts in the Temple, and never more than forty-eight. This is an introduction to the rest of the mishnah. We should remember that each tekiah (unbroken sound) and each teruah (staccato sound) counts as one blast. The blasts always come in sets of three, first a tekiah, then a teruah and then another tekiah. Sometimes this order is repeated and sometimes it is performed three times.

להבטיל העם ממלאכה – the first Tekiah [in order to] suspend [from working] the people that are in the fields, the second Tekiah [caused] that the shutters would be removed and the stores would be locked, and at the third Tekiah, he removed what had to be removed and hid what had to be hidden what had been warmed and they kindled the candles.

Every day there were twenty-one blasts in the Temple, three at the opening of the gates, nine at the morning tamid sacrifice, and nine at the evening tamid sacrifice. On normal days there were twenty-one blasts. There were three blasts in the morning to announce the opening of the Temple gates, and then nine blasts at each of the two daily sacrifices, the morning tamid and the afternoon tamid.

ושלש להבדיל בין קודש לחול – after the first soundings [of the Shofar] , he delayed in order to roast a small fish, and he then [sounds] a Tekiah, and Teruah and a Tekiah. These three later soundsings to announce that the day has been sanctified.

At the musafim (additional they would add another nine. On the festivals and on Shabbat there were an extra nine blasts for the musaf offerings. The Talmud explains that no matter how many musaf offerings were offered on that day, nine and only nine blasts were sounded. Thus even on Shabbat during the festival, when there were musaf offerings for Shabbat and for the festival, there were still only nine.

שלש לפתיחת שערים – of the courtyard where they sound the Shofar daily.

And on the eve of Shabbat they would add another six, three as a sign to the people to stop working and three to mark a distinction between the holy and the profane. On the eve of Shabbat there were six other blasts, whose function was not connected to sacrifices or to Temple procedures but rather to Shabbat. There were three blasts that let people know that Shabbat was approaching and that they needed to stop working. And then there were another three blasts to let people know that Shabbat had begun. Interestingly, there was a stone from the ruins of the Temple found in Jerusalem that had written on it "bet hatekiah lehav…" which means "the house of blasting to distinguish." Probably, the reference is to the practice in this very mishnah. This stone was once part of the section in the Temple where they blew shofar blasts to distinguish between kodesh (Shabbat) and hol (non-Shabbat). To this day in Jerusalem and in a few other cities in Israel as well they sound a warning to let people know that Shabbat has begun. It turns out therefore, that on the eve of Shabbat during Pesah or on Shavuot, there would be thirty-six blasts 21 for the normal occasions, 9 for musaf, and 6 for the eve of Shabbat.

ושלש לשער עליון – as we have said above (Tractate Sukkah, Chapter 5, Mishnah 4), two Kohanim stood at the upper gate and when the cock crowed, they would [sound] the Tekiah, the Teruah and the Tekiah.

On the eve of Shabbat in the intermediate days of the [Sukkoth] festival, there were [therefore] forty-eight blasts: three at the opening of the gates, three at the upper gate, three at the lower gate, three at the water-drawing, three at the altar, nine at the daily morning sacrifice, nine at the daily evening sacrifice, nine at the additional sacrifices, three as a sign to the people to cease from work, and three to mark a distinction between the holy and the profane. In the previous mishnah we learned that there were nine additional blasts for the Simchat Bet Hashoevah, in 4:9 we learned of three blasts for the water-libation and in 4:5 there were three blasts for the aravah ritual. Therefore, on the eve of Shabbat during Sukkot (but not on the first day) there should have been 51 blasts 36 from section four and 15 additional blasts which were special to Sukkot. However, our mishnah teaches that there were only 48 blasts. The best explanation for this discrepancy seems to be that this mishnah skips the three blasts that were done on the tenth step leading down to the Court of the Women during the Simchat Bet Hashoevah. Explained this way, when our mishnah says the upper gate, it refers to the first three blasts at the Simchat Bet Hashoevah. The lower gate refers to those sounded when they reached the Court of the Women. The three at the water-drawing refers to those mentioned in 4:9, and the three at the altar refers to the three at the aravah ritual (4:6). Commentators also note another problem with this mishnah. There were even more blasts sounded on Pesah when the passover offering was being sacrificed. These could reach 27 blasts (three each time the Hallel was sung, three potential groups, each singing the Hallel three times). If Pesah fell on the eve of Shabbat that there could be 54 blasts, more than the 48 mentioned in our mishnah.

ושלש לשער התחתון – as it is taught above (ibid.), whent hey arrived at the courtyard, they sounded the Tekiah, Teruah and Tekiah, and they lengthen them until they reached the lowest gate, as it is aught, they would continue to sound the Shofar until they arrived at the gate that leaves from the east, and thus they called the three of the lowest gate, and the three of the tenth ascending step are not considered, for this Tanna/teacher holds like Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov who stated that they do not sound the Shofar at the tenth step/ascent.

ושלש למילוי המים – after they drew the water and came to the Temple courtyard through the Water Gate, they sounded the Tekiah, Teruah and Tekiah.

על גבי המזבח – as it is taught in the Mishnah of [the fourth] chapter of [Tractate Sukkah], “Lulav V’Aravah/the palm branch and the willow (Mishnah 5), and they put them standing up on the altar, they sounded the Tekiah, the Teruah and the Tekiah. But our Tanna did not bring here [the case] when the Eve of Passover occurs on Shabbat, when the Passover sacrifice is slaughtered in three classes/groups and there were many soundings of the Shofar there, because it was not all that frequent when the Eve of Passover would occur on Shabbat. And that which is taught in the Mishnah (our text, Tractate Sukkah, Chapter 5, Mishnah 5; see also Tractate Arakhin, Chapter 2, Mishnah 3 for a similar phrasing), that we don’t add to the forty-eight sounds of the Shofar, it is not exact., for when the Eve of Passover falls on the Shabbat, there are times when they add up to fifty-seven sounds of the Shofar.

יום טוב הראשון של חג וכו' – there were twenty-four divisions for duty for the Kohanim/priests in the Temple and all of them ascend for the Festival [of Sukkot] and all of them are worthy of the obligatory sacrifices that come on account of the Festival, and sixteen divisions for duty offer sixteen cattle, which are thirteen bulls and two rams and one goat, hence, there remained eight divisions of duty for the fourteen sheep, six of the divisions of duty from the eight would each offer two lambs, which are twelve lambs and the rest of them, the remaining two divisions of duty, would offer one apiece.

Introduction The priests were divided into twenty-four watches, each watch serving for a week at the Temple. During a watch’s week the priests of that watch kept all of the sacrificial meat and any other part of the sacrifice that they were allowed to use. However, during pilgrimage festivals all twenty-four watches equally divided the sacrifices that were offered on account of the festival. Our mishnah teaches how the numerous Sukkot offerings were divvied up.

בשני – when one of the bulls is diminished and there remained nine divisions for duty for fourteen sheep, five of them would offer two apiece, which is ten. But the rest which are the remaining four divisions for duty each one offers one lamb.

On the first festival day of Sukkot there were thirteen bulls, two rams and one goat. Fourteen lambs remained for the other eight priestly watches.
On the first day, six [watches] offered two each and the remaining [two] one each. On the first day of Sukkot there were thirty animals sacrificed: thirteen bulls, two rams, one goat (for a sin-offering) and fourteen lambs (Numbers 29:13-16). This means that 16 priestly watches could take one animal each, leaving fourteen animals for the other eight watches. On the first day of the festival, six watches would sacrifice two lambs and the other two watches would get one lamb each.

בשלישי – when another bull is diminished from the bulls [offered], and there remained ten divisions of duty for fourteen lambs. Four divisions of duty would offer two apiece, which is eight, and the rest [offer] one apiece, six lambs for six divisions of duty.

On the second day five offered two each and the remaining [four] one each. On the second day there was one less bull, so the total number of animals was only 29. Fifteen watches would take the fifteen non-lamb animals, leaving nine watches to split 14 lambs. Five would take two lambs, leaving four to each take one.

בשביעי כולו שוין – the divisions of duty [are equal. And they offer equivalent [numbers] of lambs, for each one offers one each, for there are only seven bulls, two rams and one goat for ten divisions of duty. There remained fourteen lambs for fourteen divisions of duty.

On the third day four offered two each and the remaining [six] one each. On the third day there were 11 bulls, for a total of 28 animals. Fourteen watches would take the fourteen non-lamb animals, leaving ten watches to split 14 lambs. Four would take two lambs, leaving six to each take one.

בשמיני חוזרים לפייס כברגלים – one bull, one ram and seven sheep which are offered on the eighth [day of Solemn Assembly/Shemini Atzeret] which are not offered according to the order of the sacrifices of the Festival [of Sukkot] according to the order of the divisions of duty, but each of the divisions of duty come and appease them [through a lottery], just as they appease during the rest of the Festivals. And the order of the allotment is described in the first chapter of Yoma (actually, in the second chapter, Mishnayot 2-4).

On the fourth day three offered two each and the remaining [eight] one each. On the fourth day there were only 10 bulls, for a total of 27 animals. Thirteen watches would take the thirteen non-lamb animals, leaving 11 watches to split 14 lambs. Three would take two lambs, leaving eight to each take one.

אמרו משמר שהקריבו פרים היום – they would not offer bulls on the morrow, for the division of duty that offered lambs yesterday, we don’t allow them , but they return in the nighttime.

On the fifth day two offered two each and the remaining [ten] one each. On the fifth day there were only 9 bulls, for a total of 26 animals. Twelve watches would take the twelve non-lamb animals, leaving 12 watches to split 14 lambs. Two would take two lambs, leaving ten to each take one.

On the sixth day one offered two and the remaining [twelve] one each. On the sixth day there were only 8 bulls, for a total of 25 animals. Eleven watches would take the eleven non-lamb animals, leaving 13 watches to split 14 lambs. One would take two lambs, leaving 12 to each take one.

On the seventh day all were equal. On the seventh day there were 24 animals for 24 watches each watch got one.

On the eighth day they again cast lots as on the other festivals. On Shmini Atzeret there were only 10 animals sacrificed, one bull, one ram, one goat and seven lambs (Numbers 29:35-38). The watches would then cast lot to see who received what (see Yoma 2:1).

They said: the [watch] that offered bulls on one day should not offer them on the next, but that they should take their turns in rotation. It is obviously better to receive a large meaty bull than a small goat. It wouldn’t have been fair for one watch to monopolize the larger animals. Therefore a watch that got a bull one day would not get a bull the next day. Without going through all the math, with a total of 70 bulls offered over the seven days of Sukkot, 22 of the watches would have been able to offer 3 bulls and two would have had to suffice with only 2 bulls. I think they should put this mishnah as a word problem (everyone's favorite) on a math exam!

באימורי הרגלים – in what is offered on the Festivals, that is to say, the sacrifices that are offered on the Festivals, where all the divisions of duty for priests were equivalent, such that the breast and the foreleg of the Festival peace-offerings of each and every person and the burnt offerings made for appearance [in the Temple] and of the Additional offerings/Musaf of the community and the goats of the sin-offerings.

Introduction In yesterday’s mishnah we learned that the twenty-four priestly watches equally divided the sacrifices that were offered on account of the festival. Our mishnah now discusses the ownership over the other sacrifices that would have been offered on the three festivals.

ובחלוק לחם הפנים – when the Shabbat occurred during the festival, for on the Sabbath they would remove it and set up another, as it is written (Leviticus 24:8): “He shall arrange them before the LORD regularly every sabbath day…”

At three periods in the year all the priestly watches shared equally in the festival sacrifices and in the division of the showbread. This is a reference to the previous mishnah. On all three festivals all of the watches shared equally in all of the sacrifices that came on account of the festival. This would include the musafim mentioned yesterday, but also the “hagigah” and other special sacrifices that individuals would bring on account of the festival. They also divided the showbread equally, despite the fact that the showbread is not really a sacrifice that comes on account of the festival.

ובעצרת – when it occurred on Shabbat, and there is division/distribution of the Hametz/leavened two loaves [of Shew Bread] and the distribution of the Shew Bread when it is unleavened, we say to each and every one that we are giving him their portion of the shewbread, “here you have unleavened.” For since we do not divide a sacrifice corresponding to a sacrifice, but from each sacrifice each person takes his portion, as we derive it from (Leviticus 7:10): “[But every other grain offering, with oil mixed in or dry,] shall go to the sons of Aaron all alike,” therefore, we announce to him when we give him his portion, whether from unleavened bread or from leavened bread.

On Shavuot they used to say to the priest, “Here is matzah for you, here is chametz for you.” On Shavuot there were both the matzot of the showbread and leavened bread (chametz) from the two special loaves on Shavuot. Therefore they could amusingly say to the priest coming to take his share: here’s your matzah, here’s your chametz.

משמר שזמנו קבוע – to serve on this Shabbat where a Festival occurs during it.

A watch whose period of service was fixed [for that festival week] offered the tamid, vow-offerings and freewill-offerings and all other public offerings; and it offered them all. The watch whose week fell on the week upon which there was a festival would get the offerings that were brought not on account of the festival. They would get the tamid, the daily offerings. They also received the individual voluntary offerings vow offerings and free-will offerings. They also received other public offerings not listed in the previous mishnah. This would include the Shabbat musaf offerings. Finally, they would get any offering that was brought for some reason other than the festival. This would include first-born animals and tithes. We should note that despite the fact that the festival offerings were divided up equally among the different watches, it surely would have been a bonus to have one’s watch fall on the festival for the simple reason that more people came to the Temple at these times. It was at these times of the year that people would have brought their voluntary offerings, their first-born animals, their animal tithes and other offerings. Hence, it was probably quite lucrative to have your watch fall during the festival.

מקריב תמידין – which are not for the Festival.

A festival which fell next to Shabbat, either before or after it, all the watches shared equally in the distribution of the showbread. If Shabbat fell either on the day before the festival or the day after, all of the watches would receive an equal portion of the showbread. If it fell before the festival, they would have to get to Jerusalem before Shabbat, a day earlier than if the festival had fallen during the week. If it fell after the festival, they would have to stay a day later. Since they had to be there anyway, they received a portion of the showbread even though Shabbat was not on the festival.

נדרים ונדבות – which had been vowed or donated all year long and they were brought on the Festival.

וכל קרבנות צבור – which includes the bull for the unconscious/forgetful matter of the entire community and the goats for idolatry when the court erred collectively in their teaching and most of the community followed their decision, and if it this occurred on the Festive, the division of duty whose time is fixed offers that sacrifice.

מקריב את הכל – to include the altar’s summer time (a time when the altar was unemployed for private offerings, and the free-will burnt offerings had to be supplied from the Temple fund – see Mishnah Shekalim, Chapter 4, Mishnah 4 and Talmud Sukkah 56a), when it is unused for the offerings of the daily offerings have ceased and they do not bring thee vows or donations, they take from the excess monies from the remnant of the Temple treasury for congregational sacrifices and purchase from it burnt-offering sacrifices and offer them, and they are donations of the community, and even those if they were offered on the Festival, the priestly division of duty whose time is fixed offers them.

בין מלפניה בין מלאחריה – if Yom Tov/The Jewish Festival fell after Shabbat, even though there would not be a Sabbath during the Festival, even so, since it is necessary to advance their coming from Friday for the Festival, for on the Sabbath, they would not be able to come, we divide the shewbread [between them]. And similarly, if the eighth day came before it on Friday/the Eve of the Sabbath, even though there is no Sabbath in the midst of the Festival, we divide it [among them], for they would not be able to go.

חל להיות יום אחד מפסיק בינתיים – such as when the first day of the Festival occurs on Monday, when they could come on Sunday and they advanced their arrival to the previous Friday, or if the last day of the Festival occurs on Thursday, and they are able to go on Friday, but they were detained there on that Shabbat. All the divisions of duty that tarried there do not take other than the two loaves [of shewbread].

Introduction The final mishnah of Sukkah is a continuation of yesterday’s mishnah which dealt with the division of the showbread.

ומשמר שזמנו קבוע נוטל י' – and they divide them up between the division of duty that enters and the division of duty that leaves in the manner of all the weeks of the year.

If one day intervened between them [Shabbat and Yom Tov], the watch whose time of service was fixed [for that week] took ten [of the] loaves, while they that were detained took two. Yesterday we learned that if Shabbat fell next to Yom Tov (the first or last day of the festival) then all of the watches divided the showbread evenly. Today we learn that if there was one day in between Shabbat and Yom Tov, the watch whose week it was would get most of the showbread but not all. Since some of the watches might not be able to begin their way back home because they lived too far away to make it in one day, or might need to get to Jerusalem before Shabbat, they were compensated by getting at least a little bit of the showbread.

הנכנס נוטל ו' – that the divisions of duty are exchanged on Shabbat, this one works in the morning and that one works in the evening.

On all other days of the year the incoming watch took six loaves and the outgoing watch six. Rabbi Judah said, the incoming watch took seven and the outgoing five. At all other times of the year the incoming and outgoing watches would split the showbread evenly. The watches would actually switch their service on Shabbat. The new watch would arrange the new showbread and the two would split the showbread from the previous week. Rabbi Judah says that this division was not completely equal.

הנכנס נוטל שבע – they take an extra two loaves as compensation for the locking of the Temple doors when they lock the doors that were opened by the departing division of duty in the morning. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

The incoming watch divided it in the north, and the outgoing in the watch. In order that the watches should not get confused, the incoming watch would divide the showbread in the northern section of the Temple and the outgoing watch would divide in the south.

הנכנסים חולקים – between them is the bread that arrives for their portion.

[The watch of] Bilgah always divided it in the south; their ring was fixed and their alcove was blocked up. Bilgah is the name of one of the watches (see I Chronicles 24:14). According to the mishnah and other rabbinic sources they were punished for the sins committed by Miriam, the daughter of one of the priests. Miriam committed apostasy and married a Greek soldier, and when the Greeks entered the Temple during the time of the Maccabees she came in with him and acted in a disrespectful manner to the Temple. As a collective punishment for the whole watch they always divided in the south, as if to say that even when they were entering their service, it is as if they are on their way out. Alternatively, the Talmud says that Bilgah may have been punished because they were constantly late in arriving to serve in the Temple. In the Temple there were twenty-four rings, one for each watch. When skinning a sacrifice they could put the animal’s neck through the ring and have it held up while they skinned it. Bilgah’s ring was closed up so that they couldn’t use it. In addition, every watch had its own alcove in which they could store their knives. Bilgah’s was closed up, again as a punishment for their misdeeds.

בצפון – in order that it would appear to all that they are entering, and the north is essential, for it is fixed for the slaughtering of the Holy of Holies.

והיוצאים חולקים בדרום – so that it would appear that they are departing and taking leave, therefore they changed their place towards a direction that is not essential.

בילגה – the name of a family.

לעולם חולקת בדרום – and even when it enters, it is a fine that they (i.e., the Rabbis) placed upon them.

וטעבתה קבועה – twenty four rings were in the Temple courtyard at the place of the slaughtering [in the Temple] for the twenty-four divisions of duty of the Priests, and the rings of each division of duty were open on one side and turned upwards and they would bring in the neck of the animal into it and go back and turn its opening downwards into the floor, and the ring of Bilgah was fixed and never turned, and they needed to use that of others, and it was a disgrace for it (i.e., this family).

וחלונה סתומה – the windows were in the chamber of the slaughtering-knives (see Mishnah Middot, Chapter 4, Mishnah 7), where they would hide their knives. But the window of the division of duty of Bilgah was closed, and the rabbis fined them because of something that happened, that one woman from the Bilgah division of duty , and Miriam the daughter of Bilgah was her name, was guarded and married to one of the captains of the Grecian kings (see Talmud Sukkah 56b), and when the Greeks entered the Temple, she went and struck the altar with her sandal and said: “Lucas, Lucas” {which means, “wolf, wolf,” in the Greek language] (an opprobrious epithet of the altar), “how long will you withhold the money of Israel and you don’t stand up for them at the hour of their need/distress?” And when the Sages heard of this matter, they established her ring and blocked up the window of the entire division of duty, for they said that if not that she had heard from her father that he was despising the Divine service, she would not have said this. But because of her father, they (i.e., the Sages) fined the entire family, for woe it is for the wicked and woe to his neighbor; good for the righteous and good for his neighbor.