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טרף בקלפי – seized forcibly, hastily and took suddenly with a haste of the ballot, as we taught [in the Mishnah] above (Tractate Yoma, Chapter 3, Mishnah 9), and there was an urn for the drawing of lots. And why with haste? In order that they should that they should not intend to recognize with his touch which was for God and take it in his right hand, because it was a pleasant sign when he would raise it with his right hand.

He shook the urn and brought up the two lots. On one was inscribed: “For the Name”, and on the other: “For Azazel.”
The deputy high priest was at his right hand, the head of the [ministering] family at his left.
If the lot “For the Name” came up in his right hand, the deputy high priest would say to him: “Sir, high priest, raise your right hand!” And if the lot “For the Name” came up in his left hand, the head of the family would say: “Sir high priest, raise your left hand!”
Then he placed them on the two goats and said: “A sin-offering for the Lord!” Rabbi Ishmael said: he did not need to say, “a sin-offering”, but just “for the Lord.”
And they answered after him: “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever!”
After a brief digression, the mishnah returns to discuss the main subject at hand the Yom Kippur procedure. We left off in mishnah nine with the high priest standing next to the urn in which were placed the two lots for the two goats.
Section one: The high priest would then shake the urn to mix up the two lots. The reason to mix them up was that it was considered good luck for the lot on which was written God’s name to come up in his right hand. On one of the lots was inscribed God’s name, but the mishnah chooses again to use “the Name” instead of God’s four letter name. This goat would be sacrificed. The other lot had written on it “For Azazel” this goat would be sent to the wilderness.
Section two: This was already described above in 3:9.
Section three: Whoever was on the hand of the high priest which had brought up the lot “For the Name” would tell the High Priest to raise that hand so that the people would know which goat was going where.
Section four: Then he would place the lots on the two goats. He would place he lot which came up in his right hand on the goat on the right and the one in his left hand on the goat on the left. When placing the lot upon which was inscribed “For the Name” he would call out “A sin-offering to the Lord”, or according to Rabbi Ishmael just “For the Lord.” Upon hearing God’s holy name the priests and Israelites observing the ceremony would cry out “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever” the same response we saw above in 3:8.

והעלה שני גורלות – one in his right hand and one in his left, and the goats stand one to his right and the other to his left, and he would give the lot that came up on the right [hand] on the goat of the right side, and the lot that rose in his left [hand] on the goat of the left.

לה' חטאת – he would mention the explicit name of God, and that is the name of Yud, Hei, (Vav, Hei) as it is written.

ור' ישמעאל אומר לא היה צריך וכו' – But the Halakah is not according to Rabbi Yishmael.

והן עונין אחריו – when he would mention the Name [of God].

לשון של זהורית – red colored wool.

Introduction After having drawn the lots to determine which goat would be slaughtered and which sent away, the day’s ceremonies continue.

כנגד בית שלוחו – corresponding to the gate that it would be taken out.

He bound a thread of crimson wool on the head of the goat which was to be sent away, and he placed it at the gate where it was later to be sent away, and on the goat that was to be slaughtered [he placed a thread of crimson wool on its neck] at the place of the slaughtering. After determining the goats, the priest would tie a piece of crimson wool on the sacrificial goat between its horns and then set it near the gate from where it will be later sent into the wilderness. He would also tie a thread around the neck of the goat which will later be slaughtered. We have actually already mentioned this piece of wool in Shabbat 9:3 and Shekalim 4:2 and we shall discuss it and its function again in Yoma 6:6, and 6:8. The Talmud on this mishnah explains that the purpose of these threads was to make sure that these goats didn’t get mixed up with others. They placed the threads in different places so that these two could be distinguished from one another.

ולנשחט – he would tie a crimson-colored strap corresponding to its slaughter house, that is to say, at its neck, and now it would not come to be switched with the goat that is to send off, for this one (i.e., the goat that is to be sent off) is tied at its head, and this one at its neck. And [regarding] both of them, with the rest of the goats, they are not switched, for these, a crimson-colored strap is tied and the other goats, there is no crimson-colored strap tied to them.

He came to his bull a second time, pressed his two hands upon it and made confession. And thus he would say: “Please, ‘Hashem’! I have done wrong, I have transgressed, I have sinned before You, I and my house and the sons of Aaron Your holy people. Please, ‘Hashem’! Forgive the wrongdoings, the transgressions, the sins which I have committed and transgressed and sinned before You, I and my house and the sons of Aaron Your holy people, as it is written in the torah of Moses Your servant: “For on this day shall atonement be made for you [to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the Lord”] (Leviticus 16:30). And they answered after him: “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever!” He now comes back to the bull (he was already there at mishnah 3:8) and offers up another confession. This time the confession is not only for him and his household but for all of the other priests as well. The words of the confession are the same as those in 3:8 above, except here he adds “and the sons of Aaron Your holy people.”

עויתי פשעתי חטאתי – Our Mishnah is [according to] Rabbi Meir, as it is written (Leviticus 16:21): “[Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat] and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, [putting them on the head of the goat…]}. But the Sages dispute him and say, that “iniquities” are those acts committed wantonly, and “transgressions” are [acts of] rebellion, and “sins” are inadvertent sins, for after he (i.e., the High Priest) confessed on the iniquities and on the [acts of] rebellion, he returns and confesses on the inadvertent acts, in astonishment, but rather, he states, I sinned, I committed iniquities, I committed transgressions. And similarly, regarding David, he says (Psalms 106:6): “We have sinned like our forefathers; we have gone astray, done evil.” And the Halakha is according to the Sages. But what is it that Moses stated (Exodus 34:7): “...forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin?” Such said Moses before God, that the Jewish people sins and does repentance, their iniquities become like inadvertent sins.

ממרס – he stirs and shakes and mixes it, so that it not become congealed when he delays until he performs the service of the incense.

Introduction In this mishnah the bull is slaughtered and the high priest begins to make preparations for the incense offering.

על הרובד הרביעי – each row of the stones of the floor is called a terrace (i.e., a paved level space between the steps in the Temple hall) (see Tractate Yoma 43b), and it is impossible to explain the fourth terrace in the hall containing the golden altar. The fourth row that is in the midst of the hall containing the golden altar from the opening of the hall containing the golden altar and inwards, for it is written (Leviticus 16:17): “[When he goes in to make expiation in the Shrine], nobody else shall be in the Tent of Meeting [until he comes out],” but it teaches the fourth terrace of the hall containing the golden altar, that is to say, the fourth terrace in the courtyard, that goes from the hall containing the golden altar to the courtyard, he counts the terraces and places it on the fourth terrace and stands there and stirs it. For inside the hall containing the golden altar, it is impossible as we have stated.

He killed it [the bull] and received its blood in a bowl, and he gave it to the one who stirs it up on the fourth terrace within the sanctuary so that it should not congeal. After making the second confession, he slaughters the second bull and receives its blood in a bowl. The blood will later be taken to the altar and sprinkled on it. In order that it shouldn’t congeal until that point, another priest stirs the blood continuously. This priest is standing on the fourth terrace. Between the outer altar and the Ulam, which was the entrance to the Hekhal (Sanctuary) there were twelve steps, divided into four groups of three. The third step of each group was made of specially paved stones and it was called a terrace. The fourth terrace was the uppermost one, and it was adjacent to the Ulam.

וחותה – he takes coals out with a pan and sets down the coal-pan until he grabs handfuls of the incense [with both hands] and places it within the pan and afterwards brings the pan and the coal-pan inside.

He took the coal-pan and went up to the top of the altar, and cleared the coals to both sides, and took a panful of the inner glowing cinders, and he came down and placed the coal-pan on the fourth terrace in the Temple Court. The priest would then take a coal-pan in which he would later turn the incense into smoke. He would get the ashes from the outer altar in the courtyard. First he would push the upper layer of ashes aside and take the hot burning cinders. Then he would come down off the altar and bring the coal-pan with the hot burning cinders up to the fourth terrace, the same place where the blood was waiting.

בכל יום – when he takes the coals out with a pan from the second pile of wood on the altar in the Temple of the incense to bring it into the inner altar for incense in the morning and evening.

On other days he would take out [the cinders] with a silver coal-pan, and empty it into one of gold, but this day he took them out with a golden coal-pan and in it he brought them [into the Hekhal].
On other days he would take them up with a coal-pan containing four kabs, and empty it into one containing three kabs, but this day he took them out with one containing three kabs, and in it he brought them in. Rabbi Yose says: on other days he would take them out with a coal-pan containing one se’ah, and empty it into one containing three kabs, this day he took them out with one containing three kabs, and in it he brought them in.
On other days the pan was heavy, today it was light.
On other days its handle was short, today it was long.
On other days it was of yellowish gold, today of reddish gold, the words of Rabbi Menahem.
On other days he would offer half a mina in the morning and half a mina in the afternoon, today he adds also his two hands full.
On other days [the incense] was finely ground, but today it was the most finely ground possible.
Our mishnah teaches seven differences between how the incense was offered on Yom Kippur and how it was offered every other day. Many of these changes were done to make the work on Yom Kippur easier for the high priest. The others were done to highlight the importance of the day.
Section one: On other days he would take the cinders off the altar with a silver coal-pan and then transfer them into a gold coal-pan. This was done in order to preserve the gold coal-pan because putting it directly into the fire would damage it. The Talmud demonstrates from here that the Torah has mercy on Israel’s money and doesn’t require them to consistently make the most expensive expenditures possible (a lesson that I think we would do well to take to heart). However, on Yom Kippur in order to make things less complicated for the high priest, the coals were removed with gold-pan itself and brought into the Hekhal and later into the Holy of Holies in the same gold-pan.
Section two: On other days he would remove the coals with a coal-pan that held four kav (about 8 liters) of coals and then transfer the coals to a slightly smaller pan which held on three kav. The extra kav of coals would spill out and they would sweep them away into the water channel in the Temple courtyard. On Yom Kippur since only one pan was being used he only removed three kav. Rabbi Yose says that on other days he would remove one seah, which is an equivalent of six kav of coals. He agrees that on Yom Kippur he would remove only three kav.
Sections three and four: Both of these changes from the daily routine would make the removal of the coals easier for the high priest.
Section five: Red gold was considered more valuable than greenish gold. Therefore it was used on Yom Kippur but not during the rest of the year.
Section six: Every other day the high priest would make two incense offerings, each of incense weighing half a mina, the weight of fifty dinars in coins. These two incense offerings were done on the incense altar in the Hekhal. On Yom Kippur because there was a third offering inside the Holy of Holies, he would have to add two handfuls.
Section seven: The daily incense was finely ground but the special incense for Yom Kippur, that which will be brought into the Holy of Holies was ground even finer. This is because Leviticus 16:12, the chapter concerning Yom Kippur, emphasizes that the incense must be ground fine, which is understood to mean that it must be ground even finer than the regular incense mentioned in Exodus 30:36 which also must be ground fine.

חותה בשל כסף ומערה בשל זהב – and he does not take the coals out with a golden pan for the removal of the coals rubs/pounds the utensil and causes diminution of itand the Torah had compassion on the funds of the Jewish people.

והיום חותה בשל זהב – in order to not trouble the High Priest to intermix from one utensil to another.

כבדה – for its wall was thick.

והיום קלה – for its wall was thin.

והיום ארוכה – in order that the forearm of the High Priest assists him.

והיום אדום – from gold which is called Parvayim (i.e., the name of a district or place known for its gold mines), which is a name that is similar to the blood of bulls.

פרס – one-half of a Maneh.

דקה מן הדקה – as it is written (Leviticus 16:12): “and two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense, [and bring this behind the curtain].” And what then is to be learned here, for doesn’t it already state (Exodus 30:36): “Beat some of it into powder…’ but rather, to tell you that the incense of Yom Kippur should be the finest of the finest.

בכל יום עולין במזרחו של כבש – as the Master stated: “All turns/movements that you face should not be other than in the path of the right side, which is to the east. For the ramp is in the south, therefore when one ascends to the east of the ramp which is nearest to the right turn.

Introduction The mishnah continues to outline the differences between certain procedures during the rest of the year and on Yom Kippur. The two in today’s mishnah are both related to special practices done to enhance the honor of the high priest.

והיום כהן גדול – because of his honor [in order to] demonstrate his importance that he is like a member of the household, and he walks in the place where he desires, what the other priests are not allowed to do.

On other days the priests would go up on the east side of the ramp and come down on the west side, but this day the high priest goes up in the middle and comes down in the middle. Rabbi Judah says: the high priest always goes up in the middle and comes down in the middle. The ramp was on the south side of the altar. The priests would walk up on the east side and walk down on the west side so that they wouldn’t run into each other. On Yom Kippur in order to emphasize his honor, the high priest would walk up the middle of the ramp. Other versions of the mishnah read “they would go up the middle and come down the middle”, in which case it refers to the high priest and those other priests who accompany him. Rabbi Judah says that when the high priest goes up and comes down the ramp, he always does so in the middle. Rabbi Judah here and in the next section seems to be emphasizing that the honor of the high priest is no less during the rest of the year than it is on Yom Kippur. We might even be able to suppose that for Rabbi Judah the high priest’s import is inherent in his position and perhaps even in his very genes. He is the high priest and therefore he is honored with special practices. In contrast, for the first opinion in the mishnah the high priest’s import is related to the unique rituals he performs. Since these are mostly on Yom Kippur, his honorific practices are only on Yom Kippur as well.

On other days the high priest sanctified his hands and feet from the laver, but this day from a golden ladle. Rabbi Judah says: the high priest always sanctifies his hands and feet from a golden ladle. Usually the high priest would wash his hands from the laver, but on Yom Kippur he used a special golden ladle, again to emphasize his honor and the significance of the day. Again, Rabbi Judah holds that the high priest does so every day.

בכל יום היו שם – in the outer altar.

Introduction The final mishnah of the chapter continues to deal with differences between Yom Kippur and other days.

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.

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.

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.

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.