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{
"title": "English Explanation of Mishnah Tamid",
"language": "en",
"versionTitle": "merged",
"versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/English_Explanation_of_Mishnah_Tamid",
"text": {
"Introduction": [
"Tractate Tamid describes how the sacrificial service was performed in the Temple in the morning, up until the sacrifice of the morning Tamid (daily offering). There are almost no disputes in the entire tractate, the only dispute being found in 5:2. The Tamid offering is described in Numbers 28:3-8:",
"1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Command the Israelite people and say to them: Be punctilious in presenting to Me at stated times the offerings of food due Me, as offerings by fire of pleasing odor to Me. 3 Say to them: These are the offerings by fire that you are to present to the Lord: As a regular burnt offering every day, two yearling lambs without blemish. 4 You shall offer one lamb in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 5 And as a meal offering, there shall be a tenth of an ephah of choice flour with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil mixed in 6 —the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai—an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord. 7 The libation with it shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb, to be poured in the sacred precinct as an offering of fermented drink to the Lord. 8 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, preparing the same meal offering and libation as in the morning—an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord.",
"There is also a daily incense offering. This is described in Exodus 30:7-8:",
"7 On it Aaron shall burn aromatic incense: he shall burn it every morning when he tends the lamps, 8 and Aaron shall burn it at twilight when he lights the lamps — a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout the ages. ",
"Many scholars believe that Tamid is one of the earliest tractates of the Mishnah. They believe that it was composed shortly after the destruction of the Temple. While there is some Babylonian Talmud on the tractate, there is not much. This may be, in my opinion, a result of the fact that there are virtually no disputes in the tractate, which also may be a result of the tractate having been composed at a very early period. In other words, the tractate was composed early, later sages did not discuss it very much, so we don’t find them debating about it, and this lack of interest by early sages in the subject, also caused later sages to not engage much in learning this tractate. Despite all of this, it is certainly one of the tractates of the Mishnah, so we will certainly learn it! Good luck and I hope you all enjoy tractate Tamid."
],
"": [
[
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nMishnah Tamid begins with a description of the priests sleeping in the Temple, before their daily work began.",
"<b>In three places the priests keep watch in the Temple: in the chamber of Avtinas, in the chamber of the spark, and in the fire chamber.</b> There were three places in the Temple where the priests would keep watch at night. When we learn Tractate Midot we will see a list of 21 places where the Levites kept watch. The three places here are also mentioned there. These three places are: The chamber of Avtinas, where they would prepare the incense. The chamber of the spark, where they kept the fire to light the fires on the altars. The fire chamber where they kept a large fire to keep the priests warm at night.",
"<b>In the chamber of Avtinas and in the chamber of the spark there were upper chambers where the youths kept watch.</b> Two of the chambers had upper chambers so that the younger priests who could not yet serve in the Temple could keep watch.",
"<b>The fire chamber was vaulted and it was a large room surrounded with stone projections, and the elders of the clan [serving in the Temple] used to sleep there, with the keys of the Temple courtyard in their hands.</b> The fire chamber did not have an upper chamber. Rather it was vaulted, and surrounded by rows of stones. On these rows of stones the priests serving in the Temple at the time (the Temple guard was split into 24 houses) would sleep, while holding the keys to the Temple courtyard.",
"<b>The priestly initiates used to place their bedding on the ground.</b> The young priests did not get to sleep on the rows of stones. They had to put their bedding down on the ground and sleep on the floor.",
"<b>They did not sleep in their sacred garments, but they used to take them off [and fold them] and place them under their heads and cover themselves with their own ordinary clothes.</b> None of the priests slept in the clothes that they would wear while performing the Temple service. Based on the continuation of the Mishnah it seems that they feared lest they would have an emission at night and thereby contaminate their clothes. Therefore, they slept in their regular, non-sanctified clothing.",
"<b>If one of them had a seminal emission, he used to go out and make his way down the winding stairs which went under the Birah, and which was lit by lights on each side until he reached the bathing place. There was a fire close by and an honorable seat [i.e. toilet]: and this was its honor: if he found it locked, he knew there was someone there; if it was open, he knew there was no one there. He would go down and bathe and then come up and dry himself and warm himself in front of the fire. He would then go and take his seat next to his fellow priests until the gates were opened, when he would take his departure.</b> This section describes what would happen if one of the priests had a seminal emission while sleeping in the Temple. According to Deuteronomy 23:11 such a person must leave the “camp”, which the rabbis interpret to be parallel to the Temple. The priest would exit the Temple by using a set of underground stairs. It was forbidden for him to walk through the courtyard, or even on the Temple mount because he was impure. These stairs were lit so that he could see his way. He would then come to the ritual bath and a private toilet. The mishnah notes that a private toilet was unique generally toilets were used by a number of people at the same time. So unique was this toilet that it was even called “The Seat of Honor.” After taking care of his needs, he would bathe and then warm up next to the fire kept there for his comfort (sounds like a spa!). He would then go back to the other priests until the gates of the Temple were opened, when he would exit. He could not go serve in the Temple because he was not fully pure until the following evening. However, since he had been to the mikveh, he was no longer impure, so he could exit through the normal gates."
],
[
"<b>Anyone who desired to remove the ashes from the altar used to rise early and bathe before the superintendent came.</b> The first work done in the morning was clearing the ashes from the altar. This could be done by anyone who wished to do so (see Leviticus 1:2). Before removing the ashes, the priest would have to bathe, because it is always forbidden to enter the Temple courtyard before bathing (see Yoma 3:3).",
"<b>At what time did the superintendent come? He did not always come at the same time; sometimes he came just at cock-crow, sometimes a little before or a little after.</b> The superintendent was in charge of the lottery used to determine who would get to perform what ritual in the Temple. The lottery is described in Yoma 2:1-2. The superintendent would arrive around the time when the cock crows (see Yoma 1:8).",
"<b>The superintendent would come and knock and they would open for him, and he would say to them, let all who have bathed come and draw lots. So they drew lots, and whoever was successful.</b> The superintendent would knock on the door and let the priests know that whoever had prepared by taking a ritual bath, could come and participate in the lottery. But if you didn’t bathe you’re out of luck. The early priest gets the meat, as they say."
],
[
"<b>He took the key and opened the small door, and went from the fire chamber into the Temple courtyard, and the priests went in after him carrying two lighted torches.</b> After waking them up, the superintendent would take the key and open the small door in the fire chamber that was connected to the courtyard. The regular gates to the courtyard did not open until it began to be light outside. The priests then entered the courtyard each carrying two torches.",
"<b>They divided into two groups, one of which went along the portico to the east, while the other went along it to the west.</b> They then divided into two groups to check the Temple to make sure that everything was still in its proper place.",
"<b>They went along inspecting until they came to the place where the griddle-cakes were made. There the two groups met and said, Is all well (? All is well (! They then appointed they that made the griddle-cakes to make griddle-cakes.</b> Each day the high priest would offer a tenth of an ephah of griddle cakes, half in the morning and half in the evening (see Leviticus 6:13-14; Menahot 4:5). They would end their examination at the place where these cakes were made and each group would ask the other if everything was okay. They would then formally appoint those who made the griddle-cakes to make the griddle-cakes."
],
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nToday’s mishnah deals with clearing the ashes from the altar.",
"<b>The one who had merited to clear the ashes, would get ready to clear the ashes.</b> After getting the griddle-cakes on their way, its now time to clear the ashes from the altar, the first ritual performed each morning. Mishnah two noted that the priest who performed this ritual was not chosen by lottery, but rather by his being the first to get out of bed and immerse.",
"<b>They said to him: “Be careful not to touch any vessel until you have washed your hands and feet from the laver. See, the fire-pan is in the corner between the ascent and the altar on the west of the ascent.”</b> Despite the fact that he had immersed, he still can’t touch holy vessels until he washes his feet and hands from the water in the laver. This would include the fire-pan. Therefore, before he begins the process, the other priests would remind him not to touch the fire-pan until he first washes his hands and feet. They would also remind him where the fire-pan was kept. This was helpful because it was dark in the courtyard.",
"<b>No one entered with him, nor did he carry any light. Rather, he walked by the light of the altar fire.</b> He would not carry a flame in with him rather he would walk along using only the dim light from the remaining fire on the altar.",
"<b>No-one saw him or heard a sound from him until they heard the noise of the wooden wheel which Ben Katin made for hauling up the laver, when they said, “The time has come.”</b> The other priests couldn’t see him or hear him until he began to draw water using the water wheel invented by Ben Katin. This water wheel is described in Yoma 3:10. The following is my commentary on that mishnah: Ben Katin is also credited with another improvement in the Temple, this one also connected to issue of water. He made a wheel that went into the water cistern which would cause the water in the laver to be connected to the water in the cistern. The reason for this is that any water left out overnight in a vessel in the Temple is rendered unfit. Without this wheel, the water left over in the laver would need to be emptied out every morning. Once they heard the wheel, they would say, “The time has come” meaning the time to wash his hands and feet.",
"<b>He washed his hands and feet from the laver, then took the silver fire-pan and went up to the top of the altar and cleared away the cinders on either side and scooped up the ashes in the centre.</b> The priest would then wash his hands and then clear the ashes and the cinders from the Temple.",
"<b>He then descended and when he reached the floor he turned his face to the north and went along the east side of the ascent for about ten cubits, and he then made a heap of the cinders on the pavement three handbreadths away from the ascent, in the place where they used to put the crop of the birds and the ashes from the inner altar and the ash from the menorah.</b> He would then descend from the altar, and deposit the ashes in the place where they would also dump out other waste-products, including the crop from the heads of bird offerings, and the ashes from the inner altar and the menorah."
]
],
[
[
"<b>When his fellow priests saw that he had descended, they came running and hastened to wash their hands and feet in the laver.</b> When the other priests see that the person who cleared the ashes had descended from the altar, they knew it was their turn to wash their hands and feet.",
"<b>They then took the shovels and the forks and went up to the top of the altar. The limbs and pieces of fat that had not been consumed since the evening they pushed to the sides of the altar. If there was not room on the sides they arranged them on the surround or on the ascent.</b> Their task was to take the pieces of the sacrifices that had not been consumed the day before and to clear them to the sides of the altar to make room for the wood they were now going to burn for the new day’s sacrifices. These limbs and pieces of fat would still burn; they would just do so on the sides of the altar. If there wasn’t enough room on the sides of the altar, they would even take some pieces off of the altar and put them on the ledge surrounding the altar or on the ascent. As we will learn in mishnah five, these pieces were later put back on so that they could be consumed."
],
[
"<b>They then began to throw the ashes on to the heap (. This heap was in the middle of the altar, and sometimes there was as much as three hundred kor on it.</b> After having cleared the limbs and pieces of fat, the other priests would take the ashes still on the altar and heap them onto the middle of the altar, onto a place called the “tapuah.” The pile of ashes on the tapuah could get quite high, as the mishnah testifies. However, when the tapuah began to overflow with ash, they would remove all of it and take it out of the city.",
"<b>On festivals they did not use to clear away the ash because it was reckoned an ornament to the altar.</b> On festivals they let the ash heap grow even higher because by seeing the massive amounts of ashes, people could tell how many sacrifices had been offered. The large ash-heap was considered to be ornamental to the altar.",
"<b>It never happened that the priest was neglectful in taking out the ashes.</b> This section relates to the previous one. One might have thought that they neglected to clear away the ashes during the festival, perhaps because they were so busy with other matters. To dash this thought, the mishnah notes that the priests never neglected the duty of taking the ashes off of the altar. They left the ashes on the altar during the festival out of intention and not neglect."
],
[
"<b>They then began to take up the logs to place onto the fire.</b> After having cleared the altar of the ashes or at least pushing them into the middle of the altar, the priests can now begin to bring up new wood to use to burn the day’s sacrifices.",
"<b>Were all kinds of wood valid for the fire? All kinds of wood were valid for the fire except vine and olive wood. But what they mostly used were boughs of fig trees and of nut trees and of oil trees.</b> Any wood could be used on the altar except for olive wood and vines. These were not used for kindling because these are the primary fruit bearing trees in Israel. It would be completely wasteful to use them as firewood. The most common trees were figs, nuts and oil trees. Note that these trees also bear fruit, but they were used for fire because their fruit was less significant than the wine and oil that come from the vine and olive trees. Alternatively, some commentators claim that these types of trees can only be used if the figs, nuts or oil that they produce are of low quality."
],
[
"<b>He then arranged a large pile on the east side of the altar, with its open side on the east, while the inner ends of the [selected] logs touched the ash heap.</b> They now begin to arrange the logs on the altar. They begin with a large pile of logs on the eastern side of the altar. In tomorrow’s mishnah we shall see that there was a smaller pile on the other side for burning the incense. The open side of the large pile faced east. The logs were arranged in straight rows from east to west, with the ends of the logs on the eastern side.",
"<b>Spaces were left between the logs in which they kindled the brushwood.</b> They left spaces in between the logs into which they put brushwood for kindling. Anyone who has ever made a good campfire should be familiar with this practice."
],
[
"<b>They picked out from there some good fig-tree branches to make a second fire for the incense near the south-western corner some four cubits to the north of it, using as much wood as he judged sufficient to form five seahs of coals, and on the Shabbat as much as he thought would make eight seahs of coals, because from there they used to take fire for the two dishes of frankincense for the showbread.</b> This section describes setting up the fire from which coals would be drawn to burn the incense on the inner altar, which stood inside the sanctuary (unlike the main altar which was outside). The wood used to make these coals was set up on the south-western corner of the altar, a little bit removed to the north. They would put enough wood to make five seahs of coals. On Shabbat they needed more coals because they would use them for the two dishes of frankincense burned on Shabbat with the showbread. Evidently, these two dishes needed an extra three seahs of coals.",
"<b>The limbs and the pieces of fat which had not been consumed over night were put back on the wood.</b> The chapter concludes by returning to those limbs and pieces of fat that were moved to the side in mishnah one of the chapter. These could now be moved back to the middle so that they could keep on burning.",
"<b>They then kindled the two fires and descended and went to the chamber of hewn stone.</b> After all this hoopla, the fires can finally be lit. After having lit the fires, they would go down to the chamber of hewn stone to raise a toast (just kidding!). In the chamber of hewn stone they will cast lots to see who gets to offer which sacrifice. But stay tuned the action continues in the next chapter."
]
],
[
[
"<b>The superintendent then said to them: come and cast lots, to see who is to slaughter, and who is to sprinkle the blood, and who is to clear the ashes from the inner altar, and who is to clear the ash from the candlestick, and who is to lift the limbs on to the ascent: the head, the right leg, the two forelegs, the tailbone, the left leg, the breast and the neck and the two flanks, the entrails, the fine flour, the griddle cakes and the wine.<br>They cast lots and whoever won, won.</b><br>The altar is heating up and ready to go. It’s now time to start figuring out who is going to do what in the Temple that day.<br>The mishnah simply lists what were the parts of the sacrificial process that were up for grabs during this lottery. Many of these actions will be further explained below, so I will not explain them now."
],
[
"<b>He then said to them: Go out and see if it is yet time for the slaughter. If the time had come, the one who saw would say, “There are flashes.”<br>Matya ben Samuel says: [He used to say] Has the whole of the east [of the sky] lit up. as far as Hebron?<br>And he [the observer] would answer yes.</b><br>Before the sacrifices were offered, they had to make sure that it was light outside.<br>Section one: The morning sacrifice could only be sacrificed after it was light. From the chamber of hewn stone they would send someone out to see if it was light outside.<br>Note that this process is not simply the practical issue of sending someone out to see if it was yet light outside. The process is highly ritualized the mishnah tells the priests what to say (“There are flashes!”) or provides them with ritualized questions to ask.<br>Section two: Matya ben Samuel was himself the “superintendent” so his testimony here is not just about what was said at this point, but rather what he himself used to say."
],
[
"<b>He said to them: Go out and bring a lamb from the chamber of lambs.</b> After having cast the lots, the first thing done was to fetch a lamb to use for the morning tamid.",
"<b>Now the lamb’s chamber was in the north-western corner. And there were four chambers there the chamber of lambs, the chamber of the seals, the chamber of the fire-room and the chamber where the showbread was prepared.</b> There were four chambers in the north-western corner of the Temple. My personal favorite is the chamber of the seals. Here the priests would teach the seals all sorts of tricks, like how to bounce a ball on your nose, how to clap your fins and most importantly, how to wave at the crowd when the show is over. I wonder where they kept the chamber of the little fish ☺. [Seriously, the seals were used to stamp the libation offerings so that the priests would easily know which libation goes with which offering. See Shekalim 5:3]"
],
[
"<b>They went into the chamber of the vessels and they took out ninety-three vessels of silver and gold.</b> They then went into the chamber of vessels to take out all 93 (!) vessels that would be used during the day’s worship.",
"<b>They gave the animal for the daily sacrifice a drink from a cup of gold.</b> While it might be tempting to think that they gave the animal a drink out of kindness. In reality the drink was so that its hide would be easier to strip after it was slaughtered.",
"<b>Although it had been examined on the previous evening it was now examined again by torchlight.</b> They would then reexamine the animal to make sure that it did not have a blemish that would disqualify it from being used as a sacrifice."
],
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nThe mishnah now describes the bringing of the tamid to the slaughter house, and provides a description of the slaughter house.",
"<b>The priest who had won the right to slaughter the tamid takes it along with him to the slaughter house, and those who had won the right to bring the limbs up followed after him.</b> The priest who won the right to slaughter and the priests who will bring the various parts of the sacrifice onto the ramp leading up to the altar all go to the slaughter house.",
"<b>The slaughter house was to the north of the altar, and on it were eight small pillars on top of which were blocks of cedar wood, in which were fixed hooks of iron, three rows in each, upon which they would hang [the tamid] and they would strip its hide on tables of marble that stood between the pillars.</b> The mishnah describes the slaughterhouse, especially the hooks on which they would hang the meat after the tamid was slaughtered. It is also describes the tables upon which the meat would be washed. These processes will be described later in the mishnah."
],
[
"<b>Those who had won the right to clear the ashes from the inner altar and from the candlestick would go first with four vessels in their hands the teni, the kuz and two keys.</b> Before the people described in yesterday’s mishnah would go to bring the animal to the slaughterhouse, the priests who had won the right to clear the ashes would first go in to do their work. The mishnah describes the four objects that they would carry with them. [This mishnah does seem to be out of order. Indeed, in the Talmud it comes before the previous mishnah].",
"<b>The teni resembled a large tarkav of gold and held two and a half kavs. The kuz resembled a large gold pitcher.</b> The first two objects were used to carry out the ashes. One was called the teni, and it was the size of a basket that could hold two and a half kavs (about five liters). The kuz resembled a gold pitcher. The mishnah does not state how large the kuz was.",
"<b>And two keys: One of the two keys would reach down to the “amah of the armpit” and the other opens immediately.</b> They also held two keys to open the two locks on the first door. With one key they would open a lock below called the “amah of the armpit.” There are two reasons given for why it has this name. First of all, the priest unlocking the lock might have had to bend down a cubit (an amah) until he opened it. Alternatively, he had to stick his hand into the door until it was up until his armpit. Once the bottom lock was opened, he could open the top lock with the other key immediately."
],
[
"<b>He then came to the small opening on the north.<br>The great gate had two small openings, one on the north and one on the south.<br>No one ever went in by the openings on the south, about which it is stated explicitly in Ezekiel, “And the Lord said to me, ‘This gate shall be closed, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it” (Ezekiel 44:2).<br>He took the key and opened the small opening and went in to the cell and from the cell to the Sanctuary, until he reached the great gate.<br>When he reached the great gate he drew back the bolt and the latches and opened it. The slaughterer did not slaughter till he heard the sound of the great gate being opened.</b><br>Section one: The priest who was to open the gates of the Sanctuary would first come to the northern opening on the outside of the great gate.<br>Section two: The great gate had two openings, but because of the verse in Ezekiel, the southern opening was never used.<br>Section three: The priest would open the northern opening (this was described at the end of yesterday’s mishnah) and then he would go in to the cell. This was a chamber which would open up into the great gate of the Sanctuary. It seems to have been within the thickness of the walls of the great gate.<br>Section four: The priest would then open the gate of the sanctuary, which was the sign to the priest who was to slaughter the tamid that he could proceed with the slaughtering."
],
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nOur mishnah describes some of the noises and sounds made in the Temple. In an exaggerated fashion, the rabbis claim that these noises could be heard in Jericho. Due to the fact that Jericho is probably 30-40 km’s from the Temple, these claims are clearly hyperbole.\nI shall explain what each of these sounds and smells were.",
"<b>From Jericho they could hear the sound of the great gate being opened.</b> Explained in yesterday’s mishnah.",
"<b>From Jericho they could hear the sound of the magrephah.</b> The “magrephah” which means “shovel” was a musical instrument that was shaped like a shovel.",
"<b>From Jericho they could hear the noise of the wooden pulley which Ben Katin made for the laver.</b> This was described in 1:4.",
"<b>From Jericho they could hear the voice of Gevini the herald.</b> He would summon the priests and Levites to their places. See Shekalim 5:1.",
"<b>From Jericho they could hear the sound of the pipes.</b> See: Arakhin 2:3.",
"<b>From Jericho they could hear the sound of the cymbals.</b> The cymbals would be clashed by Ben Arza. See Tamid 7:3.",
"<b>From Jericho they could hear the sound of the singing [of the Levites].</b> This refers to singing done without instruments.",
"<b>From Jericho they could hear the sound of the shofar.</b> Refers to the daily shofar blasts. See Arakhin 2:3.",
"<b>Some say also of the high priest when he pronounced the divine name on Yom Kippur.</b> See Yoma 6:2.",
"<b>From Jericho they could smell the odor of the compounding of incense.</b> That is some powerful incense. I had a roommate in college who seems to have had a mixture with similar potency ☺.",
"<b>Rabbi Elazar ben Diglai said: my father had some goats in Har Michvar, and they would sneeze from the smell of the incense.</b> Har Michvar is on the other side of the Jordan river. Super-sensitive goats!"
],
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nOur mishnah discusses removing the ashes from the inner altar and the menorah, both of which were inside the Sanctuary.",
"<b>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.</b> 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.",
"<b>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.</b> 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."
]
],
[
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nThe mishnah now describes the slaughtering of the morning tamid.",
"<b>They would not tie up the lamb but rather they would string its legs together.</b> The lamb was not tied to something else to keep it from running away. Rather it was strung up, with one forefoot tied to one of the hind feet. Note that the word for “strung its legs together” in Hebrew is “akedah” which is the same word used for the binding of Isaac.",
"<b>Those who merited [to bring up] the limbs took hold of it. Thus it was strung up: its head was to the south while its face was turned to the west. The slaughterer stood to the east of it, facing the west.</b> The animal was held still by those priests who had won the right to bring the limbs up to the ramp. It was slaughtered on the northern side of the Temple courtyard, with its head toward the south, the location of the altar. Its head was turned west, so that it faced the Sanctuary and the slaughterer stood on the opposite side, also facing the Sanctuary.",
"<b>The morning tamid was killed by the north-western corner of the altar at the second ring. The evening tamid was killed by the north-eastern corner at the second ring.</b> The morning and evening tamid were sacrificed by different corners of the altar. The “rings” referred to here are rings that were set in the floor of the courtyard, on the northern side of the altar.",
"<b>While one slaughtered another received the blood. He then proceeded to the north-eastern corner and cast the blood on the eastern and northern sides; he then proceeded to the southwestern corner and cast the blood on the western and southern sides. The remnant of the blood he poured out at the southern base of the altar.</b> Once the tamid was slaughtered another priest received the blood in a vessel. By casting the blood on two corners of the altar, he could cast it against both sides. In this way, with two shpritzes he could hit all four sides of the altar. He would pour out the remainder of the blood on the southern base of the altar."
],
[
"<b>He did not use to break the leg, but he made a hole in it at the [knee-] joint and suspended it from there.<br>He then began to flay it until he came to the breast.<br>When he came to the breast he cut off the head and gave it to the one who merited [bringing it onto the ramp].<br>He then cut off the legs [up to the knees] and gave them to the one who merited [bringing them onto the ramp].<br>He then finished the flaying.<br>He tore out the heart and squeezed out the blood in it.<br>He then cut off the forelegs and gave them to the one who merited [bringing them onto the ramp].<br>He then went back to the right leg and cut it off and gave it to the one who merited [to bring it onto the ramp], and the two testicles with it.<br>He then tore it [the remaining carcass] open so that it was all exposed before him.<br>He took the fat and put it on top of the place where the head had been severed.<br>He took the innards and gave them to the one to who had merited washing them.<br>The stomach was washed very thoroughly in the washing chamber, while the entrails were washed at least three times on marble tables which stood between the pillars.</b><br>The mishnah now describes in detail how the tamid was flayed. I think that most of this mishnah is self-explanatory, especially after it has been translated. The flaying is described in great detail, because it was an important part of the sacrificial process. Today, when most of us are greatly-distanced from the sources of the meat that we eat (or don’t eat), we might forget that cows don’t magically turn into steaks and hamburgers. The mishnah is a good reminder that inside a cow, or sheep or any animal, are internal organs that need to be removed, and for sacrifice, cleaned, before they can be put on the altar."
],
[
"<b>He then took a knife and separated the lung from the liver and the finger of the liver from the liver, but he did not remove it from its place.<br>He cut out the breast and gave it to the one to the one who had merited [bringing it onto the ramp].<br>He came to the right flank and cut into it as far as the spine, without touching the spine, until he came to the place between two small ribs.<br>He cut it off and gave it to the one who had merited [bringing it onto the ramp], with the liver attached to it.<br>He then came to the neck, and he left two ribs on each side of it, cut it off and gave it to the one to the one who had merited [bringing it onto the ramp], with the windpipe and the heart and the lung attached to it.<br>He then came to the left flank in which he left the two thin ribs above and two thin ribs below; and he had done similarly with the other flank.<br>Thus he left two on each side above and two on each side below.<br>He cut it off and gave it to the one to the one who had merited [bringing it onto the ramp], and the spine with it and the spleen attached to it.<br>This was really the largest piece, but the right flank was called the largest, because the liver was attached to it.<br>He then came to the tail bone, which he cut off and gave it to the one who had merited [bringing it onto the ramp], along with the tail, the finger of the liver and the two kidneys.<br>He then took the left leg and cut it off and gave it to the one who had merited [bringing it onto the ramp].<br>Thus they were all standing in a row with the limbs in their hands<br>The first had the head and the [right] hind leg. The head was in his right hand with its nose towards his arm, its horns between his fingers, and the place where it was severed turned upwards with the fat covering it. The right leg was in his left hand with the place where the flaying began turned away from him.<br>The second had the two fore legs, the right leg in his right hand and the left leg in his left hand, the place where the flaying began turned away from him.<br>The third had the tail bone and the other hind leg, the tail bone in his right hand with the tail hanging between his fingers and the finger of the liver and the two kidneys with it, and the left hind leg in his left hand with the place where the flaying began turned away from him.<br>The fourth had the breast and the neck, the breast in his right hand and the neck in his left hand, its ribs being between two of his fingers.<br>The fifth had the two flanks, the right one in his right hand, and the left one in his left hand, with the place where the flaying began turned away from him.<br>The sixth had the innards on a platter with the knees on top of them.<br>The seventh had the fine flour.<br>The eighth had the griddle cakes.<br>The ninth had the wine.<br>They went and placed them on the lower half of the ramp on its western side, and salted them (see Leviticus 2:13).<br>They then came down and went to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite the Shema.</b><br>Today’s mishnah gives an intricate description of the butchering of the tamid offering. Most of the mishnah is self-explanatory (although unless you’re a butcher or a scientist who has dissected a sheep, you might have trouble picturing the parts).<br>By the end of the mishnah, each of the parts that is put onto the altar is in the hands of the priest who won the lottery to bring that piece onto the ramp. They then go back to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite the Shema. We shall talk about this when we learn the next chapter."
]
],
[
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nToday’s mishnah discusses the blessings and verses that the priests would recite in the Chamber of Hewn Stone before the tamid sacrifice was placed on the altar.\nHistorically, this mishnah is of great importance. Scholars have often asked if Jewish prayer as we know it today existed during the time of the Temple. Today’s mishnah mentions prayers that later became part of the Amidah and Shacharit service. The Mishnah was not composed until about 200 C.E., so it is debatable as to how accurately it describes history. Nevertheless, the fact that the prayers mentioned here are not exactly the same as those that exist in a later period, lends credence to the possibility that this mishnah provides some of the earliest evidence as to the existence of Jewish prayer.",
"<b>The superintendent said to them: Bless one blessing! And they blessed.</b> The superintendent is the priest who had run the lottery (see 3:1-3). He first instructs them to recite one blessing. The mishnah seems to assume that one learning the mishnah would know what blessing was referred to. The Talmud explains the blessing to be “Ahavah Rabbah” the blessing that we recite before reading the Shema in the morning. Today we recite two blessings before Shema (“yotzer hameorot” is the other). It seems that during Temple times, only one was recited.",
"<b>They then read the Ten Commandments, the Shema, the “And it will be if you hearken” (the second paragraph of and Vayomer (the third paragraph of, and they blessed the people with three blessings: Emet veYatziv, and Avodah, and the priestly benediction.</b> The next recitation was the Ten Commandments. According to the Yerushalmi, this is part of the “Shema”. These did not become part of the liturgy outside of the Temple because of the “murmurings of the sectarians.” According to the Talmud, the rabbis feared that Jews would say that only the Ten Commandments were given by God, and that the rest came from Moses and is not divine or binding. In order to prevent this impression, this section was removed from the prayer service. The Shema is the same three paragraphs that are still recited today. The three blessings are still recited today, although they are placed differently within the service. Today, the Emet VeYatziv is the first blessing recited after the Shema, so its place has not changed since Temple times. It ends with “who redeems Israel.” The “avodah”, which means “worship,” is now recited towards the end of the Amidah. It begins with the word “Retzeh”. The “priestly benediction,” “May God bless you and protect you….” is recited today as part of the last paragraph of the Amidah. All three of these prayers contain words of blessing for Israel, which seems to be appropriate for this point of the service.",
"<b>On Shabbat they added a blessing to be said by the watch which was leaving.</b> On Shabbat, the new priestly watch would take over for the outgoing watch after the musaf (additional) sacrifice was offered. To celebrate this occasion, they would offer a prayer for the outgoing watch (meaning for themselves!)."
],
[
"<b>He said to them: those who are new to the incense come and draw lots, and who ever won, won.<br>He then said: new and old, come and draw lots to see who shall take up the limbs from the ascent to the altar.<br>Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob says: the one who brought the limbs on to the ascent also takes them up to the altar.</b><br>Section one: The burning of the incense was such a desirable piece of the Temple service that priests were not supposed to perform it more than once in their lives. Thus they would not draw lots to see who would offer the incense. Rather, the superintendent would call the priests who had never done so to come up and take his turn.<br>Section two: The limbs of the cut up sacrifice are currently sitting on the ramp/ascent up to the altar. They still need to be placed on the altar. According to the first opinion, there is another lottery to see who merits bringing each piece up. This lottery is open to priests who had performed this act before, as well as new priests. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob says that there is no new lottery. Rather, whoever brought the piece up to the ascent, he also gets to bring it up to the altar."
],
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nThe lotteries are now over, the winners have won and the losers, well, they have not won. Our mishnah discusses what those who did not win any lottery do.",
"<b>He then handed them over to the attendants, who stripped them of their garments, and they would leave on them only the pants.</b> The superintendent would now turn over to the Temple attendants the priests who had not won any lottery. The attendants would strip the priests of the special clothes that they wore to work in the Temple, leaving on only their pants, so that they wouldn’t be standing there naked. After they would put on their regular clothing, they could remove the priestly pants and put on regular pants as well.",
"<b>There were windows there on which was inscribed the name of the garment to which each was assigned.</b> There were windows in the Temple into which the priests could put their clothes. Each piece of clothing would have its own slot. This would save sorting the laundry later on, a job that I too find most cumbersome."
],
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nOur mishnah describes the ladle and spoon that held the incense.",
"<b>The one who had been selected to offer the incense took up the ladle, which was in shape like a big tarkav of gold, and it held three kavs,</b> The ladle which cradled the incense spoon was shaped like a big tarkav (a basket see 3:6) and it could hold up to three kavs.",
"<b>And the [small] dish was in the middle of it, heaped up with incense.</b> The small dish was placed in the middle of the tarkav, heaped up with incense. It was placed inside the larger basket so that the incense wouldn’t spill over and get lost.",
"<b>This had a covering, over which was spread a piece of cloth.</b> The dish was covered, and there was a small piece of cloth over the cover. All of this was done to keep the precious incense from getting lost."
],
[
"<b>The priest who had won the firepan, would take the silver pan and ascend to the top of the altar and clear away the live coals to this side and that, and he would rake [the coals]. He then went down and poured them into a gold [firepan].</b> The priest who had won the right to bring the firepan into the incense altar found inside the Sanctuary would take a silver pan and go to the top of the outer altar (see 2:5). He would clear the live coals to this side and that and rake the coals into the pan and then he would pour them into a gold firepan.",
"<b>About a kav of the coals was spilt, and these he swept into the channel.</b> The silver pan could hold four kavs and the gold pan could hold three kavs. So a kav of coals would spill onto the floor. During the week these could just be swept into the channel.",
"<b>On Shabbat he used to put an overturned pot on them.</b> On Shabbat it was forbidden to put out the coals, or to even move them. Therefore, in order to prevent them from causing damage, he would put a large vessel over them.",
"<b>This pot was a large vessel which could hold a letekh.</b> The pot was large enough to hold a letekh, which is about 90 kav. So it was plenty big to cover the coals.",
"<b>It had two chains; with one he used to draw it down, and with the other he used to hold it above so that it should not roll over.</b> This pot had two chains. The first was used to lower it down from the altar with the ashes (see next section). One priest would pull on a chain and the vessel would be lowered. The other chain was used to hold it steady. Another priest would stand up top and hold on to this chain so that it would stay steady.",
"<b>It was used for three purposes for placing over live coals, and over a [dead] creeping thing on Shabbat, and for drawing down the ashes from the top of the altar.</b> There were three uses for this vessel, two of which have already been described here (to cover the spilled coals on Shabbat and to lower the ashes from the altar). The third use would be to cover a dead sheretz (a creepy crawly thing) so that it wouldn’t cause impurity on Shabbat in the Temple. The sheretz is “muktzeh” so it can’t be moved or even touched on Shabbat. Therefore, they would cover it with the vessel until Shabbat was over. For more on how they dealt with the sheretz in the Temple see Eruvin 10:15."
],
[
"<b>When they came between the Sanctuary and the altar, one took the magrefah and threw it between the Sanctuary and the altar.</b> The two priests, one who had won the right to offer the incense and the other who had won the right to the firepan, now came between the Sanctuary and the altar. They would take the magrefah, which was a musical instrument shaped like a shovel (see 3:8) and throw it. This loud noise served as a warning to the other priests, as the mishnah explains.",
"<b>People could not hear one another speak in Jerusalem from the noise of the magrefah.</b> The noise of the throwing of the magrefah was so great that all over Jerusalem people could not hear one another speak. I’m assuming this is a bit of an exaggeration.",
"<b>It served three purposes: When a priest heard the sound of it he knew that his fellow priests were going in to bow down, and he would run to join them. When a Levite heard the noise he knew that his fellow Levites were going in to sing, and he would run to join them. And the head of the Ma’amad used to make the unclean stand in the east gate.</b> The mishnah now lists the three functions that this loud noise would serve. First of all, it would warn the priests that it was time to enter the Sanctuary to bow down. We shall learn more of this in tomorrow’s mishnah. Second, it would warn the Levites that it was time to sing. We shall see more of this in 7:3. Third, the priests and Levites were split into twenty-four watches or Ma’amad’s, each serving for a week in the Temple (see Taanit 4:2). The priest who stood at the head of each Ma’amad would make the unclean priests and Levites stand at the east gate so that they could go through their purification rituals, which might allow them to serve later during the week in the Temple."
]
],
[
[
"<b>Introduction</b>\nThe priests now make their way into the Sanctuary.",
"<b>They began to ascend the steps of the Sanctuary.</b> The two priests, one who had won the right to offer the incense and the other who had won the right to bring the coals from the outer altar to the inner altar, begin to make their way up the twelve steps that lie in front of the Sanctuary.",
"<b>Those who had won the right to clear the ashes from the inner altar and from the candlestick went in front.</b> The two priests, one who had won the right to clear the ashes off the inner altar and the other who had won the right to clear the candlestick, went before them. We should note that the Mishnah described these two jobs in 3:9. Our mishnah takes place after they have already done the work referred to there.",
"<b>The one who won the right to clear the inner altar went in and took the teni and bowed down and went out again.</b> The teni is the basket that the priest left inside the Sanctuary after clearing the altar. He now goes in takes the teni, bows down and then goes out again.",
"<b>The one who had been chosen to clear the candlestick went in, and if he found the two eastern lights still burning he cleared out the eastern one and left the western one burning, since from it he lit the candlestick for the evening.</b> This section is largely a repeat of mishnah 3:9. The two eastern lights are the first that he encounters when he enters. If both are still burning, then he cleans out the first one, which is called “the eastern one” but he leaves the “western one,” the second of these two lights, still lit. This is the light that he will use to light the other branches in the night.",
"<b>If he found that this one had gone out, he cleared the ash away and lit it from the altar of burnt-offering.</b> If he finds that both are out, then he lights the menorah with fire taken from the outer altar.",
"<b>He then took the kuz from the second step and bowed down and went out.</b> He then takes the kuz (another vessel) from the second step where he left it (3:9), bows down and then goes out. These two priests will now put the ashes from the inner altar and the menorah near the ramp, as we learned at the very end of 1:4."
],
[
"<b>The one who had won the right to bring in the firepan made a heap of the coals on the top of the altar and then spread them about with the end of the firepan and bowed down and went out.</b> This mishnah describes what the priest who took the firepan into the Sanctuary would do. First he would make a heap of the coals on top of the altar. Then he would spread them out over the altar so that the incense could be easily placed on top. Then he bowed and went out."
],
[
"<b>The one who had won the right to the incense took the dish from the middle of the spoon and gave it to his friend or his relative.</b> The chapter concludes with the burning of the incense. The priest who held the incense takes the incense dish out of the large spoon and gives the spoon to a fellow priest or a related priest who had entered with him.",
"<b>If some of it spilled into the spoon, he would put it into his hands.</b> Any incense that had spilled into the large spoon, he would gather up into his hands.",
"<b>They used to instruct him: Be careful not to begin immediately in front of you or else you may burn yourself.</b> He was warned not to scatter the incense first on the side immediately in front of him, because he would burn himself as he tried to scatter the incense on the other side of the altar. Very interesting to note how concerned the rabbis were with fire safety!",
"<b>He then began to scatter the incense and [after finishing] went out.</b> Rather, he would scatter the incense first on the side opposite from him, and then on the close side. When he was done, he would go out.",
"<b>The one who burned the incense did not do so until the superintendent said to him: burn the incense. If it was the high priest who burned: he would say to him: Sir, high priest, burn the incense.</b> The priest who would scatter the incense did not begin to do so, until told by the superintendent that he could begin. If he was speaking to the high priest, he would address him with some extra respect.",
"<b>Everyone left and he burned the incense and bowed down and went out.</b> All of the priests would leave the area between the altar and the Sanctuary while the incense was being offered, because it is forbidden for anyone to be there at this time (see Leviticus 16:17)."
]
],
[
[
"<b>When the high priest went in to bow down, three priests supported him, one by his right and one by his left and one by the precious stones.</b> The high priest would then go in to the Sanctuary. He would have three priests supporting him, one on each side and one who would hold on to the precious stones embedded either in his vest or in the breastplate.",
"<b>When the superintendent heard the sound of the footsteps of the high priest as he was about to go out [from the Sanctuary], he raised the curtain for him.</b> It’s good to be the high priest he even gets the superintendent to lift up the curtain before he comes out! [By the way, does anyone else picture the superintendent with a giant ring of keys, low hanging pants, without a belt and a cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth?].",
"<b>He went in, bowed down and went out, and then his fellow priests went in and bowed down and went out.</b> After the high priest has come out, the superintendent goes in, bows, and then goes out. Finally, all of the other priests take their turn and go in, bow down and go out."
],
[
"<b>They went and stood on the steps of the Sanctuary.</b> The priests now gather back at the steps going down from the Sanctuary to the courtyard.",
"<b>The first ones stood at the south side of their fellow priests with five vessels in their hands: one held the teni, the second the kuz, the third the firepan, the fourth the dish, and the fifth the spoon and its covering.</b> The “first ones” are those mentioned at the end of the last chapter: the one who cleared the inner altar, the one who cleared the menorah, the one with the firepan, the one who offered the incense, and his friend/relative. They are each holding their respective vessel in their hands. They stood on the south side. The other priests stood to their north, meaning to their left.",
"<b>They blessed the people with a single blessing, except in the country they recited it as three blessings, in the Temple as one.</b> The priests now recite the priestly blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26. In the Temple they would recite this as one blessing, meaning they would not say “amen” after each verse. In the “country,” meaning outside of the Temple, when the blessing was recited in the synagogue, they would recite it as three blessings. This is how it is done, at least in Israel, to this day.",
"<b>In the Temple they pronounced the divine name as it is written, but in the country by its substitute.</b> The mishnah now explains other differences as to how the priestly blessing was done in the Temple versus how it was done outside. In the Temple, they would pronounce the name of God as it is written. We should note that we no longer really know how the name is to be pronounced. Outside the Temple, and to this day, it is pronounced by its “nickname” Adonai.",
"<b>In the country the priests raised their hands as high as their shoulders, but in the Temple above their heads, except the high priest, who did not raise his hands above the diadem. Rabbi Judah says: the high priest also raised his hands above the diadem, since it says, “And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them” (Leviticus 9:22).</b> Outside of the Temple, the priests would lift their hands to the height of their shoulders (as they do today), whereas in the Temple, they would lift them over their heads. The one exception is the high priest who was not to lift his hands above the diadem (tzitz) on his head. This seems to be because of the holiness of the diadem. Rabbi Judah disagrees and holds that the high priest also would lift his hands above his head."
],
[
"<b>Introduction</b> With this mishnah, the sacrifice of the tamid comes to its thunderous conclusion.",
"<b>If the high priest wished to burn the offerings [himself], he would go up the ascent with the deputy high priest at his right.</b> The high priest always had the right to put the pieces of the tamid onto the altar himself. If he didn't want to, he could have the others do so (see section seven).",
"<b>The first [of the other priests] then handed to him the head and the foot and he laid his hands on them and threw them [onto the altar]. The second then handed to the first the two fore legs. And he handed them to the high priest who laid his hands on them and threw them [onto the altar]. The second then went away. In the same way all the other limbs were handed to him and he laid his hands on them and threw them [on to the altar fire].</b> Each of the priests would hand the part to the high priest, and he would lay his hands upon them. The second priest would hand up to the first, and then go. Similarly the third priest would hand to the first, etc. Thus all nine priests (see 4:3) would hand the pieces of the sacrifice which they held up to the high priest.",
"<b>He then went around the altar. From where did he begin? From the southeastern corner; from there he went to the northeastern, then to the northwestern and then to the southwestern.</b> The high priest would then make his way all the way around the altar to offer the wine libation. If this was done by a regular priest, he would simply go from the southeastern corner to the southwestern corner.",
"<b>They there handed him the wine for libation. The deputy high priest stood on the corner/horn of the altar with the flags in his hand, and two priests on the table of the fats with two trumpets in their hands. They blew a teki’ah, a teru’ah and a teki’ah. They then went and stood by Ben Arza, one on his right hand and one on his left. When he bent down to make the libation the deputy high priest waved the flags and Ben Arza struck the cymbals and the Levites sang the psalm. When they came to a pause they blew a teki’ah, and the public bowed down. At every pause there was a teki’ah and at every teki’ah a bowing down. This was the order of the regular daily sacrifice for the service of our Lord. May it be His will that it be rebuilt speedily in our days, Amen.</b> These sections refer to the wine libation, done after the tamid was on the altar. The table of fats is the marble table that stood on the western side of the ramp. They would place the limbs on this table. See Shekalim 6:4.",
"Ben Arza is the nickname of the priest in charge of the cymbals (see Shekalim 5:1).",
"After each set of trumpet blasts, the public standing in the Temple would bow down.",
"The mishnah concludes with a prayer for the Temple to be speedily rebuilt."
],
[
"<b>The following are the psalms that were chanted in the Temple.<br>On the first day they used to say, “The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein” (Psalms 24).<br>On the second day they used to say: “Great is the Lord and highly to be praised, in the city of our God. His holy mountain” (Psalms 48).<br>On the third day they used to say: “God stands in the congregation of God, in the midst of the judges he judges” (Psalms 82).<br>On the fourth day they used to say: “O Lord, God to whom vengeance belongs. God to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth” (Psalms 9.<br>On the fifth day they used to say: “Sing aloud unto God our strength, shout unto the God of Jacob” (Psalms 91).<br>On the sixth day they used to say: “The lord reigns, he is clothed in majesty, the Lord is clothed, He has girded himself with strength” (Psalms 93).<br>On Shabbat they used to say: “A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day” (Psalms 92). A psalm, a song for the time to come, for the day that will be all Shabbat and rest for everlasting life.</b><br>Congratulations! We have finished Tractate Tamid! It is a tradition at this point to thank God for helping us finish learning the tractate and to commit ourselves to going back and relearning it, so that we may not forget it and so that its lessons will stay with us for all of our lives. Tamid may have been one of the more unusual tractates that we have ever learned. Instead of disputes between sages, heaps of logic and laws, we get an intricate description of the Temple service. Indeed, although the language is clearly rabbinic Hebrew, its descriptive style is more characteristic of the Bible than of rabbinic literature. It is likely that these descriptions, or at least parts thereof, come from Temple times. They were preserved because the rabbis fervently hoped that the Temple would be rebuilt during their own lifetimes. While we may or may not share in this wish, I think we can all appreciate the respect in which they held this ceremony. Despite the fact that it was performed each and every day, twice every day, they don’t seem to have lost their sense of wonder at the intimate connection that they received with God through the sacrificial process. I hope you have enjoyed Tamid. Tomorrow we begin Tractate Middot (the last tractate in Seder Kodashim!).<br>Today’s mishnah lists the psalms that were chanted by the Levites each day in the Temple. Today we still recite these Psalms in the synagogue, and before we say them we say, “This is the Psalm that they used to say in the Temple.”<br>The mishnah concludes with a sort of prayer/midrash on the last Psalm."
]
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