Tamid 2:3-4
משנה תמיד ב:ג-ד
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Tamid | Chapter: 2
📖 Mishna
Mishna 2:3
משנה ב:ג
Hebrew:
הֵחֵלּוּ מַעֲלִין בְּגִזְרִין לְסַדֵּר אֵשׁ הַמַּעֲרָכָה. וְכִי כָל הָעֵצִים כְּשֵׁרִים לַמַּעֲרָכָה. הֵן, כָּל הָעֵצִים כְּשֵׁרִין לַמַּעֲרָכָה, חוּץ מִשֶּׁל זַיִת וְשֶׁל גֶּפֶן. אֲבָל בְּאֵלּוּ רְגִילִין, בְּמֻרְבִּיּוֹת שֶׁל תְּאֵנָה וְשֶׁל אֱגוֹז וְשֶׁל עֵץ שָׁמֶן:
English:
After the ashes were cleared to the middle of the altar, the priests began raising logs onto the altar in order to assemble the arrangement of wood on which the offerings were burned. The tanna asks: And is wood from all the trees fit for the arrangement? The tanna replies: Wood from all the trees is fit for the arrangement, except for wood from the vine and from the olive tree, but the priests were accustomed to assemble the arrangement with wood from these trees: With young branches of the fig tree, of the nut tree, and of pinewood.
קלאוד על המשנה:
After clearing the ashes, the priests turned to building the fire. The Mishna asks a seemingly simple question — is all wood valid for the altar? — and provides a nuanced answer. While technically all wood is valid, olive and vine wood were excluded. The reason, discussed in the Gemara, relates to the importance of these trees to the Land of Israel’s economy and sustenance: olive trees produce oil and grapevines produce wine, both essential for the altar itself and for daily life. Burning them as firewood would be wasteful.
The preferred woods — fig, nut, and pine (etz shemen) — were chosen for their burning qualities. These trees produce dense wood that burns steadily and produces good coals rather than excessive smoke or ash. The selection of wood was not merely practical but reflected a broader principle: every element of the Temple service, even the fuel, was chosen with deliberation and purpose. The fact that the Mishna records which specific types of wood were customarily used shows how deeply the oral tradition preserved even the small details of Temple practice.
Key Terms:
- גִּזְרִין (Gizrin) = Logs or pieces of wood used for the altar fire
- מַעֲרָכָה (Ma’arakha) = The arrangement of wood on the altar upon which offerings were burned
- מֻרְבִּיּוֹת (Murbiyyot) = Young, straight branches particularly suitable for the altar fire
- עֵץ שָׁמֶן (Etz Shemen) = Pinewood or oil-wood, one of the preferred species for the altar arrangement
Mishna 2:4
משנה ב:ד
Hebrew:
סִדֵּר הַמַּעֲרָכָה גְדוֹלָה מִזְרָחָה, וַחֲזִיתָהּ מִזְרָחָה, וְרָאשֵׁי הַגִּזְרִין הַפְּנִימִיִּם הָיוּ נוֹגְעִים בַּתַּפּוּחַ. וְרֶוַח הָיָה בֵין הַגִּזְרִין, שֶׁהָיוּ מַצִּיתִין אֶת הָאֲלִיתָא מִשָּׁם:
English:
The priest who removed the ashes then assembled the large arrangement of wood upon which the daily offering and the sacrificial portions of the other offerings are burned. It was assembled on the eastern side of the altar, and its opening was on the eastern side of the altar, and the inner end of the logs would touch the circular heap of ashes. And there was space between the logs, in which the priests placed twigs, as they would ignite the kindling [ha’alita] from there, so that the fire would spread to the logs.
קלאוד על המשנה:
The large arrangement (ma’arakha gedola) was the primary fire on the altar, positioned on its eastern side with the opening facing east. This orientation allowed airflow to feed the fire. The detail that the inner ends of the logs touched the tapuach (the central ash heap) shows the spatial relationship between the fire and the ash pile — they coexisted on the altar’s surface.
The space left between the logs for kindling (alita) reveals the practical engineering of the altar fire. The priests could not simply stack logs and hope they would catch; they needed to create air gaps and insert smaller twigs that would ignite first and spread fire to the larger pieces. This is essentially the same principle used in building any wood fire, but here it was elevated to a sacred procedure performed with ritual precision on the altar of God.
Key Terms:
- מַעֲרָכָה גְדוֹלָה (Ma’arakha Gedola) = The large wood arrangement on the altar, used for burning the daily offering and other sacrifices
- חֲזִיתָהּ (Chazitah) = Its opening or front face, oriented eastward to catch the wind
- אֲלִיתָא (Alita) = Kindling material, small twigs placed between the logs to start the fire