Tamid 3:2-3
משנה תמיד ג:ב-ג
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Tamid | Chapter: 3
📖 Mishna
Mishna 3:2
משנה ג:ב
Hebrew:
אָמַר לָהֶם הַמְמֻנֶּה, צְאוּ וּרְאוּ אִם הִגִּיעַ זְמַן הַשְּׁחִיטָה. אִם הִגִּיעַ, הָרוֹאֶה אוֹמֵר, בַּרְקַאי. מַתְיָא בֶן שְׁמוּאֵל אוֹמֵר, הֵאִיר פְּנֵי כָל הַמִּזְרָח. עַד שֶׁהוּא בְחֶבְרוֹן, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר, הֵין:
English:
The appointed one said to the priests: Go out and observe if it is day and the time for slaughter has arrived. If the time has arrived, the observer says: There is light. Matya ben Shmuel says that the appointed priest phrased his question differently, saying: Is the entire eastern sky illuminated as far as Hebron? And the observer says: Yes.
קלאוד על המשנה:
The determination of dawn was a critical moment in the Temple service, as the daily morning offering could only be slaughtered after daybreak. The appointed priest sent an observer to check the sky, and the report was a single word: “Barkai!” — meaning light, or brightness. Matya ben Shmuel refined the formula, asking whether the entire eastern horizon was illuminated “as far as Hebron.” This geographic reference is striking: Hebron lies approximately 30 kilometers south of Jerusalem, and asking whether the light reached that far ensured that true dawn had spread across the entire sky, not just a sliver of light on the horizon.
The mention of Hebron may also carry symbolic weight. Hebron is the burial place of the Patriarchs, and the daily offering was understood as a continuation of the covenant between God and Israel that began with Abraham. By linking the morning light to Hebron, the Mishna connects the daily service to the deepest roots of Jewish history. The observer’s simple “Yes” (hen) in response completed a brief but profound exchange that authorized the entire day’s sacrificial service to begin.
Key Terms:
- בַּרְקַאי (Barkai) = “There is light!” — the declaration that dawn has arrived and slaughter may begin
- הֵאִיר פְּנֵי כָל הַמִּזְרָח (He’ir Penei Kol HaMizrach) = “The entire eastern sky is illuminated” — Matya ben Shmuel’s more precise formulation
- חֶבְרוֹן (Chevron) = Hebron, used as a landmark to verify the extent of dawn’s illumination
- זְמַן הַשְּׁחִיטָה (Zman HaShechita) = The time for slaughter, which begins at first light of dawn
Mishna 3:3
משנה ג:ג
Hebrew:
אָמַר לָהֶם, צְאוּ וְהָבִיאוּ טָלֶה מִלִּשְׁכַּת הַטְּלָאִים. וַהֲרֵי לִשְׁכַּת הַטְּלָאִים הָיְתָה בְמִקְצוֹעַ צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית. וְאַרְבַּע לְשָׁכוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם, אַחַת לִשְׁכַּת הַטְּלָאִים, וְאַחַת לִשְׁכַּת הַחוֹתָמוֹת, וְאַחַת לִשְׁכַּת בֵּית הַמּוֹקֵד, וְאַחַת לִשְׁכָּה שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹשִׂין בָּהּ לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים:
English:
The appointed priest said to the priests: Go out and bring me a lamb from the Chamber of the Lambs, where lambs that had been examined and found to be unblemished were kept. And the Chamber of the Lambs is located in the northwestern corner of the building of the Chamber of the Hearth. There were four chambers there, in that building: One was the Chamber of the Lambs; and one was the Chamber of the Seals, located in the northeastern corner, where the priest stored receipts given to those seeking to purchase animal offerings; and one was the Chamber of the Hearth, where there was a fire burning to warm the priests; and the last one was the chamber in which the priests prepared the shewbread.
קלאוד על המשנה:
With dawn confirmed, the appointed priest ordered the lamb to be fetched from the Chamber of the Lambs, located in the northwestern corner of the Chamber of the Hearth building. The Mishna takes this opportunity to describe the layout of the four chambers within that building: the Chamber of the Lambs (where pre-inspected animals were kept), the Chamber of the Seals (where receipts for purchasing offerings were stored), the Chamber of the Hearth (the main warming area with the fire), and the chamber for preparing the shewbread.
This geographic detail serves an important function: it helps the reader mentally map the Temple complex. The Chamber of the Hearth was not just a sleeping area but a multi-purpose building at the heart of the Temple’s daily operations. The lambs kept there had already been examined for blemishes, ensuring that a valid animal was always available for the morning offering. The seal system for purchasing offerings reflects the Temple’s sophisticated administrative infrastructure — pilgrims would buy seals (tokens) from the treasurer and exchange them for the appropriate animal, preventing disputes and fraud.
Key Terms:
- לִשְׁכַּת הַטְּלָאִים (Lishkat HaTela’im) = The Chamber of the Lambs, where pre-examined animals were kept ready for the daily offering
- לִשְׁכַּת הַחוֹתָמוֹת (Lishkat HaChotamot) = The Chamber of the Seals, where receipts for purchasing offerings were stored
- לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים (Lechem HaPanim) = The shewbread, twelve loaves placed on the golden table in the Sanctuary each Shabbat
- בֵּית הַמּוֹקֵד (Beit HaMoked) = The Chamber of the Hearth, a multi-purpose building with four internal chambers