Tamid 4:1-2
משנה תמיד ד:א-ב
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Tamid | Chapter: 4
📖 Mishna
Mishna 4:1
משנה ד:א
Hebrew:
לֹא הָיוּ כוֹפְתִין אֶת הַטָּלֶה, אֶלָּא מְעַקְּדִין אוֹתוֹ. מִי שֶׁזָּכוּ בָאֵבָרִים, אוֹחֲזִים בּוֹ. וְכָךְ הָיְתָה עֲקֵדָתוֹ, רֹאשׁוֹ לַדָּרוֹם וּפָנָיו לַמַּעֲרָב. הַשּׁוֹחֵט, עוֹמֵד בַּמִּזְרָח וּפָנָיו לַמַּעֲרָב. שֶׁל שַׁחַר הָיָה נִשְׁחָט עַל קֶרֶן צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית, עַל טַבַּעַת שְׁנִיָּה. שֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם הָיָה נִשְׁחָט עַל קֶרֶן מִזְרָחִית צְפוֹנִית, עַל טַבַּעַת שְׁנִיָּה. שָׁחַט הַשּׁוֹחֵט, וְקִבֵּל הַמְקַבֵּל. בָּא לוֹ לְקֶרֶן מִזְרָחִית צְפוֹנִית, וְנוֹתֵן מִזְרָחָה צָפוֹנָה. מַעֲרָבִית דְּרוֹמִית, וְנוֹתֵן מַעֲרָבָה דָרוֹמָה. שְׁיָרֵי הַדָּם הָיָה שׁוֹפֵךְ עַל יְסוֹד דְּרוֹמִית:
English:
In preparing the lamb of the daily offering for sacrifice, the priests would not tie the lamb by fastening all four of its legs together; rather, they would bind it by fastening each hind leg to the corresponding foreleg. The priests who won the right to take the limbs up to the ramp would hold the lamb in place while it was being slaughtered. And this was the manner of its binding: The animal would be stood in the northern part of the courtyard while its head would be directed to the south, toward the altar, and its face would be turned to the west, toward the Sanctuary. And the slaughterer would stand to the east of the animal, and his face would be to the west. Twenty-four rings were affixed to the courtyard floor north of the altar, designated for placement of the animal’s neck during its slaughter. The daily offering of the morning was slaughtered at the northwest corner of the altar, at the second ring. The daily offering of the afternoon was slaughtered at the northeast corner of the altar, at the second ring. After the slaughterer has slaughtered the lamb and the receiver has received its blood in a vessel to sprinkle on the altar, the priest comes to the northeast corner of the altar and places the first sprinkling in such a manner that the blood will reach the eastern and northern sides of the altar. Next, the priest comes to the southwest corner of the altar and places a second sprinkling in a manner such that the blood will reach the western and southern sides of the altar. With regard to the remainder of the blood, the priest would pour it at the southern base of the altar, at its southwest corner.
קלאוד על המשנה:
The slaughter of the daily offering was performed with extraordinary precision. The lamb was not bound with all four legs together (as was common practice) but rather with each hind leg tied to its corresponding foreleg — a technique called akeidah, evoking the binding of Isaac. The animal’s orientation was carefully specified: head to the south (toward the altar), face to the west (toward the Sanctuary), with the slaughterer standing to the east facing west. This arrangement ensured that the slaughter was performed with the proper spatial relationship to the altar.
The blood service (zerikah) required two sprinklings at diagonal corners of the altar — northeast and southwest — so that blood reached all four sides. This principle of “two sprinklings that are four” (shtayim she-hen arba) is a fundamental concept in the laws of sacrifices. The remainder of the blood was poured at the southern base of the altar, where a drainage channel carried it away. The different locations specified for the morning and afternoon offerings (northwest corner for morning, northeast for afternoon) added variety to the daily routine and corresponded to different rings embedded in the courtyard floor.
Key Terms:
- עֲקֵדָה (Akeida) = The method of binding the offering, with each hind leg tied to the corresponding foreleg
- טַבַּעַת (Taba’at) = A ring embedded in the courtyard floor, used to secure the animal’s neck during slaughter
- זְרִיקָה (Zerika) = The sprinkling of blood on the altar corners, applied diagonally to cover all four sides
- יְסוֹד (Yesod) = The base of the altar, where leftover blood was poured after the sprinklings
Mishna 4:2
משנה ד:ב
Hebrew:
לֹא הָיָה שׁוֹבֵר בּוֹ אֶת הָרֶגֶל, אֶלָּא נוֹקְבוֹ מִתּוֹךְ עַרְכּוּבּוֹ וְתוֹלֶה בוֹ. הָיָה מַפְשִׁיט וְיוֹרֵד עַד שֶׁהוּא מַגִּיעַ לֶחָזֶה. הִגִּיעַ לֶחָזֶה, חָתַךְ אֶת הָרֹאשׁ וּנְתָנוֹ לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בוֹ. חָתַךְ אֶת הַכְּרָעַיִם וּנְתָנָן לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהֶן. מֵרַק אֶת הַהֶפְשֵׁט, קָרַע אֶת הַלֵּב וְהוֹצִיא אֶת דָּמוֹ. חָתַךְ אֶת הַיָּדַיִם וּנְתָנָן לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהֶן. עָלָה לָרֶגֶל הַיְמָנִית, חֲתָכָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהּ, וּשְׁתֵּי בֵיצִים עִמָּהּ. קְרָעוֹ, וְנִמְצָא כֻלּוֹ גָלוּי לְפָנָיו. נָטַל אֶת הַפֶּדֶר וּנְתָנוֹ עַל בֵּית שְׁחִיטַת הָרֹאשׁ מִלְמַעְלָן. נָטַל אֶת הַקְּרָבַיִם וּנְתָנָן לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהֶם לַהֲדִיחָן. וְהַכֶּרֶס מְדִיחִין אוֹתָהּ בְּבֵית מְדִיחִין כָּל צָרְכָּהּ. וְהַקְּרָבַיִם מְדִיחִין אוֹתָן שְׁלשָׁה פְעָמִים בְּמִעוּטָהּ, עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹת שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ שֶׁבֵּין הָעַמּוּדִים:
English:
When the priest flayed the hide of the daily offering after its slaughter, he would not break the animal’s leg in the typical manner of flaying an animal; rather, he punctures the leg from within each knee of the hind leg and suspends the animal by placing these holes on two hooks, in order to flay the animal’s hide. The priest began flaying from the top of the inverted animal, descending until he would reach the hide of the breast. Once he reached the breast, he severed the lamb’s head and gave it to the priest who won the right to take it up to the ramp. Next he severed the four legs below the knee and gave them to the priest who won the right to take them up to the ramp. He completed the flaying of the remaining hide from the breast down, and then the priest cut the heart and drained its blood. Next the priest severed the remaining upper parts of the forelegs and gave them to the priest who won the right to take them up to the ramp. Afterward he moved up to the remaining upper part of the right hind leg, severed it, and gave it to the priest who won the right to take it up to the ramp; and the animal’s two testicles were cut along with the right leg, leaving the animal suspended by its left hind leg. Then the priest tore open the animal’s midsection, resulting in the innards of the entire animal being exposed before him. He took the fats and placed them on the place of slaughter on the animal’s head above it, to conceal the place where it was severed while the priest would take the head to the altar. Then the priest took the innards and gave them to the priest who won the right to take them up to the ramp, in order to rinse them first. And with regard to the stomach, in which there is a significant amount of waste, the priests would rinse it in the rinsing site located in the south of the courtyard, east of the Gate of the Water, and they rinsed it as much it required. And with regard to the innards, the priests would rinse them three times at a minimum, on the marble tables that were positioned between the pillars in the slaughterhouse.
קלאוד על המשנה:
The flaying and butchering process described here is remarkably detailed, reading almost like a surgical manual. The priest did not break the animal’s leg in the usual manner but punctured the knee to create a hanging point, suspending the animal upside down. He then flayed from top to bottom (since the animal was inverted), reaching the breast before beginning to sever and distribute parts. The head was cut first and given to its designated priest, followed by the lower legs.
The heart was cut open to drain its blood — a specific requirement for the offering. Then the forelegs, right hind leg (with testicles), and finally the entire midsection was opened up. The fats were placed on the head to conceal the bloody cut, a detail that shows sensitivity to the aesthetics of the offering. The innards required careful washing: the stomach was rinsed thoroughly in a dedicated washing area, while the intestines were rinsed three times on the marble tables. This meticulous cleaning ensured that no waste would be placed on the altar, maintaining its sanctity and dignity.
Key Terms:
- הַפְשֵׁט (Hefshet) = Flaying, the removal of the animal’s hide
- פֶּדֶר (Peder) = The fats or fatty membrane, placed atop the head to cover the slaughter site
- קְרָבַיִם (Keravayim) = The innards or intestines, which required thorough rinsing before being placed on the altar
- בֵּית מְדִיחִין (Beit Medichin) = The rinsing area, located in the south of the courtyard for washing the stomach