Tamid 4:3-5:1
משנה תמיד ד:ג-ה:א
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Tamid | Chapter: 4-5
📖 Mishna
Mishna 4:3
משנה ד:ג
Hebrew:
נָטַל אֶת הַסַּכִּין וְהִפְרִישׁ אֶת הָרֵאָה מִן הַכָּבֵד, וְאֶצְבַּע הַכָּבֵד מִן הַכָּבֵד, וְלֹא הָיָה מְזִיזָהּ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ. נָקַב אֶת הֶחָזֶה וּנְתָנוֹ לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בוֹ. עָלָה לַדֹּפֶן הַיְמָנִית, הָיָה חוֹתֵךְ וְיוֹרֵד עַד הַשִּׁדְרָה, וְלֹא הָיָה נוֹגֵעַ בַּשִּׁדְרָה, עַד שֶׁהוּא מַגִּיעַ לִשְׁתֵּי צְלָעוֹת רַכּוֹת. חֲתָכָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהּ, וְהַכָּבֵד תְּלוּיָה בָהּ. בָּא לוֹ לַגֵּרָה, וְהִנִּיחַ בָּהּ שְׁתֵּי צְלָעוֹת מִכָּאן וּשְׁתֵּי צְלָעוֹת מִכָּאן. חֲתָכָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהּ, וְהַקָּנֶה וְהַלֵּב וְהָרֵאָה תְּלוּיִם בָּהּ. בָּא לוֹ לַדֹּפֶן הַשְּׂמָאלִית, וְהִנִּיחַ בָּהּ שְׁתֵּי צְלָעוֹת רַכּוֹת מִלְמַעְלָן וּשְׁתֵּי צְלָעוֹת רַכּוֹת מִלְּמַטָּן. וְכָךְ הָיָה מַנִּיחַ בַּחֲבֶרְתָּהּ. נִמְצָא מַנִּיחַ בִּשְׁתֵּיהֶן, שְׁתַּיִם שְׁתַּיִם מִלְמַעְלָן וּשְׁתַּיִם שְׁתַּיִם מִלְּמַטָּן. חֲתָכָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהּ, וְהַשִּׁדְרָה עִמָּהּ, וְהַטְּחוֹל תָּלוּי בָּהּ. וְהִיא הָיְתָה גְדוֹלָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁל יָמִין קוֹרִין גְּדוֹלָה, שֶׁהַכָּבֵד תְּלוּיָה בָהּ. בָּא לוֹ לָעֹקֶץ, חוֹתְכוֹ וּנְתָנוֹ לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בוֹ, וְהָאַלְיָה וְאֶצְבַּע הַכָּבֵד וּשְׁתֵּי כְלָיוֹת עִמּוֹ. נָטַל רֶגֶל הַשְּׂמָאלִי וּנְתָנָהּ לְמִי שֶׁזָּכָה בָהּ. נִמְצְאוּ כֻלָּן עוֹמְדִין בְּשׁוּרָה וְהָאֵבָרִים בְּיָדָם. הָרִאשׁוֹן, בָּרֹאשׁ וּבָרֶגֶל. הָרֹאשׁ בִּימִינוֹ, וְחוֹטְמוֹ כְלַפֵּי זְרוֹעוֹ, וְקַרְנָיו בֵּין אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו, וּבֵית שְׁחִיטָתוֹ מִלְמַעְלָן, וְהַפֶּדֶר נָתוּן עָלֶיהָ. וְהָרֶגֶל שֶׁל יָמִין בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ, וּבֵית עוֹרוֹ לַחוּץ. הַשֵּׁנִי, בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדַיִם, שֶׁל יָמִין בִּימִינוֹ, שֶׁל שְׂמֹאל בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ, וּבֵית עוֹרָן לַחוּץ. הַשְּׁלִישִׁי, בָּעֹקֶץ וּבָרֶגֶל. הָעֹקֶץ בִּימִינוֹ, וְהָאַלְיָה מְדֻלְדֶּלֶת בֵּין אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו, וְאֶצְבַּע הַכָּבֵד וּשְׁתֵּי הַכְּלָיוֹת עִמּוֹ. הָרֶגֶל שֶׁל שְׂמֹאל בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ, וּבֵית עוֹרוֹ לַחוּץ. הָרְבִיעִי, בֶּחָזֶה וּבַגֵּרָה. הֶחָזֶה בִימִינוֹ, וְהַגֵּרָה בִשְׂמֹאלוֹ, וְצַלְעוֹתֶיהָ בֵין אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו. הַחֲמִישִׁי, בִּשְׁתֵּי דְפָנוֹת. שֶׁל יָמִין בִּימִינוֹ, וְשֶׁל שְׂמֹאל בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ, וּבֵית עוֹרָן לַחוּץ. הַשִּׁשִּׁי, בַּקְּרָבַיִם הַנְּתוּנִים בְּבָזָךְ וּכְרָעַיִם עַל גַּבֵּיהֶם מִלְמַעְלָה. הַשְּׁבִיעִי, בַּסֹּלֶת. הַשְּׁמִינִי, בַּחֲבִתִּין. הַתְּשִׁיעִי, בַּיָּיִן. הָלְכוּ וּנְתָנוּם מֵחֲצִי הַכֶּבֶשׁ וּלְמַטָּה בְּמַעֲרָבוֹ, וּמְלָחוּם. וְיָרְדוּ וּבָאוּ לָהֶם לְלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית, לִקְרוֹת אֶת שְׁמַע:
English:
The priest then took the knife and separated the lung from the liver, and the finger-like protrusion from the lower edge of the liver, also known as the lobe of the liver, from the liver. And he would not move any one of the organs from its place. He would leave the lung attached to the neck, the lobe attached to the haunch, and the liver attached to the right flank. The priest would puncture around the breast, separating it from the flanks and the ribs, and he gave it to the priest who won the right to take it up to the ramp. He then moved up to the right flank and would cut it and separate it from the animal’s body. And he would continue to cut, descending until he would reach the spinal column, and the priest would not touch the spinal column, leaving the spine intact and attached to the left flank. He would continue cutting until he reached the space between the two narrow ribs near the neck, leaving them in place. The priest cut the right flank, separating it from the body of the animal, and gave it to the priest who won the right to take it up to the ramp. And the liver was suspended from it. The priest then came to the cud. He left attached to it, in their entirety, the two narrow ribs from here, the right side, and the two narrow ribs from there, the left side. He cut the cud and gave it to the priest who won the right to take it up to the ramp; and the windpipe, the heart, and the lung were suspended from it. He came to cut the left flank of the body and left attached to it two narrow ribs above, near the haunch, as the animal was suspended upside down, and two narrow ribs below, near the cud. And he also did that with its counterpart, the right flank, resulting in two narrow ribs in each flank above and two narrow ribs in each flank below. He cut the left flank and gave it to the priest who won the right to take it up to the ramp, and the spinal column was with it, and the spleen was suspended from it. And the left flank was greater, i.e., the larger of the two, because it included the spine, but they referred to the right flank as the greater one, as in addition to the flank itself, the liver was suspended from it. He came to the haunch, cut it, and gave it to the priest who won the right to take it up to the ramp. And the tail, and the finger-like protrusion of the liver, and the two kidneys were with it. He took the remaining upper part of the left hind leg, cut it, and gave it to the priest who won the right to take it up to the ramp. This resulted in all of the nine priests who won the rights to take the limbs up to the ramp standing in line, and the limbs were in their hands. The first priest stood with the head and with the right hind leg of the animal. Since it was more significant, the head was in his right hand, and its nose was turned toward the priest’s arm. Its horns were between his fingers, and the place of its slaughter was above, and the fats were placed upon it, to conceal the bloody place of slaughter. The right hind leg was in his left hand, and the outer side of the leg, from which its hide was flayed, rather than the side on which the incision was made, was facing out. The second priest stood with the two forelegs. He held the right foreleg in his right hand and the left foreleg in his left hand, and the outer side of the leg, from which its hide was flayed, was facing out. The third priest stood with the haunch and the left hind leg. He held the haunch in his right hand, and the tail was hanging between his fingers, and the finger-like protrusion of the liver and the two kidneys were with it. He held the left hind leg in his left hand, and the outer side of the leg, from which its hide was flayed, was facing out. The fourth priest stood with the breast and with the cud, with the breast in his right hand and the cud in his left hand, and its two ribs were attached to the cud between his two fingers. The fifth priest stood with the two flanks; the right flank was in his right hand and the left flank in his left hand, and the outer side was facing out. The sixth priest stood with the innards, which were placed in a vessel, and the lower legs were placed atop them from above. The seventh priest stood with the fine flour of the meal offering that accompanies the daily offering. The eighth priest stood with the griddle-cake offering sacrificed daily by the High Priest, half in the morning and half in the evening. The ninth priest stood with the wine for the libations that accompany the daily offering. The nine priests went and placed the items they were carrying on the area from halfway up the ramp and below, in the lower portion of the ramp, on the west side of the ramp, and they salted the limbs and the meal offering. And they descended and came to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite the morning Shema and the other texts that they would recite, as explained at the beginning of the next chapter.
קלאוד על המשנה:
This lengthy mishna is one of the most detailed passages in all of the Mishna, providing a complete guide to the dissection of the daily offering and the procession of priests carrying its parts. The priest separated the lung from the liver, the liver’s lobe from the liver, and then systematically cut the animal apart: breast, right flank (with liver attached), cud/neck (with windpipe, heart, and lungs), left flank (with spine and spleen), haunch (with tail, liver lobe, and kidneys), and finally the left hind leg.
The procession of nine priests, each holding specific parts in a prescribed manner, is described with extraordinary precision. The first priest held the head in his right hand (nose toward his arm, horns between his fingers, fats covering the slaughter site) and the right hind leg in his left hand with the outer skin facing out. Each subsequent priest similarly held his assigned portions with specific orientations. The level of detail — which hand holds what, which side faces outward, what hangs between the fingers — transforms the procession into a choreographed ceremony. The priests then placed all parts on the lower half of the ramp, salted them (as required for all offerings), and descended to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite the morning Shema.
Key Terms:
- אֶצְבַּע הַכָּבֵד (Etzba HaKaved) = The finger-like lobe of the liver, a specific portion that had to be separated and burned on the altar
- אַלְיָה (Alya) = The fatty tail of the sheep, considered a sacred portion burned on the altar
- כֶּבֶשׁ (Kevesh) = The ramp leading up to the altar, where the parts were placed and salted before burning
- מְלִיחָה (Melicha) = Salting, required for all offerings before they were placed on the altar fire
Mishna 5:1
משנה ה:א
Hebrew:
אָמַר לָהֶם הַמְמֻנֶּה, בָּרְכוּ בְרָכָה אֶחַת, וְהֵן בֵּרְכוּ. קָרְאוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, שְׁמַע, וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ, וַיֹּאמֶר. בֵּרְכוּ אֶת הָעָם שָׁלשׁ בְּרָכוֹת, אֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב, וַעֲבוֹדָה, וּבִרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים. וּבְשַׁבָּת מוֹסִיפִין בְּרָכָה אַחַת לַמִּשְׁמָר הַיּוֹצֵא:
English:
After the priests completed laying the parts of the daily offering on the ramp, they went to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite Shema. The appointed priest who oversaw the lotteries in the Temple said to the priests: Recite a single blessing of the blessings that accompany Shema. And the members of the priestly watch recited a blessing, and then they recited the Ten Commandments, Shema (see Deuteronomy 6:4–9), VeHaya im Shamoa (see Deuteronomy 11:13–21), and VaYomer (see Numbers 15:37–41), the standard formula of Shema. Additionally, they blessed with the people three blessings. These blessings were: True and Firm, the blessing of redemption recited after Shema; and the blessing of the Temple service, which is also a blessing recited in the Amida prayer; and the Priestly Benediction, recited in the form of a prayer, without the lifting of hands that usually accompanies that blessing (Tosafot). And on Shabbat, when the new priestly watch would begin its service, the priests would add one blessing recited by the outgoing priestly watch, that love, fraternity, peace, and friendship should exist among the priests of the incoming watch.
קלאוד על המשנה:
After the physical labor of slaughtering, dissecting, and carrying the offering’s parts to the ramp, the priests transitioned to spiritual service: reciting the Shema. The appointed priest told them to recite “one blessing” — which the Gemara identifies as the blessing of “True and Firm” (Emet VeYatziv) or, according to another view, the blessing preceding Shema. They then read the Ten Commandments followed by the three paragraphs of Shema, and concluded with three blessings: Emet VeYatziv (redemption), the blessing of Temple service (Avodah), and the Priestly Blessing in the form of a prayer.
This combination of Torah reading and blessings in the Chamber of Hewn Stone represents the priests’ own devotional practice, distinct from their sacrificial duties. The inclusion of the Ten Commandments in the daily Temple recitation (eventually removed from the regular liturgy outside the Temple) shows that the priests’ morning service integrated both study and prayer. The additional blessing on Shabbat for the outgoing priestly watch — wishing love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship to the incoming watch — adds a touching interpersonal element to what was otherwise a highly ritualized sequence.
Key Terms:
- לִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית (Lishkat HaGazit) = The Chamber of Hewn Stone, where the Sanhedrin sat and the priests recited Shema
- עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים (Aseret HaDibrot) = The Ten Commandments, recited daily in the Temple alongside Shema
- אֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב (Emet VeYatziv) = “True and Firm,” the blessing of redemption recited after Shema
- בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים (Birkat Kohanim) = The Priestly Blessing, recited here in the form of a prayer rather than with lifted hands
- מִשְׁמָר (Mishmar) = The priestly watch; each of 24 families served for one week at a time