Tamid 5:6-6:1
משנה תמיד ה:ו-ו:א
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Tamid | Chapter: 5-6
📖 Mishna
Mishna 5:6
משנה ה:ו
Hebrew:
הִגִּיעוּ בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ, נָטַל אֶחָד אֶת הַמַּגְרֵפָה וְזוֹרְקָהּ בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ. אֵין אָדָם שׁוֹמֵעַ קוֹל חֲבֵרוֹ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם מִקּוֹל הַמַּגְרֵפָה. וּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָיְתָה מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת, כֹּהֵן שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵעַ אֶת קוֹלָהּ, יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים נִכְנָסִים לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת, וְהוּא רָץ וּבָא. וּבֶן לֵוִי שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹמֵעַ אֶת קוֹלָהּ, יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֶחָיו הַלְוִיִּם נִכְנָסִים לְדַבֵּר בַּשִּׁיר, וְהוּא רָץ וּבָא. וְרֹאשׁ הַמַּעֲמָד הָיָה מַעֲמִיד אֶת הַטְּמֵאִים בְּשַׁעַר הַמִּזְרָח:
English:
The priest with the spoonful of incense and the priest with the gold coal pan filled with coals reached the place between the Entrance Hall to the Sanctuary and the outer altar, on their way to the Sanctuary. One of them took the shovel and threw it between the Entrance Hall and the outer altar. No person could hear the voice of another speaking to him in Jerusalem, due to the sound generated by the shovel. And that sound would serve three purposes: Any priest who hears its sound knows that his brethren the priests are entering to prostrate themselves in the Sanctuary at that time, and he would run and come to prostrate himself with them. And any Levite who hears its sound knows that his brethren the Levites are entering the courtyard to stand on their platform to recite the psalm accompanying the libation, and he would run and come to sing with them. And the head of the non-priestly watch, which stands in the courtyard as the agents of the Jewish people, would position the ritually impure priests and singers at the eastern gate of the courtyard, to make it clear that those priests were not performing the Temple service due to their ritual impurity.
קלאוד על המשנה:
The magrefa (shovel) thrown between the Entrance Hall and the altar produced a sound so loud that, according to the Mishna, no person in Jerusalem could hear another person speaking over it. This dramatic moment served as a multi-purpose signal, synchronizing three groups of Temple personnel simultaneously: priests who needed to come prostrate themselves, Levites who needed to take their positions for singing, and the ritually impure who needed to be visibly stationed at the eastern gate.
The positioning of the ritually impure at the eastern gate is a striking detail. The head of the non-priestly watch (ma’amad) ensured that any impure priests or Levites stood publicly at the gate, making their status visible to all. This was not a punishment but a practical measure: it prevented any suspicion that impure individuals might be participating in the service. The transparency of the system — everyone could see who was serving and who was not — maintained public trust in the integrity of the Temple service.
Key Terms:
- מַגְרֵפָה (Magrefa) = The shovel-shaped instrument that produced an enormously loud sound when thrown, serving as a signal
- הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָה (Hishtachavaya) = Prostration, a full bowing with hands and feet extended, performed by priests in the Sanctuary
- מַעֲמָד (Ma’amad) = The non-priestly watch; Israelite representatives who stood in the courtyard during the daily offering
- שַׁעַר הַמִּזְרָח (Sha’ar HaMizrach) = The eastern gate, where ritually impure personnel stood during the service
Mishna 6:1
משנה ו:א
Hebrew:
הֵחֵלּוּ עוֹלִים בְּמַעֲלוֹת הָאוּלָם. מִי שֶׁזָּכוּ בְדִשּׁוּן מִזְבֵּחַ הַפְּנִימִי וְהַמְּנוֹרָה הָיוּ מַקְדִּימִין לִפְנֵיהֶם. מִי שֶׁזָּכָה בְדִשּׁוּן מִזְבֵּחַ הַפְּנִימִי נִכְנַס, וְנָטַל אֶת הַטֶּנִי וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה וְיָצָא. מִי שֶׁזָּכָה בְדִשּׁוּן הַמְּנוֹרָה, נִכְנַס וּמָצָא שְׁנֵי נֵרוֹת מִזְרָחִיִּים דּוֹלְקִין, מְדַשֵּׁן אֶת הַמִּזְרָחִי, וּמַנִּיחַ אֶת הַמַּעֲרָבִי דוֹלֵק, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ הָיָה מַדְלִיק אֶת הַמְּנוֹרָה בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם. מְצָאוֹ שֶׁכָּבָה, מְדַשְּׁנוֹ וּמַדְלִיקוֹ מִמִּזְבַּח הָעוֹלָה. נָטַל אֶת הַכּוּז מִמַּעֲלָה שְׁנִיָּה, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה וְיָצָא:
English:
The priest with the panful of incense and the priest with the gold coal pan filled with coals began ascending the twelve stairs of the Entrance Hall. The priests who won the rights of the removal of ash from the inner altar and the removal of ash from the Candelabrum would precede them, to remove the vessels that remained in the Sanctuary. The priest who won the right of the removal of ash from the inner altar entered the Sanctuary and took the basket that he had left there after removing the ashes from the altar. And when he completed his tasks, he prostrated himself with his hands and feet spread and emerged from the Sanctuary. The priest who won the right of the removal of ash from the Candelabrum entered the Sanctuary, and if he found the two western lamps, i.e., the easternmost and the one immediately to its west, of the Candelabrum burning, he would remove the ash from the easternmost lamp and prepare it anew. But he would leave burning the lamp immediately west of the easternmost lamp, as from that lamp he would kindle the lamps of the Candelabrum in the afternoon. If he found that the lamp west of the easternmost lamp was extinguished, he would remove the ashes and kindle it from the fire on the altar of the burnt offering. He then took the jug in which he had placed the ashes and wicks of the Candelabrum from the second stair of the stone before the Candelabrum and prostrated himself and emerged from the Sanctuary.
קלאוד על המשנה:
As the incense and coal-pan priests began ascending the twelve stairs of the Entrance Hall, the two priests who had earlier left their vessels inside the Sanctuary (the basket and jug) went ahead to retrieve them. The priest who cleaned the inner altar took his basket, prostrated himself, and exited. The Candelabrum priest entered to complete the work he had begun earlier: cleaning the final two lamps.
The western lamp (ner ma’aravi) held special status. If it was still burning, the priest left it in place because it would serve as the source of fire for kindling all seven lamps at the afternoon service. If it had gone out, he relit it from the outer altar’s fire. This lamp was understood to represent God’s continuous presence — its flame was ideally never extinguished. The fact that the priest placed the jug on the second step of the stone stool and left it there (to be retrieved later alongside the inner altar basket) shows the careful sequencing of the Sanctuary service: each priest completed his task, prostrated, and exited in turn, so that the Sanctuary would be clear for the next stage.
Key Terms:
- אוּלָם (Ulam) = The Entrance Hall, the front section of the Temple building leading into the Sanctuary
- נֵר מַעֲרָבִי (Ner Ma’aravi) = The western lamp of the Candelabrum, kept burning to serve as the source flame for the afternoon kindling
- מִזְבַּח הָעוֹלָה (Mizbach Ha’Ola) = The altar of the burnt offering (outer altar), used as a backup fire source if the western lamp went out
- הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָה (Hishtachavaya) = Full prostration performed by each priest before exiting the Sanctuary