Tamid 7:1-2
משנה תמיד ז:א-ב
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Tamid | Chapter: 7
📖 Mishna
Mishna 7:1
משנה ז:א
Hebrew:
בִּזְמַן שֶׁכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל נִכְנָס לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אוֹחֲזִין בּוֹ, אֶחָד בִּימִינוֹ, וְאֶחָד בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ, וְאֶחָד בַּאֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע הַמְמֻנֶּה קוֹל רַגְלָיו שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁהוּא יוֹצֵא, הִגְבִּיהַּ לוֹ אֶת הַפָּרֹכֶת, נִכְנַס וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה וְיָצָא, וְנִכְנְסוּ אֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ וְיָצָאוּ:
English:
After the priests concluded sacrificing the daily morning offering, they would enter the Sanctuary to prostrate themselves. On occasions when the High Priest would enter the Sanctuary to prostrate himself, he would enter before the other priests. When the High Priest enters the Sanctuary, three priests hold him to assist him and support him, in order to distinguish the service of the High Priest from that of the other priests entering the Sanctuary. One priest held his right hand and one priest held his left hand, and one priest stood behind the High Priest, holding onto the two precious onyx stones located on the shoulders of the High Priest, on the ephod. And once the appointed priest heard the sound from the feet of the High Priest, produced by the bells attached to the bottom of his robe, he knew that the High Priest was emerging from the Sanctuary, and he lifted the curtain suspended at the opening of the Entrance Hall for him, to facilitate his exit. After the High Priest entered and prostrated himself and emerged from the Sanctuary, his brethren the priests entered, prostrated themselves, and emerged from the Sanctuary.
קלאוד על המשנה:
When the High Priest chose to enter the Sanctuary to prostrate himself, he was accompanied by three priests who held him — one on each side and one behind, grasping the precious onyx stones on the shoulders of his ephod. This escort both honored the High Priest and provided practical support, as the elaborate vestments (including the heavy breastplate and ephod) could make movement cumbersome. The detail about the onyx stones specifically suggests the priests held onto the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, steadying the High Priest as he bowed.
The appointed priest listened for the sound of the golden bells on the hem of the High Priest’s robe. When he heard the tinkling of the bells, he knew the High Priest was approaching the exit and lifted the curtain to facilitate his departure. This interplay of sound and action is characteristic of the Temple service: the bells served both a halachic function (as the Torah requires them) and a practical one (signaling the High Priest’s location within the Sanctuary). After the High Priest exited, the regular priests entered as a group to prostrate themselves — a shared moment of devotion following the individual honor of the High Priest.
Key Terms:
- אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת (Avanim Tovot) = The precious onyx stones set in the shoulders of the ephod, engraved with the names of the twelve tribes
- סְגָן (Segan) = The deputy High Priest, who assisted the High Priest and was ready to replace him if needed
- פָּרֹכֶת (Parokhet) = The curtain hanging at the entrance of the Sanctuary (or, according to some, between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies)
- פַּעֲמוֹנֵי זָהָב (Pa’amonei Zahav) = The golden bells on the hem of the High Priest’s robe, whose sound signaled his movements
Mishna 7:2
משנה ז:ב
Hebrew:
בָּאוּ וְעָמְדוּ עַל מַעֲלוֹת הָאוּלָם. עָמְדוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים לִדְרוֹם אֲחֵיהֶם הַכֹּהֲנִים, וַחֲמִשָּׁה כֵלִים בְּיָדָם, הַטֶּנִי בְיַד אֶחָד, וְהַכּוּז בְּיַד אֶחָד, וְהַמַּחְתָּה בְיַד אֶחָד, וְהַבָּזָךְ בְּיַד אֶחָד, וְכַף וְכִסּוּיָהּ בְּיַד אֶחָד. וּבֵרְכוּ אֶת הָעָם בְּרָכָה אַחַת, אֶלָּא שֶׁבַּמְּדִינָה אוֹמְרִים אוֹתָהּ שָׁלשׁ בְּרָכוֹת, וּבַמִּקְדָּשׁ בְּרָכָה אֶחָת. בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אֶת הַשֵּׁם כִּכְתָבוֹ, וּבַמְּדִינָה בְּכִנּוּיוֹ. בַּמְּדִינָה הַכֹּהֲנִים נוֹשְׂאִים אֶת כַּפֵּיהֶם, יְדֵיהֶם כְּנֶגֶד כִּתְפוֹתֵיהֶם, וּבַמִּקְדָּשׁ עַל גַּבֵּי רָאשֵׁיהֶן, חוּץ מִכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַגְבִּיהַּ אֶת יָדָיו לְמַעְלָה מִן הַצִּיץ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אַף כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל מַגְבִּיהַּ אֶת יָדָיו לְמַעְלָה מִן הַצִּיץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ט), וַיִּשָּׂא אַהֲרֹן אֶת יָדָיו אֶל הָעָם וַיְבָרְכֵם:
English:
After the priests emerged from the Sanctuary, they came and stood on the twelve stairs before the Entrance Hall. The first five priests stood to the south of their brethren, the priests, who had taken the limbs of the daily offering up to the altar. And those five priests had five vessels in their hands: The basket with the ashes from the inner altar was in the hands of one priest; and the jug with the ashes from the Candelabrum was in the hands of one priest; and the coal pan was in the hands of one priest; and the smaller vessel, the bowl that held the incense, was in the hands of one priest, who had burned the incense; and the spoon and its cover were in the hands of one priest, the friend or relative of the one who burned the incense. The priests placed their vessels on the ground and then blessed the people, reciting one blessing. The Priestly Benediction was recited outside the Temple as well, but in the Temple, it was recited differently, as in the rest of the country the priests would recite it as three blessings, and the listeners would answer amen after each blessing. But in the Temple they would recite it as one blessing, and the listeners would not respond to each blessing. Rather, at the conclusion of the entire Priestly Benediction they would answer: Blessed are You Lord, God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. In the Temple, the priests would recite the name of God as it is written, with the letters yod, heh, vav, heh, whereas in the rest of the country the priests would recite the name of God by His appellation, alef, dalet, nun, yod. Furthermore, in the rest of the country, while reciting the Priestly Benediction the priests lift their hands opposite their shoulders, and in the Temple they raise them above their heads. That is the halakha with regard to all priests in the Temple, except for the High Priest, who does not raise his hands above the frontplate on his forehead, as the name of God is written on the frontplate. Rabbi Yehuda says: Even the High Priest would raise his hands above the frontplate while reciting the Priestly Benediction in the Temple, as it is stated with regard to the Priestly Benediction recited by Aaron the High Priest: “And Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them” (Leviticus 9:22).
קלאוד על המשנה:
After emerging from the Sanctuary, the priests stood on the twelve stairs of the Entrance Hall to recite the Priestly Blessing. Five priests stood to the south holding the vessels used in the Sanctuary service (basket, jug, coal pan, incense bowl, and spoon with cover), while the rest stood alongside them. The Priestly Blessing in the Temple differed from its recitation elsewhere in three significant ways: in the Temple it was recited as one continuous blessing (not three separate ones), God’s name was pronounced as written (the four-letter Name), and the priests raised their hands above their heads (not merely to shoulder height).
The dispute about the High Priest’s hands is revealing. The first opinion holds that the High Priest did not raise his hands above the frontplate (tzitz) on his forehead, because God’s name was inscribed on it and it would be disrespectful to raise one’s hands above the Divine Name. Rabbi Yehuda disagrees, citing the verse about Aaron lifting his hands to bless the people (Leviticus 9:22), which implies full elevation. This dispute reflects a tension between two values: reverence for the written Name of God versus the requirement to perform the blessing with full outstretched hands.
Key Terms:
- בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים (Birkat Kohanim) = The Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26), recited with hands raised
- צִיץ (Tzitz) = The golden frontplate worn on the High Priest’s forehead, inscribed with “Holy to the Lord”
- שֵׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ (Shem HaMeforash) = The ineffable Name of God, pronounced as written only in the Temple
- כִּנּוּי (Kinui) = The substitute name (Adonai) used for God’s Name outside the Temple
- נְשִׂיאַת כַּפַּיִם (Nesi’at Kapayim) = The lifting of hands during the Priestly Blessing