Commentary for Zevachim 172:7

איתמר פירשו קודם חצות והחזירן אחר חצות רבה אמר

Why then is 'unto the morning' stated? Add another morning to the morning of the night.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The morning of the night is dawn, while the additional morning is any earlier hour when the priests might rise to commence the service, according to the exigencies of the day. Since this is not fixed, it can be put forward or deferred as may be necessary.');">⁹</span> Therefore every day it is sufficient from cockcrow. On the Day of Atonement [it is done] at midnight, on account of the fatigue<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'weakness'.');">¹⁰</span> of the High Priest.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To enable him to rest after it until the morning burnt-offering. This assumes that the High Priest removed the ashes himself. Tosaf. however suggests that it may mean that the ashes were removed (by another priest) earlier to enable the wood pile to be arranged and likewise the other rites to be performed as early as possible, so that the High Priest could sacrifice the daily burnt-offering at dawn, before he was hungry and fatigued.');">¹¹</span> On festivals when there were many sacrifices and so the Israelites came very early, [it was done] at the first watch, as the sequel teaches: and before cockcrow the Temple court was full of Israelites. It was stated: If they sprang off<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'separated'.');">¹²</span> before midnight and he replaced them after midnight: Rabbah said:

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