Yoma 43

מתני׳ <big><strong>בראשונה</strong></big> כל מי שרוצה לתרום את המזבח תורם ובזמן שהן מרובין רצין ועולין בכבש כל הקודם את חבירו בארבע אמות זכה ואם היו שניהן שוין הממונה אומר להן הצביעו

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>ORIGINALLY WHOSOEVER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There were twenty-four divisions (Mishmaroth) of the priests, each division (Mishmar, v. Glos.) consisting of four to nine families (Bate Aboth) . Every week another division did service in the Sanctuary, being relieved on the Sabbath. During the week they distributed the service among the families. (V. Tosef. Ta'an. II.) Any one among the family (Beth-Ab, v. Glos.) whose turn came on that day, could originally, if he so desired, remove the ashes from the altar.');">¹</span> DESIRED TO REMOVE [THE ASHES FROM] THE ALTAR DID SO. IF THEY WERE MANY, THEY WOULD RUN AND MOUNT THE RAMP<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The ramp, at the south of the altar, led up to it. Its length was thirty-two cubits.');">²</span>

ומה הן מוציאין אחת או שתים ואין מוציאין אגודל במקדש

[OF THE ALTAR] AND HE THAT CAME FIRST WITHIN FOUR CUBITS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Off the altar.');">³</span> OBTAINED THE PRIVILEGE. IF TWO WERE EVEN, THE OFFICER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Memuneh. Lit., 'the appointed one' general term for temple official of high rank. Here the officer in charge of the count; v. Shek. V, 1.');">⁴</span>

מעשה שהיו שניהם שוין ורצין ועולין בכבש ודחף אחד מהן את חבירו ונפל ונשברה רגלו וכיון שראו בית דין שבאין לידי סכנה התקינו שלא יהו תורמין את המזבח אלא בפייס ארבע פייסות היו שם וזה הפייס הראשון

WOULD SAY TO THEM [ALL:]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not to the two alone, but to all that were present.');">⁵</span> RAISE THE FINGER!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the decision would be reached by the count. The officer would place them in a (circular) queue, take the mitre off one of them, and after having named a number, would start counting from that man by the fingers put forth. The priest with whom the number was reached, secured the task.');">⁶</span> AND HOW MANY DID THEY PUT FORTH?

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> והא מעיקרא מאי טעמא לא תקינו לה רבנן פייסא מעיקרא סבור כיון דעבודת לילה היא לא חשיבא להו ולא אתו כיון דחזו דקאתו ואתו לידי סכנה תקינו לה פייסא

ONE OR<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There may be some older, weaker, or sick priests for whom it was inconvenient to put one finger forth and hold it aloft until the count was over. Whenever one such handicapped priest was present, the officer would require all to put forth two fingers, which is less of an effort.');">⁷</span> TWO BUT ONE DID NOT PUT FORTH THE THUMB IN THE TEMPLE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A trickster foreseeing where the count would end, might place his index-finger at some distance from the thumb, so that the officer would count his two fingers as belonging to two people, with the result that the count would be wrong and designed to serve the trickster's end.');">⁸</span> IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT TWO WERE EVEN AS THEY RAN TO MOUNT THE RAMP.

והרי איברים ופדרים דעבודת לילה היא ותקינו לה רבנן פייסא סוף עבודה דיממא היא

ONE OF THEM PUSHED HIS FELLOW WHO FELL AND BROKE HIS LEG. WHEN THE COURT SAW THAT THEY INCURRED DANGER, THEY ORDAINED THAT THE ALTAR BE CLEARED ONLY BY COUNT. THERE WERE FOUR COUNTS.

האי נמי תחלת עבודה דיממא היא דאמר ר' יוחנן קידש ידיו לתרומת הדשן למחר אין צריך לקדש שכבר קידש מתחילת עבודה

THIS IS THE FIRST COUNT. <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>But why did our Rabbis not establish the count for this service from the beginning? They thought, Since it was a night service, it would not be considered so precious and they [many priests] would not come.

אימא שכבר קידש מתחילה לעבודה

But when they saw that [many] were coming and incurred danger,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By racing together, they might push one another down.');">⁹</span> they arranged the count. But the burning on the altar of the limbs and fat-pieces is also a night service, and yet our Rabbis arranged a count for it? - It is rather the end of the service of the day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And so considered important by the priests.');">¹⁰</span>

איכא דאמרי מעיקרא סבור כיון דאיכא אונס שינה לא אתו כיון דחזו דאתו וקאתו נמי לידי סכנה תקינו לה רבנן פייסא והרי איברים ופדרים דאיכא אונס שינה ותקינו לה רבנן פייסא שאני מיגנא ממיקם

But the other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The removal of the ashes.');">¹¹</span> too is the beginning of the service of the day, for R'Johanan said: If he sanctified his hands [by washing]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ex. XXX, 19.');">¹²</span> for clearing the ashes off the altar he need not in the morning sanctify them again,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Unless he should leave the Temple, when another sanctification by washing would be due.');">¹³</span>

ותקנתא להך גיסא הואי תקנתא להאי גיסא הואי דתניא מי שזכה בתרומת הדשן (יזכה) בסידור מערכה ובשני גזירי עצים

because he has sanctified them already from the beginning of the service?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence it is the beginning of the service, and the argument is void.');">¹⁴</span> - Say: Because he has from the beginning<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Interpret R. Johanan's word to mean: He sanctified himself from the beginning (during the night) for the service.');">¹⁵</span> sanctified his hands for the service.

אמר רב אשי שתי תקנות הוו מעיקרא סבור לא אתו כיון דחזו דקאתו ואתו נמי לידי סכנה תקינו לה פייסא כיון דתקינו לה פייסא לא אתו אמרי מי יימר דמתרמי לן הדר תקינו להו מי שזכה בתרומת הדשן יזכה בסידור מערכה ובשני גזירי עצים כי היכי דניתו וניפייסו

Some say:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In answer to the question: why was this count not arranged from the very first?');">¹⁶</span> First they [the Rabbis] believed that since [many of them] are overcome by sleep, they would not come [to this night service], but when they saw they were coming and incurring danger, our Rabbis arranged for the count. But with the burning of the limbs and fat-pieces, [taking also place at a time when] they are also overcome by sleep and yet our Rabbis arranged for a count?

ובזמן שהן מרובין וכו' אמר רב פפא פשיטא לי ארבע אמות דארעא לא רצין ועולין בכבש תנן קמייתא נמי לא רצין ועולין בכבש תנן והדר כל הקודם את חבירו

There is a difference between going to sleep and rising from sleep.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A man will find it easier to postpone the hour of sleep than to rise from sleep early in the morning (for the purpose of clearing the altar of the ashes) .');">¹⁷</span> But was the arrangement due to that consideration, was it not rather due to another consideration, for it has been taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 28a.');">¹⁸</span> He who obtained the task of clearing the altar of the ashes thereby also obtained the ordering of the pile of wood on the altar and of the two pieces of wood?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Two logs of wood, placed above the pile of wood on the altar. V. infra 26b. These being considered an important service would require a count.');">¹⁹</span>

דביני ביני נמי לא דלא מסיימא מילתא פשיטא לי דגבי מזבח תנן

- R'Ashi said: There were two arrangements. First they [the Rabbis] opined that they would not come [at night], but when they saw that the priests did come and incurred danger, they arranged for the count. When the count had been arranged, they did not come, for they said: 'Who can tell whether the lot will fall on me' [therefore] they [the Rabbis] arranged that he who had obtained the task of clearing the ashes off the altar, should thereby also obtain the task of arranging the piles of wood and the two pieces of wood, in order that they might come and submit to the count.

בעי רב פפא ארבע אמות שאמרו בהדיה אמה יסוד ואמה סובב

IF THEY WERE MANY etc. : R'Papa said: It is obvious to me [that within four cubits does] not [refer to] the four cubits on the floor,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before reaching the ramp.');">²⁰</span> because we learnt: THEY WOULD RUN AND MOUNT THE RAMP; neither does it mean the first<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the foot of the ramp.');">²¹</span> [four cubits], because we learnt: THEY WOULD RUN AND MOUNT THE RAMP, and after that: HE THAT CAME FIRST WITHIN FOUR CUBITS; neither does it mean [four cubits] in the middle because this is not clearly indicated; hence it is self-evident that it means [four cubits] off the altar But R'Papa asked: Do these four cubits, of which we have spoken, include the one cubit of the [projecting] base and the one cubit of the gallery,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sobeb. Lit., 'a ring', or 'hoop'; here a gallery round the altar for the priest to walk on.');">²²</span>