Zevachim 172

בשרירי מנא הני מילי

of hardened [limbs].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The fire had hardened them and completely dried up all their natural moisture, yet had not turned them into charred coals.');">¹</span> Whence do we know it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the matter depends on midnight.');">²</span>

אמר רב כתוב אחד אומר (ויקרא ו, ב) כל הלילה והקטיר וכתוב אחד אומר (ויקרא ו, ב) כל הלילה והרים

- Said Raba: One text states, [This is the law of the burnt-offering: it is that which goeth up on its firewood upon the altar] all night. and he shall burn thereon etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. VI, 2-5. The combination of these texts implies that 'all night' is meant in respect of burning.');">³</span>

חלקיהו חציו להקטרה וחציו להרמה

Whereas another text states, all night. and he shall take up the ashes.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 3. He assumes that 'and he shall take up the ashes' also means during the night, (i.e., 'all night') , since the whole verse reads: And the priest shall put on his linen garment . . and he shall take up the ashes: as it does not say that he must don his linen garment in the morning, it is assumed that he did it at night and straightway took up the ashes. Thus this contradicts the implication of the first verse.');">⁴</span>

מתיב רב כהנא בכל יום תורם את המזבח מקרות הגבר או סמוך לו מלפניו [או] מאחריו ביום הכיפורים בחצות ברגלים באשמורת הראשונה ואי סלקא דעתך מחצות דאורייתא היכי מקדמינן (והיכי מאחרינן

How are these texts reconciled?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Emended text (Sh.M.) .');">⁵</span> Divide it [the night] half is for burning, and half for taking up [the ashes].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first half is for burning, and during this time the flesh is not considered completely consumed unless it has actually been turned into ashes. The second half is for clearing, in the sense that even before the flesh has actually become ashes but has merely reached the stage of hardness it is regarded as ashes. If, however, it still retains the softness of flesh, it is obviously not ashes, and must not be removed.');">⁶</span>

אלא) אמר רבי יוחנן ממשמע שנאמר כל הלילה איני יודע שעד הבקר מה תלמוד לומר עד בקר תן בקר לבקרו של לילה

R'Kahana raised an objection: Every day he [the priest] takes up [the ashes]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A shovelful of ashes which were placed at the east side of the ascent.');">⁷</span> at cockcrow, or slightly before or slightly after.

הלכך כל יומא מקרות הגבר סגי ביום הכיפורים משום חולשא דכהן גדול מחצות ברגלים דנפישי קרבנות דקדמי אתו ישראל מאשמורת הראשונה כדקתני סיפא לא היתה קריית הגבר מגעת עד שהיתה עזרה מלאה מישראל

On the Day of Atonement, [he does this] at midnight; on festivals, at the first watch.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Yoma 20a. The night (roughly from 6 P.M. to 6 A.M.) was divided into three or four watches (the matter is debated in Ber. 3a) . The end of the first watch would be about 9 or 10 P.M., two or three hours before midnight.');">⁸</span> If then you maintain that [the altar must be cleared] from midnight [onwards], how may we advance it? - Said R'Johanan: From the implication of 'all night', do I not know that it is until the morning?

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: