The Mishnah taught that Nechunya would dig the ditches. He would dig ditches and caves and he would know which rock flows cold water and which rock had heat underneath it and how far the heat would reach.

(R. Eliezer): His son died of thirst.

(R. Chanina): One who says that HaKadosh Baruch Hu overlooks, his innards will be overlooked. Rather, Hash-m lengthens His anger and exacts His punishment later.

(R. Acha): The Pasuk states (Tehillim 50:3), "and around Him it storms furiously" - Hash-m is particular with the Tzadikim (who are those that are around him) even over a hair's breadth.

(R. Yosi): It is learned from the following Pasuk (Tehillim 89:8), "He inspires awe upon all around Him" - His fear is upon those who are close to Him more than those who are distant.

(R. Chagai citing R. Shmuel bar Nachman): There was once a pious man who would dig pits, ditches and caves to supply water for passers-by.

Once, his daughter was passing to get married and she was washed away by a river. Everyone went to visit him to try and comfort him, but he did not accept it.

R. Pinchas ben Yair went to him and tried to comfort him, but he did not accept it.

R. Pinchas said to the people, "This is your righteous one?"

They replied, "Rebbi, he did this and this and this and this happened to him!"

(R. Pinchas): Could it be that he honored his Creator through water and He punishes him through water?

Immediately, a rumor went through the town that the man's daughter had come.

Some say that she got caught on a branch and some say that an angel with the appearance of R. Pinchas ben Yair came and saved her.

The Mishnah taught that Gevini was the announcer. He would make announcements in the Temple, saying, "Arise Kohanim for the Temple service. Levi'im to their platform and Yisraelim to their stand."

King Agripas heard Gevini's voice eight Parsah (around 32km/20 miles) away and gave him many gifts.

The Mishnah taught that Ben Gever was appointed over locking the gates. Rav explained (the Mishnah in Yoma, Daf 20a) in front of those of the House of R. Shila, 'The man called, the announcer announced'.

(House of R. Shila to Rav): Say that it means 'the rooster crowed'?

(Rav): Our Mishnah refers to 'Ben Gever'. Could that be referring to the son of a rooster?!

The Mishnah taught that Ben Beyvai was appointed over the wicks. He would braid the wicks used in the Mikdash.

R. Yosi went to Cufra. He wanted to appoint leaders over them, but nobody accepted the job. He said to them, "Ben Beyvai was appointed over the wicks. If he was merely appointed over the wicks and he was listed amongst the greatest of the generation; you, who would be appointed over the lives of people, all the more so!"

The Mishnah taught that Ben Arzah was appointed over the cymbals. This is like the Mishnah's statement that the S'gan waved the sheets and Ben Arza banged the cymbals.

The Mishnah taught that Hugras ben Levi was appointed over the singing.

(R. Acha): He knew how to produce a very pleasant sound. It is said about him that he could make his voice sweet. When he would insert his thumb into his mouth, he produced many types of notes and all of his brothers, the Kohanim, would be stunned.

The House of Garmu were experts in making the Lechem haPanim and removing it from the oven and they did not want to teach (these skills to others).

The Chachamim sent for skilled bakers from Alexandria. They were experts at making the breads, but not at removing them from the oven.

Beis Garmu would fire the oven on the inside and remove the breads from the inside and they would not spoil. The experts from Alexandria would fire the oven from the outside and remove the breads from the outside and they would spoil.

When the Chachamim found out about this, they said, "All that HaKadosh Baruch Hu created was in his Honor, as it says (Mishlei 16:4), "Everything Hash-m created for His praise".

The Chachamim sent for the House of Garmu (to return to produce the Lechem haPanim), but they did not want, until the Chachamim doubled their wage from 12 Mana to 24 Mana.

(R. Yehuda): They had been receiving 24 Mana and they were now given 48 Mana.

(Chachamim to Beis Garmu): Why do you not want to teach it to others?

(Beis Garmu to Chachamim): We have a tradition from our forefathers that this House (the Temple) will be destroyed. We do not teach others in order that they do not use it to serve their idols.

But they are remembered favorably for the following thing - their children were never given clean bread, so that people should not say that they are eating from the production of the Lechem haPanim.

The Mishnah taught that Beis Avtinas was appointed over producing the Ketores.

Beis Avtinas were experts in producing the Ketores mixture and in causing the smoke to rise, but they did not want to teach it to others.

The Chachamim sent for craftsmen from Alexandria in Egypt, who were experts in producing the Ketores mixture but not in causing the smoke to rise.

The smoke of the Ketores of Beis Avtinas rose straight up like a stick, then spread out and descended. The smoke of the craftsmen would spread out immediately.

When the Chachamim found out about this, they said, "All that HaKadosh Baruch Hu created was in His honor, as it says, (Yishayahu 43:7), "All that is called in My Name, I created it for My honor".

The Chachamim sent for Beis Avtinas to return to their job, but they did not want to come, until they doubled their wage from 12 Mana to 24 Mana.

(R. Yehuda): It had been 24 Mana and it was doubled to 48 Mana.

(Chachamim to Beis Avtinas): Why do you not want to teach it to others?

(Beis Avtinas to Chachamim): We have a tradition from our forefathers that this House (the Temple) will be destroyed, so we do not teach others in order that they do not use it to serve their idols.

They are remembered favorably for the following thing - none of their wives ever went out wearing perfume and not only that, but when one of the men of Beis Avtinas married a woman from another place, he would stipulate that she not wear perfume. This was so that nobody could accuse them of perfuming themselves from the spices of the Ketores. This was in fulfillment of the Pasuk (Bamidbar 32:22), "And you shall be clean before Hash-m and before Yisrael".

(R. Yosi): Once, I was standing in Yerushalayim and I found a boy from the House of Avtinas.

I said to him, "My son, from which family are you?"

He replied, "From such and such family" (i.e. Avtinas.)

I said to him, "My son, your fathers intended to increase their honor and decrease the honor of Heaven. Therefore, their honor was decreased and the honor of Heaven was increased."

(R. Akiva): Shimon ben Luga told me, "I was once gathering grasses, myself and a boy from the House of Avtinas. I saw him cry and I laugh."

I said to him, "My son, why did you cry?" He replied, "Over the honor of my father's house that has been reduced." I asked, "And why did you laugh?" He replied, "Over the honor that is prepared for the righteous in the future".

I asked, "And what did you see?" He replied, "I saw in front of me "Maaleh Ashan" (the herb that causes the smoke of the Ketores to rise in a straight line). I asked him to show it to me.

He replied, "Rebbi, I have a tradition from my forefathers not to show it to anyone".

(R. Yochanan ben Nuri): An elder of the House of Avtinas once met me and he was holding a scroll with a list of herbs.

(Elder to R. Yochanan ben Nuri): Rebbi, in the past, my father's House were discreet and they would hand this scroll from one to another. Now that my father's House are no longer trustworthy, take the scroll and be careful with it.

(R. Yochanan ben Nuri): When I came and presented this before R. Akiva, his eyes flowed tears and he said, "From now, we no longer need to remember them with disdain."

The Mishnah taught that Elazar was appointed over the curtain. This means that he was appointed over those who wove the curtains.

The Mishnah taught that Pinchas was the outfitter. He would fashion the vestments of the Kohanim Gedolim.

Once, a certain Kohen outfitted a Roman officer and he paid him eight gold coins, or some say twelve gold coins.

(Mishnah): There are not less than seven Amarculin (overseers) and three treasurers of the Temple funds.

No authority is given over the community to less than two people, aside from Ben Achiyah over those with stomach ailments and Elazar over the curtain, since most of the public accepted them.

The Mishnah taught that there are not less than seven Amarculin (overseers) and three treasurers of the Temple funds.

(Beraisa): There were no less than two Katalikin (supervisors), as the Pasuk states (Divrei haYamim II 31:13), "And Yechiel, Azazyahu and Nachas were the treasurers";

"And Asa'el, Yirimos, Yuzeved, Eliel, and Yismachyahu, Machas, Benayahu" - they were the (seven) overseers.

"Appointees, by the hand of Kananyahu and Shimi his brother" - they were the (two) Katalikin (supervisors).

"Under the watch of King Chizkiyahu and Arzayahu, the ruler of the House of Hash-m" - the king and the High Priest.

When a room (or some say a bag) of the treasury was sealed (for later use), the treasurer would seal it (with his seal), then the overseer, then the controllers, then the Kohen Gadol and finally the king.

When they would come to open it, first, the king would come and inspect and then release his seal, then the Kohen Gadol, then the controller, then the overseer and finally the treasurer.

A position of authority over the community is not done with less than two people.

(Rav Nachman citing R. Mana): As the Pasuk states (Shemos 28:5), "And they shall bring the gold and the Techeles wool and the purple wool".

(R. Chama bei R. Chanina): From the shavings of the (second) Luchos (Tablets), Moshe Rabbeinu became wealthy, as it is written (Shemos 34:1), "Carve out for yourself two tablets of stone" - 'for yourself' - as you will keep the shavings.

(R. Chanin): HaKadosh Baruch Hu created a quarry of precious stones and diamonds under the tent of Moshe. It was from there that he became wealthy.

The Pasuk states (Shemos 33:8), "And they gazed after Moshe until he came to his tent".

Two Amoraim disagreed - one said that they gazed in a way of disdain. The other said that they gazed in a way of praise.

The one who that said it was disdain - they said 'See his thighs; see his legs, see how fleshy he is! He is eating and drinking from the property of the Jews! All that he has is from the Jews!'

The one who said that it was praise - they said, "See the righteous one and be meritorious. It's a merit to see him!"

(Mishnah): There were four seals (used as receipts) in the Mikdash and upon them were written 'calf', 'ram', 'kid' and 'sinner'.

(Ben Azai): There were five seals and Aramis (Aramaic) was written on them - 'calf', 'ram', 'kid', 'poor sinner' and 'rich sinner'.

The 'calf' seal was used with libations for cattle, adult and young, male and female.

The 'kid' seal was used with libations for small animals (sheep and goats), adult and young, male and female, except for the libations of rams.

The 'ram' seal was used with libations of rams alone.

The 'sinner' seal was used with libations of the three animals brought by a Metzora.

A person who needs libations goes to Yochanan, the appointee over the seals and he gives him money and receives from him a seal (i.e. a receipt).

He then goes to Achiyah, the appointee over the libations, and gives him the seal and receives from him the libations.

In the evening, the two meet, and Achiyah produces all of the seals and receives for them money (from Yochanan).

If there were less (funds than seals), Yochanan must pay the difference from his own personal funds. If there are more funds than seals, Hekdesh gains, as Hekdesh always has the upper hand.

If a person lost the seal that he purchased, they wait until the evening and if they find extra funds of the value of his seal, they give it to him. If not, they do not give it to him.

The name of the day was written on the seals, because of the tricksters.

(Gemara): According to Ben Azai, what was the purpose of the 'poor sinner's seal?

He would bring his Log of oil with it. But according to Rabbanan, he brings those called 'kid'.

Question: What are the libations of a ewe? (The Mishnah only discussed libations of a ram or a kid.)

Answer: From that which we learn our Mishnah - 'The 'kid' seal was used with libations for small animals, adult and young, male and female.' This shows that libations of a ewe are the same as that of a kid, as the Pasuk states (Bamidbar 15:11), "So shall be done for the one bull or one ram or one lamb among the sheep or goats."

Question: Why does it say "for the one bull"? It teaches that the Torah did not differentiate between the libations of a kid and a bull.

Answer: One could have made a deduction - The offspring of a sheep requires libations and so does the offspring of cattle. Just as we find that the Torah differentiated between the libations of a sheep and of a ram, we should therefore also differentiate between those of a calf and those of a bull.

Therefore the Torah taught 'So shall be done for the one bull" - which instructs that it did not differentiate between those of a calf and those of a bull.