1)

THE DIVISION OF THE KOHANIMS' PORTIONS (Yerushalmi Halachah 8 Daf 25b)

משנה בשלשה פרקים בשנה היו כל המשמרות שוין באימורי הרגלים ובחילוק לחם הפנים

(a)

(Mishnah): At three times during the year, all of the Mishmaros divide equally the Eimorim of the festive offerings and the Lechem HaPanim (Showbread).

בעצרת אומר לו הי לך מצה הי לך חמץ

(b)

On Shavuos (that occurs on Shabbos, when there are both Lechem HaPanim and Shtei Lechem to divide amongst the Kohanim), the distributor says to them, "Take Matzah, take leaven".

משמר שזמנו קבוע הוא מקריב תמידין נדרים ונדבות וכל קרבנות הציבור ומקריב את הכל

(c)

The Mishmar whose week (of the 24 week rotation) occurred during the festival would sacrifice the Tamid offerings, the pledged sacrifices and all of the public sacrifices, and they would sacrifice everything. (This phrase teaches that they also bring the sacrifices that were for "Kayitz HaMizbeach" - offerings brought from public funds at times when there were no other sacrifices being brought on the Mizbeach.)

י"ט סמוך לשבת בין מלפניה בין מלאחריה היו כל המשמרות שוין בחילוק לחם הפנים

(d)

When Yom Tov occurred closed to Shabbos (on a Friday or a Sunday), all of the Mishmaros divided equally the Lechem HaPanim.

[דף כו עמוד א] חל יום אחד להפסיק בינתים משמר שזמנו קבוע הוא נוטל עשר חלות והמתעכב נוטל שתים

(e)

If there was a gap of a day between them (if Yom Tov occurred on a Thursday or a Monday), the Mishmar whose week occurred then would receive 10 of the 12 breads and the Mishmar who remained for the festival would receive two breads.

ובשאר כל ימות השנה הנכנס נוטל שש

(f)

The rest of the year, the Mishmar who had arrived (to serve that week) would take 6 breads.

רבי יהודה אומר הנכנס נוטל שבע והיוצא נוטל חמש

(g)

R. Yehuda: The Mishmar who had just arrived would take 7 and the Mishmar who was leaving would take 5.

הנכנסין חולקין בצפון והיוצאין בדרום

(h)

The Mishmar who had arrived would divide the breads in the north and the Mishmar who was leaving would divide in the south.

בלגה לעולם חולקת בדרום וטבעתה קבועה וחלונה סתומה

(i)

The Mishmar of Bilgah would always divide in the south, their ring (that was used to rotate around the animal to be slaughtered) was fixed in place and their window (where they stored their slaughter knives) was blocked. (The Gemara will explain why they received these punishments.)

גמרא כתיב (דברים יח) חלק כחלק יאכלו. יכול אף בשאר כל ימות השנה כן תלמוד לומר (שם) לבד ממכריו על האבו' חוץ ממה שמכרו אבות לבנים את שבתך ואני שבתי

(j)

(Gemara): The Pasuk states (Devarim 18, 8), "They shall eat portion for portion" (they equally divide the Lechem HaPanim and the Shtei Halechem on Shavuos). I might have thought that this equal division applies throughout the year - the Pasuk continues, "...aside from what was implemented by the forefathers". This excludes portions that the forefathers agreed to divide in a certain way - that each Mishmar receives portions of Lechem HaPanim corresponding to when they serve in the Temple.

ובעצרת אומר הילך מצה הילך חמץ

(k)

The Mishnah had taught: On Shavuos (that occurs on Shabbos, where there are both Lechem HaPanim and Shtei Lechem to divide amongst the Kohanim), the distributor says to them, "Take Matzah, take leaven".

אית תניי תני הילך חמץ הילך מצה

1.

A Beraisa teaches - "Take leaven, take Matzah".

מ"ד הילך מצה שהוא חביב מ"ד הילך חמץ שהוא תדיר

2.

The Mishnah says Matzah (Shtei Halechem) first because it is dear. The Beraisa says leaven (Lechem HaPanim) first because it is more frequent.

אמר רבי לוי כל המשמרות היו נתונות בדרום

(l)

R. Levi: On the festival, all of the Mishmaros would divide the Lechem HaPanim in the south (together with the Mishmar who was leaving).

אמר רבי יוסי מתני' אמרה כן חל יום אחד להפסיק בינתים

(m)

R. Yosi: Our Mishnah teaches this - "...if there was a gap of a day between them...[The Mishmar who had arrived would divide the breads in the north and the Mishmar who was leaving would divide in the south]". So too, the Mishmaros who had arrived for the festival when it was not their time to serve, are no better than the Mishmar who was leaving.

רבי יודה בן טיטס בשם ר' אחא קרייא מסייע להן תנייא (שמואל א כא) ועתה מה יש תחת ידך חמשה לחם תנה בידי או הנמצא ואחימלך מן המשמר היוצא היה

(n)

R. Yehuda ben Titas quoting R. Acha: There is a Pasuk that supports this Tanna (R. Yehuda who ruled that the Mishmar who was leaving would only receive 5 breads.) - (Shmuel 1, 21, 4), "And now, what do you have? Five loaves of bread? Give them or whatever there is." (King Dovid was speaking to Achimelech who was of the Mishmar who were leaving. The mention of 5 loaves is hinting that this is what the Mishmar would receive.)

הנכנסין חולקין בצפון ויוצאין בדרום

(o)

The Mishnah had taught: The Mishmar who had arrived would divide the breads in the north and the Mishmar who was leaving would divide in the south.

אמר רבי חנניה בריה דרבי הלל כדי לחלוק כבוד לנכנסין

(p)

R. Chananya son of R. Hillel: This was done in order to give honor to the Mishmar who were arriving.

א"ר יוסי בי רבי בון לא מטעם זה אלא בגין דתנינן כל הנכנסין להר הבית נכנסין דרך ימין ומקיפין ויוצאין דרך שמאל

(q)

R. Yosi bei R. Bun: This was not the reason. Rather, it is because of the Mishnah that teaches - Whoever enters the Temple Mount enters on the right, go around and leaves on the left side.

בלגה לעולם חולקת בדרום מפני מרים בת בלגה שהמירה דתה והלכה ונישאת לסרדיוט אחד משל מלכות בית יון ובאה וטפחה על גגו של מזבח אמרה לו לוקיס לוקיס אתה החרבתה נכסיהן של ישראל ולא עמדת להן בשעת דוחקן

(r)

Bilgah would always divide in the south. This happened because Miriam, daughter of Bilgah, left the fold and married a General of the Greek royal family. She came and kicked her foot on the Mizbeach and said, "Wolf, wolf! You consume the property of the Yisrael (the sacrifices that are burned there) and you do not stand up (and help) them in their difficult times!"

וי"א ע"י שהגיע זמנה לעלות ולא עלת ונכנס ישבב ושימש תחתיה בכהונה גדולה

1.

Some say that they were punished because they did not arrive for their week's service and the Mishmar of Yeshavav continued to serve as Kohanim in their place.

לפיכך בלגה לעולם ביוצא וישבב בנכנס

2.

Therefore, Bilgah always divides in the location of the Mishmar that is leaving and Yeshavav always precedes Bilgah in the rotation of the Mishmaros.

ויעקרו אותה ממקומה

(s)

Question: Why not oust Bilgah completely from serving in the Temple?

לית יכיל דאמר רבי סימון בשם רבי יהושע בן לוי קשה לפני המקום לעקר שלשלת יוחסין ממקומן

(t)

Answer: You cannot, because R. Simon quoted R. Yehoshua ben Levi as saying that uprooting a chain of lineage is 'difficult in the Eyes of Hashem'.

ויעשו אותן עשרים ושלש

(u)

Question: Why not divide up Bilgah to be part of the other Mishmaros and have 23 Mishmaros (instead of 24)?

לית יכיל דכתיב (דברי הימים א ט) המה יסד דוד ושמואל הראה באמונתם. באומנותם אומנות גדולה היתה שם שאין משמר נוטל ושונה בשדה אחוזה עד שיטול חבירו

(v)

Answer: This cannot be done, as the Pasuk states (Divrei HaYamim 1, 9, 22), "they were founded by Dovid and Shmuel the Seer, in their skillfulness". Their great skill was that one Mishmar would not take a second ancestral field until another Mishmar received first. (A field that was consecrated but not redeemed by the owner before Yovel, goes to the Kohanim of the Mishmar that was serving in the Temple that Yom Kippur. Dovid and Shmuel set a cycle of Mishmaros which ensured that a different Mishmar of the 24 served each Yom Kippur of the Yovel years.)

א"ר אבהו חישבתים שאין משמר נוטל ושונה בשדה אחוזה עד שיטול חבירו

(w)

R. Abahu: I calculated it and it is true. (Note: This entry and the previous one follow the explanation of the Pnei Moshe.)

וטבעתה קבועה. רבי בא בשם רב יהודה טבעות עשו להן רחבות מלמעלן וצרות מלמטן

(x)

The Mishnah had taught: Their ring was fixed in place. R. Ba quoted Rav Yehuda as saying that they made rings for the Kohanim to use for slaughtering that were wide on top and narrow below. (They could be rotated to then hold then animal's neck in place.)

וחלונה סתומה שלא העמידו אותה על סכיניהן כהיא דתנינן תמן הוא היה נקרא בית החולפות ששם היו גונזין את הסכינין

(y)

The Mishnah had taught: Their (storage) window was blocked up that they could not put their knives there. This is like the Mishnah in Midos that says, "It was called the Slaughter Knife chamber, as they would hide their knives there".

HADRAN ALACH PEREK HECHALIL VESELIKAH LAH MASECHES SUKAH

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