(Mishnah): He arranged the big Ma'arachah... (and left an opening in the east).

Question: What is the reason?

Answer #1 (Rav Chisda or Rav Huna): This allowed wind to enter.

Answer #2 (The other of Rav Chisda and Rav Huna): They put twigs there. (They would catch fire and ignite the logs.)

Question (against Answer #2 - Mishnah): Space was left between the logs, in which they would ignite the twigs.

Answer: Space was left (for twigs) between the logs, and also a gap in the east.

(Mishnah): The appointee told the Kohanim to go to the lottery to determine who will do the following:

Shechitah (of the Tamid), Kabalah and Zerikah of the blood, Dishun (removal of the ashes) of the inner Mizbe'ach and of the Menorah;

Bringing the limbs (of the Tamid, and accompanying offerings, partially) up the ramp:

(Each of the following would be taken by one Kohen:) the head and right hind leg, the two forelegs, the rump (including the tail) and the left hind leg, the chest and neck, the two flanks, the innards, the flour (of Minchas Nesachim), the Chavitim, and the wine. (These will be explained in more detail in the next Perek, 31a-b.)

They conducted the lottery. The appointee told them to see if it is time (light enough) for Shechitah;

When it is time, the lookout says "Barkai";

Masya ben Shmuel (the appointee) would ask him "is the sky lit up until Chevron?" He would answer "yes."

The appointee told them to bring a lamb from Lishkas ha'Tela'im (the chamber of lambs), which was in the northwest corner (of the Azarah).

There were four Lishkos in Beis ha'Moked -- of lambs, of seals (showing that someone paid for Nesachim), of Beis ha'Moked (where the fire was), and where they would make Lechem ha'Panim.

They entered Lishkas ha'Kelim, and took out 93 Kelim of gold and silver.

They gave the Tamid to drink from a gold cup. (Rashi - drinking facilitates flaying the skin. Rif, Rambam (Beitzah 40a) - it clears the lungs from Sirchos (scabs) that make it appear to be a Terefah.)

Even though it was checked for Mumim the day before, they checked it again by the light of a torch.

The Kohanim who were chosen for the Dishun of the inner Mizbe'ach and the Menorah prepared the four Kelim they would need -- a basket, a flask, and two keys (to enter the Heichal).

The basket was of gold. It held two and a half Kavim. The flask was large, and of gold.

There were two keys to open locks on the Pishpesh north of the main gate (of the Heichal);

To open one of them, he had to stick his entire arm inside. The other lock could be opened simply (it was on the outside).

There were two Pishpeshim to the main gate (of the Heichal), one to the north and one to the south;

No person ever opened the southern one -- "ha'Sha'ar ha'Zeh Sagur Yihyeh Lo Yipase'ach v'Ish Lo Yavo Bo Ki Hash-m Elokei Yisrael Ba Vo."

He opened the north Pishpesh and entered the cell, and from the cell entered the Heichal. He went to the great gate (of the Heichal), removed the bolt, unlocked it and opened it.

They would not slaughter (the Tamid) until they heard the great gate open.

(Continuation of Mishnah): The following could be heard in Yericho. (It is about 40 kilometers away. Ra'avad - these were miracles, to help people appreciate the Kedushah of Yericho, which was the beginning of the conquest of Eretz Yisrael):

They could hear the great gate open, and the Magreifah (a fork-shaped instrument with many holes. One hundred (some say 1000) types of song could be heard);

They could hear Ben Arza clanging the cymbals, the flute, Gevini Keruz (the Kohen who would call to the Kohanim to come to the Avodah), the wooden wheel that Ben Katin made (to draw water and submerge it in the Amah) for the sake of the Kiyor, Shir (of the Leviyim), and the Shofar;

Some say they could even hear (Tosfos Yom Tov - people answering) when the Kohen Gadol said Hash-m's name on Yom Kipur.

In Yericho they could smell the Ketores;

R. Elazar ben Diglai says, my father's sheep in the city of Michvar (which was far from Yerushalayim) would sneeze from the smell of the Ketores.

(Continuation of Mishnah): The Kohen who merited (in the lottery) to slaughter the Tamid took it to the place of Shechitah. Those who merited to offer the limbs went with him.

The place of Shechitah was to the north of the Mizbe'ach. There were eight low stone pillars;

There were squares of cedar wood on top of them in which three rows of iron hooks were fixed, on which animals were hung;

Flaying was done on marble tables between the pillars.

The Kohen who merited Dishun of the inner Mizbe'ach took the (golden) basket, put it in front of himself and used his hands to scoop the ashes into it. When only a little remained, he swept them into it. He left the basket there and left. (We delay putting the ashes next to the Mizbe'ach, in order that this may be put together with the ashes of the Menorah, which were taken after Zerikas Dam ha'Tamid.)

The Kohen who merited Dishun of the Menorah entered and found the two western (some texts - eastern) lamps burning. (This was a miracle.) He would leave them (Rashba, cited by Tosfos Yom Tov - whichever were still burning), and then do Dishun to the others (clean out the remaining oil, wicks and ashes, and put in new oil and wicks);

If he found the two extinguished (i.e. after Shimon ha'Tzadik died), he would remove the ashes from their wicks and relight them from the others (if all had extinguished, he would take fire from the outer Mizbe'ach), then he was Medashen the others.

There was a rock in front of the Menorah with three steps. The Kohen would stand on it during Dishun. He left the cup on the second step and left.

(Mishnah): They would not tie (all four legs of) the Tamid. They were only Oked. (They tied the foreleg to the hind leg);

The Kohanim who merited to offer the limbs held it. It was Ne'ekad with its head to the south and its face to the west. The Shochet stood to its east and faced west.

(There were four rows of six rings, which were used to hold the neck (Rambam - feet) of a Korban during Shechitah.) The morning Tamid was slaughtered near the northwest corner, in the second ring. (See the diagram in Background to the Daf. Later, we will learn that it must be "k'Neged la'Yom," i.e. opposite, or even with, the sun. Ba'al ha'Me'or (Yoma 62b) explains that it was near the northwest corner of the rings, i.e. the second ring from the north in the westernmost row (1:E). It was not in the extreme north (1:F), just like the sun never rises in the extreme north(east). Mefaresh and Bartenura explain that this was the second ring from the south in the westernmost row (1B). It was near the northwest corner of the Mizbe'ach. Since it should face the sun, the ring closest to the Mizbe'ach (1:A) was not used, for it was in the shade of the Mizbe'ach. This is difficult, for the Tamid was slaughtered before sunrise (even after the limbs were brought on the ramp, it was still too early to bless "Yotzer Or" (32b, Mishnah))! Perhaps the Mizbe'ach blocked much of the pre-sunrise light, but it did not make a proper shadow! Perhaps we require a place that sees the sun later in the morning; one may offer the Tamid until four or six hours. Tosfos (Yoma) says that we do not slaughter right near the Mizbe'ach, lest the animal excrete there.)

The afternoon Tamid was slaughtered near the southwest corner, in the second ring (Ba'al ha'Me'or - 4:E; Mefaresh - 4:B).

After Shechitah, another Kohen did Kabalah. Zerikah was done on the northeast and southwest corners. The leftover blood was spilled on the Yesod on the south side.