1)

(a)The Mishnah in Midos discusses one of the tasks performed by the Ish Har ha'Bayis - who was the charge d'affairs of all matters concerning the Har ha'Bayis.

(b)When he approached one of the guards as he made his rounds each morning, says the Tana, the latter was expected to stand up and say - 'Ish Har ha'Bayis, Shalom alecha'.

(c)If any of the guards failed to do so - he had the authority to lay about him with his stick and to burn his clothes, because it indicated that the guard had fallen asleep on his job.

(d)If Reuven would ask Shimon about the screams coming from the direction of the Azarah, the latter would reply - that they were the screams of a Levi who had fallen asleep on his job and who was now being punished by the Ish Har ha'Bayis.

(e)Rebbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov testified - that this was precisely what happened once to his maternal uncle.

2)

(a)When Rebbi Yochanan learned this Mishnah, Rebbi Chiya bar Aba quoted him as having said - how fortunate were the earlier generations who were taken to task even for the Oneis of falling asleep, how much more so on less inevitable Onsin.

(b)Rebbi in a Beraisa sings the praises of Tochachah (rebuking). Besides 'Nachas Ru'ach' (a spirit of contentment), he declared - Tochachah brings in its wake goodness and blessing.

(c)From the Pasuk in Mishlei "u'le'Mochichim Yena'em" - we learn that Tochachah leads to 'Nachas Ru'ach'.

(d)Evil disappears with Tochachah.

3)

(a)According to others, it was the Pasuk in Tehilim "Einai be'Ne'emnei Aretz" (and not "u'le'Mochichim Yena'em") that Rebbi quoted , in which case, he was praising, not Tochachah, but - lots of integrity (concerning money matters).

(b)Rebbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni Amar Rebbi Yonasan declares - that someone who rebukes his fellow Jew, based on the Pasuk in Mishlei ...

1. ... "Mochi'ach Adam 'Acharai' ... " - belongs to the portion of Hash-m.

2. ... "Chein Yimatzei mi'Machalik Lashon" - has a constant thread of grace hovering over him.

4)

(a)Based on the Mishnah in Yoma, Abaye reconciles the Mishnah's initial statement, which permits any Kohen to Tovel and perform the T'rumas ha'Deshen, with the statement that follows, granting the Mitzvah to whoever wins the Payas (see Rosh) - by establishing the first statement before they instituted the Payas, and the second statement, after the Takanah was established.

(b)According to the Mishnah in Yoma it was initially - the Kohen who won the race up to the top of the ramp who merited to perform the T'rumas ha'Deshen.

(c)If two Kohanim tied in the race up the ramp - then they would all toss up, by each Kohen sticking out one or two adjacent fingers (except for the thumb) as described in Yoma).

(d)They changed to the method of Payas (which was equivalent to the method of tossing up to which we just referred [minus the race]) - when one Kohen once pushed his fellow Kohen off the ramp (in order to win the race). The Chachamim realized that this was a matter of life and death, and instituted the Payas instead.

(e)Rava establishes both rulings after the Takanah, and the reason that it was necessary to Tovel so early - is to be ready to perform the T'rumas ha'Deshen immediately after the Payas, or for fear that an over-eager Kohen may enter the Azarah without having Toveled.

5)

(a)The appointee then took the key in order to enter the Azarah from the Beis-ha'Mokad. The key was located - in a small pit which was covered with a lid, which he now removed, before taking the key.

(b)He then opened the Pishpesh (which we already discussed earlier) which led to the Azarah. He did not open the main gate - since it was customary not to open it until dawn-break, together with all the other gates of the Azarah.

(c)When the Kohanim who followed him through the Pishpesh split up into two groups, they were holding in their hands - two lit torches. They then proceeded to make their way round the Azarah ...

(d)... underneath the series of sun-porches supported by pillars that ran alongside all four walls of the Azarah - to make sure that all the Holy Vessels were in their correct location.

6)

(a)Each group continued along the north wall - one towards the east, the other, towards the west. The latter then traversed, first the west wall then the south wall. The first group then turned right, the second group, left ...

(b)... and they met in Lishkas Chavitin (where the Kohen Gadol's Minchas Chavitin was prepared).

(c)When they met, they greeted each other with the words - 'Shalom, ha'Kol Shalom!'

(d)Before moving on to the T'rumas ha'Deshen - they left one of their Chaverim in the Lishkas Chavitin to prepare the Minchas Chavitin.

7)

(a)Besides showing him where the shovel for the T'rumas ha'Deshen was kept, the Kohanim warned their Chaver who went to perform the Terumas ha'Deshen - not to touch any of the K'lei Kodesh before performing Kidush Yadayim ve'Raglayim.

(b)The shovel for Terumas ha'Deshen - which was made of silver, was kept, on the west side of the Kevesh (the ramp), between the Kevesh and the Mizbe'ach.

(c)Nobody was permitted to accompany him into the Ezras Kohanim - because even a Kohen was only permitted to enter there in order to perform an Avodah.

(d)Even though the Kohen did not take a torch with him - he was nevertheless able to see - by the glow that emanated from the burning coals of the Mizbe'ach.

(e)And thereason that he did not take with him (in order to see better what he was doing) was - because he went in alone (and there was nobody to hold it for him whilst he did what he had to do),

8)

(a)The first thing the other Kohanim heard from the Kohen who went to perform the T'rumas ha'Deshen - was the Kiyor being raised from the well where it had been lying all night, by means of the wooden pulley that ben Katin made.

(b)They responded to what they heard - by announcing that the time had arrived to wash their hands and feet from the Kiyor.

(c)The Kohen who was about to perform the T'rumas ha'Deshen ...

1. ... after washing his hands and feet from the Kiyor - would take the silver pan and ascend to the top of the Mizbe'ach.

2. ... after arriving on top of the Mizbe'ach - shoveled the burning coals to the side, until he had revealed the innermost spent coals, from which he then took a shovel-full and carried them down to the foot of the Kevesh, following which ...

3. ... he turned left and left again and proceeded to walk northwards towards the Mizbe'ach.

(d)He initially both ...

1. ... ascended and ...

2. ... descended the Kevesh - on the east side.

(e)He finally poured the shovel-full of ashes - beside the Mizbe'ach, at a distance of ten Amos along the Kevesh, where he poured the ashes, three Tefachim away from the actual Kevesh.

9)

(a)The other three things that were deposited there - were the crop ... of the Korban Of, the ashes from the Mizbe'ach ha'Penimi and the ashes of the Menorah.

(b)The difference between the ashes of the T'rumas ha'Deshen and those of the other three sets of ashes after they were deposited there was - that the latter disappeared miraculously, whereas the former had to be placed in Genizah by hand.

10)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov in a Beraisa learns from the Pasuk in Re'ei "Lo Sita l'cha Asheirah shel Eitz" - that it is forbidden to construct a wooden sun-porch in the Azarah.

(b)To reconcile this with our Mishnah, which refers to a sun-porches running round the Azarah - Rav Chisda establishes the latter by sun-porches made of stone (and not a wooden one).

(c)The sun-porches were needed - for people to place their bags ... there, and to stand for a short while between the pillars that supported them.

11)

(a)When the Mishnah describes how they left one Kohen in the Lishkas Chavitin to start preparing the Minchas Chavitin - the Tana is referring to boiling up the water for kneading the loaves.

(b)He cannot mean that he actually prepared the loaves - since it is forbidden to perform any Avodah before the Tamid shel Shachar has been brought.

(c)Based on Rabah's explanation, the Beraisa learns from the Pasuk in Tzav "ve'Arach alehah ha'Olah" - that the Korban Tamid must precede all other Korbanos, as Rabah learns from the 'Hey' of "ha'Olah".

12)

(a)When the other Kohanim saw their Chaver coming down the Kevesh with the shovel-full of ashes - they hurried to wash their hands and feet from the Kiyor.

(b)When they ascended the Mizbe'ach to begin the Avodas ha'Yom, they took with them - pans and forks.

(c)First of all - they took all the limbs and the fat-pieces that had not yet burned and placed them on the side of the Mizbe'ach.

(d)If there was no room on the side of the Mizbe'ach - then they placed them on the Soveiv (the ledge that surrounded the Mizbe'ach, halfway between the top and the Y'sod. They were not permitted to arrange them at the foot of the Mizbe'ach - because if they were still there at dawn-break, they would become Pasul be'Linah.

13)

(a)Next, the Kohanim removed the burned-out ashes from the Ma'arachah and piled them on the Tapu'ach (which was called by that name on account of its round shape [like the pile of grapes in the wine-press, which share the same name).

(b)The Tapu'ach was located - in the middle of the Mizbe'ach. They sometimes found on it - as much as three hundred Kur (each Kur equals thirty Sa'ah) of ashes on it.

14)

(a)They would empty the Tapu'ach - whenever it became so full that it interfered with the Ma'arachah on the east side of the Mizbe'ach).

(b)They declined to do so on Yom-Tov, however - since it enhanced the 'beauty' of the Mizbe'ach (which everyone who came to Yerushalayim on Aliyas ha'Regel ought to see).

(c)The Kohanim never failed to empty the ashes from the Mizbe'ach (despite the huge amounts of ashes that had often piled up on it).