1)

(a)The two kinds of wood that were disqualified from being used on the Mizbe'ach - are those of the vine and of the olive-tree.

(b)Nevertheless, they generally used three species of wood, fig, nut - and oil-wood.

(c)They arranged ...

1. ... the Ma'arachah Gedolah - (for the Korban Tamid and subsequently for all other Korbanos) on the east side of the Mizbe'ach.

2. ... the window in the formation of wood - to allow the east wind (which blew via the east gate) to fan it .

(d)The Kohen who performed the T'rumas ha'Deshen - arranged the Ma'arachah Gedolah, too. The other Kohanim - brought him the branches.

2)

(a)Between the large branches - the Kohen placed thin twigs, which are better for kindling.

(b)The west side of the Ma'arachah Gedolah - actually touched the Tapu'ach.

(c)He then proceeded to arrange the Ma'arachah Sheniyah - with wood of a fig-tree.

(d)The Ma'arachah Sheniyah was - the source from which they took wood for the Ketoresthat was burned on the Mizbe'ach ha'Ketores.

(e)The Ma'arachah Sheniyah was located - on the south-eastern corner of the Mizbe'ach, four Amos north of the south-eastern Keren.

3)

(a)The Ma'arachah Sheniyah turned into approximately five Sa'ah of coal during the week, eight on Shabbos - to accommodate the two cupfuls of Levonah (from the Lechem ha'Panim) which were burned there on Shabbos afternoon.

(b)Before burning the Evarim and Pedarim of that day's Korban Tamid on the Ma'arachah Gedolah - they first took the unburned Evarim and Pedarim from the previous day (which they had placed at the side of the Mizbe'ach or on the Kevesh, as we learned earlier in the Mishnah) and burned them there.

(c)Even before that however - the same Kohen first placed two blocks of wood on the Ma'arachah.

(d)After kindling the two Ma'arachos - the Kohanim then made their way to the Lishkas ha'Gazis (in the Ezras Yisrael, in order to perform the remaining Payasos, as we will learn in the next Perek).

4)

(a)Rava says that the three hundred Kur of ashes that our Mishnah claims were sometimes found on the Tapu'ach - is a Guzma (an exaggeration) ...

(b)... as is the Mishnah in the next Perek, which refers to a golden cup with which they watered the Tamid.

(c)Rebbi Ami bears this out. When he cites the Pasuk ...

1. ... in Devarim "Arim Gedolos u'Vetzuros ba'Shamayim" - he is informing us that, not only the Chachamim, but also the Torah, sometimes exaggerates ... and from the Pasuk ...

2. ... in Melachim (in connection with the coronation of Sh'lomoh ha'Melech) "ve'Chol ha'Am Mechalelim ba'Chalilim" - he points out that the Nevi'im do too.

5)

(a)Rebbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni says that 'Tapu'ach', 'Gefen' and 'Paroches' - are all expressions of exaggeration.

(b)He precludes 'Hishku es ha'Tamid be'Kos shel Zahav' from this list (arguing with Rava in this point) - based on the principle 'Ein Aniyus be'Makom Ashirus' (that it is quite normal to do so, because there is no poverty in a place of wealth, as we have already learned).

(c)'Gefen' refers to the golden vine that stood at the entrance of the Heichal, draped over a golden trellis - upon which anyone who wanted to donate a leaf a gold, a grape or a cluster of golden grapes would hang his donation (see also Rosh).

(d)Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Tzadok stated - that it took three hundred Kohanim to clear, prompting Rava to comment that it is a 'Guzma'.

6)

(a)'Paroches' refers to a statement of Raban Shimon ben ha'Segan in the Mishnah in Shekalim, who gives the dimension of the Paroches as forty by twenty Amos - which is equivalent to the dimensions of the entrance to the Kodesh Kodshim (where it hung). They would weave two of these Parochos each year.

(b)It was one Tefach thick and it required seventy-two Nimin ('threads and rings' on the weaving-loom) to weave it - through each of which they passed twenty-four threads.

(c)The ...

1. ... eight hundred and twenty thousand girls (see also Rosh) mentioned by the Tana in connection with it - signifies the number of girls that Hekdesh employed to weave it; whereas ...

2. ... the three hundred Kohanim - signifies the number of Kohanim who Toveled it (see Rosh).

(d)The exaggeration - lies in Rebbi Shimon ben ha'Segan's final statement (that three hundred Kohanim were required to Tovel it).

7)

(a)Our Mishnah disqualifies vines and olive-wood from the Ma'arachah. Rav Papa attributes this to the fact that they contain many knots - which causes them to retain their wetness, which, in turn, causes them not to burn efficiently and to emit a lot of smoke (see also Rosh).

(b)Rav Acha bar Ya'akov ascribes the fact that they are disqualified to - 'Yishuv Eretz Yisrael' (since they are needed for their wine and oil).

(c)Rav Acha bar Ya'akov cannot argue with Rav Papa - since it is clear from a Beraisa that we will cite shortly, that one cannot bring wood with knots.

(d)And the basis of their Machlokes is - whether, when our Mishnah prescribes fig-wood for the Ma'arachah Sheniyah, it is referring even to a fig-tree that produces fruit (Rav Papa), or specifically one that doesn't.

8)

(a)We query Rav Acha bar Ya'akov however, from a Beraisa, where the Tana learns from the Pasuk in Vayikra "al ha'Eitzim asher al ha'Eish asher al ha'Mizbe'ach" - that the wood must burn and catch alight quickly.

(b)The Tana interprets this as Dukri - which normally means spikes, and here, where the tree is still young and only a few sharp branches have grown from it, at which stage they contain very few knots.

(c)And the Tana precludes vines and olive-wood from being eligible for the Ma'arachah - since they contain many knots even when they are young.

9)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer precludes also wood from hackberry, oak, date-palm, carob and sycamore trees - because they contain knots on the outside of the wood, even though they do not extend to the inside.

(b)The Chachamim maintain - that, since the knots do not extend to the inside, they are not disqualified (see also Peirush).

(c)The Kashya on Rav Acha bar Ya'akov is - how the Tana Kama can possibly permit the fruit of a date-palm, which surely involves Yishuv Eretz Yisrael.

(d)We ask from the fruit of a date-palm, and not from that of a carob-tree - because Yishuv Eretz Yisrael only applies to fruit that is Chashuv, such as figs and dates, but not to carobs.

10)

(a)We prove from this Beraisa that Rav Acha bar Ya'akov concedes to Rav Papa's reasoning, as we explained earlier - because otherwise, how will he explain the Machlokes Tana'im in the Beraisa?

(b)We counter the Kashya on Rav Acha bar Ya'akov by citing the Seifa of our Mishnah (which prescribes fig-wood for the Ma'arachah Sheniyah). It is obvious that Rav Acha bar Ya'akov will establish both the Seifa of the Mishnah and the Tana Kama of the Beraisa - with regard to fruit-trees that do not bear fruit.

(c)Even though the questioner already knew the answer with regard to the Kashya from fig-wood in our Mishnah, he nevertheless saw fit to ask from the fruit of a date-palm in the Beraisa - because he thought that maybe it is only fig-trees that sometimes do not bear fruit (as we will now explain [but not date-palms]).

11)

(a)We ask on our Mishnah whether it is feasible for fig-trees not to produce fruit. What we really mean to ask is - whether it is feasible for a large number of fig-trees not to produce fruit (since we require a lot of fig-wood for the Ma'arachah Sheniyah). This problem does not exist with regard to date-palms, which were not used on the Mizbe'ach in large quantities.

(b)To answer the question, we cite Rachbah, who prescribed taking white-fig trees (which anyway produce poor quality figs), and rubbing them with creepers from a date-palm - to completely remove the bark (causing the fruit seeds to die).

(c)One then buries them in a sand bank (or by the bank of a river) - to prevent the trees themselves from dying.

(d)The trees subsequently produce branches devoid of fruit.

12)

(a)Rachbah finally states that the first three branches (or the first three batches of branches) that grow from the tree are so strong (and heavy) that a bridge cannot withstand their weight.

(b)The reason that they are so much stronger than the wood of a regular fig-tree is - because they no longer produce fruit.

13)

(a)Rav Huna and Rav Chisda argue over the windows that the Kohen arranged in the wood on the Ma'arachah Gedolah. One says that they were to enable the wind to fan the flames (as we explained in the Mishnah); the other - that they were to place thin twigs inside them to kindle, making it easier for the branches to catch alight.

(b)The latter explains - that the Seifa of our Mishnah, which gives this reason independently, indicating that they placed the twigs on the other sides too - will learn that in fact, they placed the twigs on all four sides, only in the east they left a large window for that purpose, whereas on the other sides, they placed them in the small gaps.

(c)The basis of their Machlokes is - whether they placed twigs on the east side at all that according to the opinion who attributes the reason to the wind (Rav Huna) or nor (Rav Chisda).