1. At first everyone who wished to (cleanse) the altar, cleansed it. When they were many, they ran and mounted the ascent, and each one, who at the middle outstripped his companion by four cubits, won it. If two were equal the president said to them, “lift your fingers.”202 “And what is that?” “They lifted one or two fingers, but no one lifted the thumb in the Sanctuary.”

2. It happened that two were equal, and running and mounting the ascent, one of them thrust his companion, so that he fell, and his leg was broken. And when the great Sanhedrin saw that they were getting into danger, they decreed that they should not cleanse the altar save by lot. There were four lots, and this was the first lot.

3. The second lot was: Who should slay? Who sprinkle? Who should take the ashes from the inner altar? and who should take the ashes from the candlestick? and who should carry the members to the ascent? the head and the right foot, and the hind feet, the tail, and the left foot, the breast, and the throat, and the two sides, and the inwards, and the fine flour, and the pancakes, and the wine. Thirteen priests discharged this lot. Said Ben Asai in the presence of R. Akiba from the mouth of Rabbi Joshua, “like to its way of motion” (when alive).

4. The third lot203 was for new men who came to offer incense, and they cast the lots. The fourth lot was for new men with the old, who should carry the members from the ascent to the altar.

5. The daily offering was with nine, ten, eleven, twelve, priests; not less and not more. “How?” “Itself with nine: at the feast of Tabernacles in the hand of one, a glass of water there is ten. The evening offering with eleven, itself with nine, and in the hands of two, two fagots of wood. On Sabbath, [pg 111] eleven; itself with nine, and two, in their hands two fragments of incense of the showbread. And on the Sabbath in the feast of Tabernacles in the hand of one a glass of water.”

6. The ram was offered with eleven; the flesh with five, the inner part, and the fine flour and the wine, to each two and two.

7. The bullock was offered with twenty-four priests. “The head and the right foot?” “The head with one, and the foot with two.” “The chine and the left foot?” “The tail with two, and the left foot with two.” “The breast and the throat?” “The breast with one, and the throat with three, the two hind feet with two, and the two sides with two, the inner parts and the fine flour, and the wine, each with three and three.” “Of which is that said?” “Of the offering for the whole congregation.” “But for the offerings of an individual?” “If he wished to offer, he might offer.” “For the skinning and cutting up?” “For these all were equal.”

1. The overseer said to them, “go and look if the time for slaughter is come.” If it came, the watchman said, “it is brightening.”204 Matthew the son of Samuel said, “is the whole east light as far as Hebron?” and he said “yes.”

2. “And why was that necessary?” “Because it once happened that the light of the moon came up, and they deemed it the light from the east.” And they slaughtered the daily offering, and they brought it to the house of burning. And they brought down the High Priest to the house of Baptism. This was the rule in the Sanctuary that everyone who covered his feet (was required) to wash; and everyone retiring was required to sanctify his hands and feet.

3. No one entered the court for service, however clean, until he washed. The High Priest made five washings and ten purifications in this day, and all were in the Holy place above the house of Parva,205 with the exception of the first one alone.

1. He shook the urn and brought up two lots; one was written “for the Name,” and the other was written “for Azazel.”213 The Sagan stood at his right hand, and the Chief of the Fathers at his left. If “for the Name” came up in his right hand the Sagan said to him, “My Lord High Priest, lift [pg 114] up thy right hand”; and if “for the Name” came up in his left the Chief of the Fathers said to him, “My Lord High Priest, lift up thy left hand.” He placed them upon the two goats, and said, “for the Lord is the sin-offering.” R. Ismael said, “it was not necessary to mention the sin-offering” but “for the Lord.” And they answered after him, “BLESSED BE THE NAME. THE HONOR OF HIS KINGDOM FOREVER AND EVER.”

2. He twisted a tongue214 of brightness on the head of the goat to be sent away, and he placed him opposite the gate from whence he should be sent. And the one for slaughter he placed opposite the slaughter-house. He himself came beside his bullock the second time, and laid his two hands upon him and made confession, and thus he spake: “I beseech Thee, O Name, I have committed iniquity, I have transgressed, I have sinned before Thee. I, and my house, and the sons of Aaron, Thy holy people. I beseech Thee, O Name, pardon iniquities, transgressions, and sins which I have perversely committed, and transgressed, and sinned before Thee, I, and my house, and the sons of Aaron, Thy holy people, as is written in the law of Moses, Thy servant, saying, that in this day he will atone for you to purify you from all your sins ‘Before the LORD. Ye shall be pure.’ ” And they answered after him, “BLESSED BE THE NAME. THE HONOR OF HIS KINGDOM FOREVER AND EVER.”

3. He slaughtered him and caught his blood in a bowl, and he gave it to him who mixed it upon the fourth platform of the Sanctuary, that it might not congeal. He took the censer, and went up to the top of the altar, and raked the live coals here and there, and gathered out from the inner embers. And went down and placed it upon the fourth platform in the court.

4. Every day he gathered out the coals with one of silver and poured them out into one of gold, but to-day he gathered them with one of gold and he entered with it. Every day he [pg 115] gathered them out with one of four cabs215 and poured them into one of three cabs. But to-day he gathered them out with one of three cabs, and with it he entered. Rabbi Joseph said, “every day he gathered out with one containing a seah,216 and poured it into one of three cabs. But to-day he gathered out with one of three cabs, and with it he entered. Every day it was heavy, but to-day it was light. Every day its handle was short, but to-day long. Every day it was green gold; to-day red.” The words of Rabbi Menachem. “Every day he offered half a pound in the morning, and half a pound in the evening, but to-day he added his handful. Every day it was fine; but to-day the finest of the fine.”

5. Every day the priests went up the ascent (to the altar) in the east and descended in the west. But to-day the High Priest went up in the middle and descended in the middle. R. Judah said, “The High Priest ever went up in the middle and descended in the middle.” Every day the High Priest sanctified his hands and his feet from the laver; but to-day from the golden basin. R. Judah said, “The High Priest ever sanctified his hands and his feet from the golden basin.”

6. “Every day there were there four rows217 of hearths; but to-day five,” the words of R. Meier. Rabbi Joseph said, “every day three; but to-day four.” Rabbi Judah said, “every day two; but to-day three.”

1. They brought out for him the cup and the censer, and filled his hand full (of incense), and put it into the cup, the large according to his largeness,218 and the smaller according to his smallness, and so was its measure. He took the censer in his right hand, and the spoon in his left. He proceeded in the Sanctuary until he came between the two vails dividing between the holy and the holy of holies, and intermediate was a cubit. R. Joseph said, “there was one vail only,” as He said, “the vail is the division for you between the Holy and the Holy of Holies” (Exod. xxvi. 33). Outside it was looped [pg 116] up southward, inside northward. He proceeded between them till he reached the north. When he reached the north his face was turned southward. He proceeded leftward near the vail till he came to the ark. When he came to the ark, he put the censer between its two staves, he heaped the incense on the live coals, and the whole house was entirely filled with smoke. He went out, and returned by the way of his entrance, and he offered a short prayer in the outer house, and he did not prolong his prayer, lest he should excite terror219 in Israel.

2. When the ark was removed, a stone was there from the days of the first prophets, and it was called “FOUNDATION.”220 It was three digits high above the earth, and upon it he put the censer.

3. He took the blood from the mixer.221 With it he entered to the place where he entered, and stood in the place where he stood. He sprinkled of it once on high, and seven times below, and he did not purpose to sprinkle neither on high nor below, but unintentionally,222 and so he counted, “one, one and one, one and two, one and three, one and four, one and five, one and six, one and seven.” He went out and placed it on the golden pedestal, which was in the Sanctuary.

4. They brought to him the goat, he slaughtered it and caught his blood in a bowl. He entered to the place where he entered, and stood in the place where he stood, and sprinkled of it once on high and seven times below, and he did not purpose to sprinkle neither on high nor below, but unintentionally;223 and so he counted, “one, one and one, one and two,” etc. He went out, and placed it on the second pedestal, which was in the Sanctuary. R. Judah said “there was but one pedestal only.” He took the blood of the bullock and laid down the blood of the goat, and sprinkled of it on the vail opposite the ark, on the outside, once on high, seven times below, and he did not purpose, etc., and so he counted. He took the blood of the goat and laid down the blood of the bullock, and sprinkled of it on the vail opposite the ark, on [pg 117] the outside, once on high and seven times below, etc. He poured the blood of the bullock into the blood of the goat, and infused the full into the empty.

5. And he went out to the altar which is before the LORD. This was the golden altar. He began cleansing it, and went down. “From what place did he begin?” “From the Northeastern corner, the Northwestern, Southwestern, and Southeastern, the place where he began with the sin-offering of the outer altar, at the same place he finished upon the inner altar.” R. Eliezer said, “he stood in his place and cleansed, and in general he operated from below upward, excepting that which was before him, on that he operated from above downward.”

6. He sprinkled on the middle224 of the altar seven times, and the remainder of the blood he poured out on the western foundation of the outer altar, and the blood from the outer altar he poured out on the southern foundation. This and that commingled in the channel, and flowed out to the Kidron Valley, and they were sold to the gardeners for manure, and they became guilty225 in themselves.

7. All work of the day of atonement is described in order. If the High Priest performed one before the other, he did nothing. If the blood of the goat be sprinkled before the blood of the bullock, he must return, and sprinkle from the blood of the goat after the blood of the bullock. And if he had not finished the performances within, the blood was spilled. He must bring other blood, and return to sprinkle first from within. And so in the Sanctuary, and so in the golden altar, because all are an atonement in themselves. R. Eleazar and R. Simon say, “from the place where he stopped there he began.”

1. Both he-goats for the day of atonement are commanded to be alike in color, and in stature, and in price, and to be selected at the same time, and although they be not equal, yet are they lawful. “If one be selected to-day and the other tomorrow?” “They are lawful.” “If one of them died?” [pg 118] If he died before the lot be cast, the priest shall take a pair for the second; and if after the lot be cast he die, the priest shall fetch another pair, and cast the lot over them anew. And he shall say, “if that for the Name die, this over which this lot comes will be a substitute for the Name; and if that for Azazel die, this over which this lot comes will be a substitute for Azazel.” And the second shall go to pasture, until he become blemished, and he shall be sold, and his price must be put into the offertory. Since the sin-offering of the congregation dies not. R. Judah said, “thou shalt die”;226 and again said R. Judah, “is his blood shed?” “The one to be sent forth shall die.” “Has the one to be sent forth died?” “His blood shall be shed.”

1. The High Priest came to read. If he wished to read in linen garments, he read. If not, he read in his own white stole. The public Minister of the congregation took out the roll of the Law, and delivered it to the Chief of the congregation, and the Chief of the congregation gave it to the Sagan, and the Sagan gave it to the High Priest. And the High Priest stood and received it and read. He stood and read “after the death”237 and “also on the tenth day.”238 And he rolled up the book of the Law, and put it into his bosom, and said, “More than what I have read before you is written here.” And “on the tenth”239 in the Pentateuch of overseers he recited, and pronounced upon it eight blessings; upon the Law, and upon the Service, and upon the confession, and upon the forgiveness of sins, and upon the Sanctuary separately, and upon Israel separately, and upon Jerusalem separately, and upon the Priests separately, and upon the remainder of the prayer.

2. He who saw the High Priest, when he read, could not see the bullock and the he-goat, when they were burning. And he who saw the bullock and the he-goat, when they were burning, could not see the High Priest, when he read. Not because it was forbidden, but because the way was far, and the work of both was proceeding at once.

3. If he read in linen garments, he sanctified his hands and his feet, he undressed, he descended and bathed. He came up, and wiped himself. They brought him golden garments, and he dressed, and he sanctified his hands and his feet, and went forth and offered the ram for himself, and the ram for the people, and seven lambs without blemish of a year old. The words of R. Eleazar. R. Akiba said, “with the morning sacrifice they were offered.” And the bullock of burnt-offering and the he-goat,240 which was prepared without, were offered with the evening sacrifice.

1. On the day of atonement, food, and drink, and washing, and anointing, and the sandal latchet,242 and marriage duties, are restricted. “But the king and bride are allowed to wash their face, and the woman after childbirth may wear sandals.” The words of R. Eleazar, but the Sages forbid them.

2. The person who eats the size of a big date and its grain, and drinks a jawful, is liable to punishment. All edible things are united for the measure of the date, and all drinkable things are united for the measure of the jawful. Eating and drinking are not united.

3. He who eats and drinks unwittingly, is only liable for one sin-offering. If he eat and work, he is liable for two sin-offerings. He who eats what is disagreeable for food, and [pg 122] drinks what is disagreeable for drinking, and he who drinks fish brine, or salt gravy, is free.

4. They do not afflict young children in the day of atonement, but they coax them one or two years before, that they may be accustomed to the commandments.

5. If the pregnant woman be affected by the odor, they give her food, till her strength return. To the sick person they give food by order from the physicians. If there be no physicians, they give him food at his own demand until he say, “it is enough.”

6. Him who is affected with blindness, they fed even with unclean things, till his eyes got the power of vision. Him who is bitten by a mad dog, they fed not with the caul of his liver. But R. Mathia Ben Charash said, “it is allowed”; and again said R. Mathia Ben Charash, “to him who had throat complaint they administered medicine in his mouth on the Sabbath day, since there is uncertainty of life, and all uncertainty of life abrogates the Sabbath.”

7. “On whomsoever an old ruin falls, if there be a doubt, whether one be under it or not; if there be doubt, whether he be alive or dead; if there be a doubt, whether he be a foreigner or an Israelite?” “They open over him the heap. If they find him alive, they open fully, but if dead, they leave him.”

8. The sin-offering, and the offering for known transgression make atonement. Death and the day of atonement with repentance make atonement. Repentance atones for light transgressions, for commands positive and negative. But grave offences are suspended, till the day of atonement come, and it will atone.

9. He who said, “I will sin and repent—I will sin and repent?” “They did not give him the opportunity of repentance.” “I will sin, and the day of atonement shall atone?” “The day of atonement makes no atonement.” Transgressions between man and The Place243 the day of atonement expiates. [pg 123] Transgressions between man and his neighbor, the day of atonement does not expiate, until his companion be reconciled. This R. Eleazar Ben Azariah explained “From all thy sins before the LORD thou shalt be cleansed.” Transgressions between man and The Place, the day of atonement expiated. Transgressions between man and his companion, the day of atonement did not expiate, until his companion be reconciled. Said R. Akiba, “Happy are ye, Israel! before whom are ye to be pure? Who will purify you? Your Father in heaven, as is said, ‘I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.’ ” Then said the Fountain of Israel, the LORD, “As the fountain purifies the defiled, so the Holy One, blessed be He, purifies Israel.”