MISHNAH: Thirteen horns, thirteen tables, and thirteen prostrations were in the Temple. The family of Rabban Gamliel and of Rebbi Ḥanania the Second in Command of the priests were prostrating themselves fourteen times. And where was the additional one? In front of the storage room of the wood since they had a tradition from their forefathers that there the Ark was hidden. It happened that a Cohen was occupied when he saw that a floor tile was different from the others. He went to tell it to a comrade but could not finish speaking before his soul left him; then they knew with certainty the the Ark was hidden there.
HALAKHAH: “Thirteen horns,” etc. It was stated: these horns were curved; narrow on top and wide on the bottom because of the tricksters [The “horns” were chests for the money given to the Temple for various reasons, as detailed in Mishnah 7. A person putting money into one of the chests could not put his hand into it, he had to let the coins drop in from the top.] .
It was stated in the name of Rebbi Eliezer: [Tosephta 2:18; Babli Yoma53b..] “The Ark was deported with them to Babylon. What is the reason? There will not remain a word [2K.20:17.] . Word refers only to what contains the Words. And so it says, at the turn of the year king Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the desirable vessels of the Eternal’s House [2Chr.36:10. In the Tosephta this is the reason given by R. Simeon (ben Yoḥay) in support of R. Eliezer.] . What are the desirables of the Eternal’s House? This is the Ark. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish [This name of an Amora is impossible in a Tosephta. B has R. Jehudah bar Ilay; the Tosephta R. Jehudah ben Laqish (a fifth generation Tanna). Also quoted in Sefer Wehizhir p. 92a.] said, at its place it was hidden. That is what is written [1K. 8:8.] , the poles were long; the tips of the poles were seen in the Sanctuary, in front of the Hall, but were not seen outside,<and were there until this day. [The additional words are only in ג and the Tosephta; they are the reason for ben Laqish’s statement.] > It is written, were seen, and you are saying, but were not seen. They protrude and stick out like a woman’s breasts [This argument only explains the wording of the verse, explaining that the ends of the poles with which the Ark was carried were noticed on the gobelin between the Sanctuary and the Holiest of Holies. Babli Yoma54a in the name of Rav Jehudah.] .
But the rabbis say, the Ark was hidden in the storage room of the wood. It happened that a blemished Cohen was splitting wood in the storage room of the wood and saw a floor plate different from the others. [This and the next sentences are missing in B and M; the full text is quoted by Sefer Wehizhir(p. קיג); a slightly different full version is in Babli Yoma54a.] He came and said to a colleague, come and see this floor plate which is different from the others. They did not finish the matter before his soul left him; then they knew that there the Ark was hidden. Rebbi Hoshaia stated [B and M: It was stated in R. Hoshaia’s name.] : He hit on it with a sledgehammer; fire erupted and burned him.
[From here to the end of the Halakhah the text is from Soṭah8:3 (Notes 43–130,ס), where all references to the Babli are given.] It was stated: “Rebbi Jehudah ben Laqish says, two arks were travelling with Israel in the desert; one in which the Torah was deposited and one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited. The one in which the Torah was deposited was put into the Tent of Meeting; that is what is written [Num. 14:44.] : Moses and the Ark of the Eternal’s covenant did not move from the camp. The one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited was going out and coming in with them [Sifry Num. #82, referring to Num. 10.33.] . But the Rabbis say, it was only one, and once it went out in the days of Eli and was taken prisoner. A verse supports the Rabbis: Woe to us, who will save us from this mighty god [1S.5:8.] ? A word which shows that they never had seen it before. A verse supports Rebbi Jehudah ben Laqish. Saul said to Aḥiya: present God’s Ark [1S.14:18.] . But was the Ark not at Qiryat Ye`arim? What do the rabbis do with it? ‘Present to me the High Priest’s diadem [This is the correct interpretation, as explained at the end of Yoma Chapter 7, not “ephod” following LXX and many moderns.] ’ Another verse supports Rebbi Jehudah ben Laqish: The Ark, Israel, and Jehudah, dwell in huts [2S. 11:11.] . Was the Ark not in Zion? What do the rabbis with it? The straw roof cover that was in the walls, since the Temple was not yet built.
When the ark was hidden, there were hidden with it the flask of Manna, the bottle of anointing oil, Aaron’s staff with its almonds and flowers, and the chest which the Philistines returned as a reparation sacrifice for Israel’s God. Who hid it? Josiah hid it. When he saw that it was written: The Eternal will lead you and your king whom you will have put above you, to a people whom neither you nor your fathers had known, he started and hid it. That is what is written: He said to the Levites, who instruct all of Israel, the ones holy to the Eternal, put the Ark into the House that Salomon, son of David, King of Israel, built; you do not have to carry it on your shoulder.” He said, if it is exiled with you to Babylonia, you will never return it to its place. But now, serve the Eternal, your God, and his people Israel.
The preparation of the anointing oil. Take for yourself select spices, etc. and cassia 500, etc., altogether 1500 parts. And olive oil one hin, that is twelve log, in which the roots were cooked, the words of Rebbi Meןr. Rebbi Jehudah says, he cooked them in water, then poured the oil on them, and when it had absorbed the fragrance one removed it, just as the perfumers do. That is what is written: holy anointing oil, etc.
[This and the following paragraph also are in Horaiot3:3 (ה).] Rebbi Jehudah bar Ilay stated: The anointing oil made by Moses in the desert was from the start to the end a work of wonders, since there were only twelve log to start with, as it was said, and olive oil one hin. It would not have been enough to rub the wooden planks with it; so much more since the fire swallows, wood absorbs, and the kettle absorbs! From it the Tabernacles and all its vessels were anointed, the table and its vessels, the candelabrum and all its vessels. From it Aaron and his sons were anointed all of the seven days of induction, from it all high priests and kings were anointed. A king who is first needs anointing, a king who is a king’s son does not need anointing. [What is the reason? Do anoint him, for this one is it [1S. 17:20.] , this one needs anointing but his son does not need anointing.] [Corrector’s addition from B.] But a High Priest who is the son of a High Priest needs anointing, even for ten generations. Nevertheless, it is all there for the future; that is what is written [Ex. 30:31.] , a holy anointing oil will this be for Me, for all your generations.
One anoints kings only at a spring, as it was said [1K. 1:33–34.] : Let Solomon, my son, ride on my mule and take him down to the Giḥon; there Ṣadoq the priest and Nathan the prophet shall anoint him as king over Israel. One anoints (kings) [kings sons of kings] [Corrector’s addition from B, not found in Yerushalmi sources. The mention of Jehu shows that the scribe’s text is the correct one.] only because of disputes. Why was Solomon anointed? Because of the dispute of Adoniahu, Joash because of Athaliah, Jehu because of Joram. Is it not written [1S. 17:20.] , do anoint him, for this one is it, this one needs anointing, but the kings of Israel do not need anointing? But Joaḥaz because of his brother Joiakim who was two years his elder. But did not Josiah hide it [The anointing oil. Therefore none of Josia’s sons could be anointed with the anointing oil.] ? That means that they anointed with balsamum. One anoints kings only from a horn. Saul and Jehu were anointed from a can because their kingdom was temporary; David and Solomon were anointed from a horn because their kingdom was permanent. One does not anoint priests as kings [Text missing in B but implied by R. Ḥiyya bar Ada.] . Rebbi Jehudah Antordiya said, because [Gen. 49:10.] the scepter shall not be removed from Jehudah. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada said, because of [Deut. 17:20.] he shall have many days of his kingdom, he and his sons in the midst of Israel. What is written after that? The levitic Cohanim should not [Deut. 18:1.] .
Rebbi Joḥanan said, Joḥanan is Joaḥaz. But is it not written: The first born Joḥanan [1Chr. 3:15.] , the first in kingdom. Rebbi Joḥanan said, Shallum is Sedekiah. But is it not written, [1Chr. 3:15.] the third Sedekiah, the fourth Shallum? Sedekiah, the third in birth, the fourth in kingdom. Sedekiah, because he accepted the judgment on himself, Shallum, because in his days the dynasty of David was completed. [In B this is a statement by R. Simeon ben Laqish, disputing R. Joḥanan’s.] His name was neither Shallum nor Sedekiah but Mattaniah. That is what is written [2K. 24:17.] : The king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah [B’s reading מתתיה probably is a scribal error, not a different reading in the verse.] king in his stead and changed his name into Sedekiah.
Rebbi Joḥanan said, the Ark was made with a cubit of six hand-breadths. Who stated “a cubit of six hand-breadths“? This is Rebbi Meןr’s. [As we have stated [Mishnah Kelim17:10.] : “Rebbi Meןr says, all cubits were of buildings; Rebbi Jehudah says, the cubit of buildings six, of vessels five.”] According to Rebbi Meןr who says that the Ark was made with a cubit of six hand-breadths, the length of the Ark was fifteen cubits, as it is written [Ex. 25:10.] : Its length two cubits and a half. Each cubit was six and half a cubit three. Four tablets were in it, two whole ones and two broken ones, as it is written [Deut. 10:2.] : Which you broke and put into the Ark. Each of the tablets was six hand-breadths in length and three in width. Put the widths of the tablets in the length of the Ark, there were three hand-breadths left. Apply them to the cylinder [The Torah scroll.] . [On each side half a hand-breadth to have a handle, and two hand-breadths as place to put there the Torah scroll.] [Corrector’s addition from B, to be deleted.] The width of the Ark was nine hand-breadths, as it is written: A cubit and half a cubit. A cubit six and half a cubit three. Four tablets were in it, two whole ones and two broken ones. Each of the tablets was six hand-breadths in length and three in width. Put the lengths of the tablets in the length of the Ark, there were three hand-breadths left. On each side half a hand-breadth to have a handle, and two hand-breadths as a place to put there the Torah scroll.
Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, the Ark was made using a cubit of five hand-breadths. Who stated “a cubit of five hand-breadths”? This is Rebbi Jehudah. As we have stated there [Mishnah Kelim17:10.] : “Rebbi Jehudah says, the builders’ cubit was of six hand-breadths, but that of vessels five hand-breadths.” And the Ark is a vessel. According to Rebbi Jehudah who says that the Ark was made with a cubit of five hand-breadths, the length of the Ark was twelve and one half cubits, as it is written [Ex. 25:10.] : Its length two cubits and a half. Each cubit was five and half a cubit two and one half. Four tablets were in it, two whole ones and two broken ones, as it is written [Deut. 10:2.] : Which you broke and put into the Ark. Each of the tablets was six hand-breadths in length and three in width. Put the width of the tablets in the length of the Ark, there remains there half a handbreadth. One finger’s thickness for the wall on either side. The width of the Ark was seven and a half hand-breadths, as it is written, Its width a cubit and half a cubit. A cubit five and half a cubit two and a half. Four tablets were in it, two whole ones and two broken ones, as it is written [Deut. 10:2.] : Which you broke and put into the Ark.. Each of the tablets was six hand-breadths in length and three in width. Put the lengths of the tablets in the width of the Ark, there was one and a half hand-breadths left. [This sentence is not a continuation of the preceding text but the conclusion of an additional argument about the width of the Ark, reproduced in B and Soṭah.] One finger’s thickness for the wall on either side and on each side half a hand-breadth to have a handle.
How did Beṣalel make the Ark? Rebbi Ḥanina said, he made three boxes, two of gold and one of wood. He put (the one of wood inside one of gold and) one of gold inside the one of wood, [and the one of wood inside the other one of gold] and covered it, as is written [Ex.25:11. As usual, the proof is by the part of the verse not quoted: You shall cover it, with pure gold inside and out you shall cover it, implying separate covers.] : You shall cover it with pure gold inside and out. Why does the verse say, you shall cover it? To include the upper rim. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, he made one box and gilded it, as is written: You shall cover it with pure gold inside and out. Why does the verse say, you shall cover it? Rebbi Phineas said, also between the planks.
How were the tablets written? Rebbi Ḥanania ben Gamliel says, five on one tablet each [This minority opinion is everywhere accepted in depictions of the tablets.] . But the rabbis say, ten on each tablet, as it is written [Deut. 4:13.] : He informed you of His covenant which He had commanded you to do, the ten words, ten on each tablet. Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai [The name tradition here is very varied.] said, twenty on each tablet, as it is written: He informed you of His covenant which He had commanded you to do, the ten words, twenty on each tablet [Ten on the top, ten on the bottom.] . Rebbi Simai says, forty on each tablet, as it is written, on each side they were written [Ex. 32:15.] , a square [Greek τετράγωνον. He holds that the tablets were cubes, top and bottom empty and identical writing on each of the faces.] . Ḥananiah, the son of Rebbi Joshua’s brother, says: Between every two commandments, the details and the letters [of the Torah] were written. Filled with tarsis [Cant. 5:14. His hands are golden cylinders, inlaid with tarsis, the cylinders being Torah scrolls (Cant. rabba5:12). The Palestinian Targum to Ex. 28:20, 39:13 translates taršiš by כְּרוֹם יַמָּא רַבָּא ”the color of the Great Sea.“ One may assume that the scribe of the Yerushalmi did not understand the Greek χρω̅μα “color” and shortened it to .כְּ. The Targum to Cant. translates taršiš by the Syriac/Pahlevi word פֵּירוֹזַג (Farsi פירוזה) “turquoise”. The sentence is missing in the Genizah text and in B.] , like the Great Sea. When Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish had occasion to discuss this verse, he said, Ḥananiah, the son of Rebbi Joshua’s brother, did teach us correctly. Just as in the sea there are small waves between a large wave and the next, so between any two commandments there are the details and the letters of the Torah.
Rebbi Tanḥuma said, I asked before Rebbi Phineas: It is acceptable following Rebbi Jehudah [The verse quoted next which implies that the Torah scroll was not in the Ark.] , it is not acceptable following Rebbi Meןr. What is the reason of Rebbi Jehudah? To take this Torah scroll and put it next to the side of the Ark of the Eternal’s covenant [Deut. 31:26.] , etc In the opinion of Rebbi Jehudah, who said, where the Torah scroll was put? They made for it a kind of case [Greek γλωσσοκομε̅ι̅ον, τό.] outside and the Torah scroll was put into it. What is the reason of Rebbi Meןr? You should put the cover on top of the Ark [Ex. 25:21.] . In the opinion of Rebbi Meןr who says that there is no earlier and later in the Torah, in the Ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give to you [Ex. 25:16.] , and after that, you should put the cover on top of the Ark. Rebbi Phineas in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: [Text of B: The Torah which He gave to Moses was white fire engraved in black fire; it is of fire quarried from fire, born from fire, given into the right hand of the Holy One, praise to Him, at it is said, From His right hand, the fiery law to them.] The Torah which the Holy One, Praise to Him, gave to Moses, was white fire engraved in black fire. It was fire mixed with fire; hewn from fire, given from fire: That is what is written [Deut33:2.] : From His right hand, the fiery law to them.
MISHNAH: Where were these prostrations? Four in the North, four in the South, three in the East, and two in the West, corresponding to the thirteen gates. The Southern gates close to the West [The gates of the Temple courtyard were not symmetrical in the wall but more to the West; they are enumerated from West to East.] : the Upper Gate, the Fuel Gate, the Firstborns’ Gate, the Water gate. And why was it called Water Gate? For there they bring in the phial of water for the water libation on Tabernacles. Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob said, the water will drizzle in the future from under the threshold [As predicted in Ez. 47:1–5.] Opposite them [Continued enumeration of the 13 gates of the Temple compound.] in the North, close to the West, the Jechoniah [He is called Jehoiachin in Kings and Chronicles, Koniahu in Jeremiah, Jechoniah in Esther.] gate, the Sacrifice gate, the Women’s gate, the Song’s gate. And why was it called the Jechoniah gate? For through it Jechoniah left in his deportation [Middot35b.] . In the East the Nikanor gate [Cf. Yoma3:8, Notes 317 ff.] , which had two small entrances [Where the people charged with opening the large doors to the public could enter with a key.] , one to the right and one to the left. And two in the West which had no names.
HALAKHAH: The Mishnah is Abba Yose ben Ḥanin’s, since Abba Yose ben Ḥanin said, corresponding to the thirteen gates. But according to the Rabbis there were seven gates [As described in Mishnah Middot1:4.] . In the Rabbis’ opinion, where were the thirteen prostrations? As we have stated there [Mishnah Middot2:3.] , “There were thirteen breaches, were the Greek kings breached it; they came back and closed them and decided correspondingly thirteen prostrations.”
It is written [Sach. 14:8.] , on that day, fresh water will flow out from Jerusalem, etc. It was stated: From the Holiest of Holies to the gobelins like the feelers of silai and bilai [These seem to be tiny insects, not further identified.] . From the gobelins to the golden altar like the horns of locusts. From the golden altar to the courtyards like a shut-thread, from the courtyards to the threshold of the Temple like woof-thread, from there onwards like the pouring from a jug: behold, water drizzled from the right hand side [Ez. 47:2. (Yoma77b–78a).] . It is written [Ez. 47:3–5. Tosephta Sukkah3:3–7.] , when the man left towards the East, with a measuring rod in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits and made me cross the water, ankle water. Up to his ankles. Then he measured another thousand cubits and made me cross the water, knee water. Up to his knees. Then he measured another thousand cubits and made me cross the water, hip water. Up to his hips. From there on, then he measured another thousand, a river which cannot be crossed. Even a large Liburnian [Latin liburna(sc. navis), the standard fast commercial sail ship.] could not cross it. What is the reason? No mighty ship may cross it [Is.33:21.] ; why? The water was high, swimming water [Ez. 47:5. The word has to be explained since in common usage שיט, not שחה, was used for “to swim”.] . What is “swimming water”? Where one swims. Rebbi Ḥuna said, in our place one calls the swimmer seḥuna. He moves his hands in himself, as a swimmer would move to swim [Is. 25:11.] . What means “to swim”? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, in unruly water [Explanation of the verse; the movements referred to are those of a desperate person.] . It is written [Sach. 13:1. It is presumed that the prophesies of Ezechiel and Sachariah refer to the same matter and one may be used to explain to other.] : On this day, a water-source will be opened for the House of David and the dwellers in Jerusalem, for purification and impurity. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: From the House of David [The Temple.] to the dwellers in Jerusalem it is qualified for impurity and purification [“Purification” here means water with ashes of the Red Cow, used to purify from the impurity of the dead, which in Num. 19:9 is called “purification”.] . Farther away it is mixed water, qualified for impurity but disqualified for purification [Only spring water is qualified as “purification,” Num. 19:17. All other impurities are removed by immersion in a miqweh, which may contain any kind of water, including rain water.] . Rebbi Eleazar said, from the House of David to the dwellers in Jerusalem it is qualified for impurity and purification. Farther away it is water running down [Greek καταφερής, -ές adj. “inclines downwards”, used in the sense of “rapidly flowing water”.] , disqualified for impurity [Since a miqweh is a “collection” of water, it cannot be a waterfall (or any shower). The same holds for rapidly flowing water; Mishnah Ṭahorot8:9.] and purification.
It is written [Ez. 47:8.] : He said to me, these waters flow out to the Eastern district, this is Lake Samchonitis [Lake Huleh.] , and descends to the lowlands, this is Lake Tiberias, and comes to the sea, this is the Salt Sea [The Dead Sea.] , the sea of outgoing water, this is the Great Sea [The Mediterranean.] . And why is it called the sea of outgoing water? For the two times it came out, [once in the generation of Enosh, and once in the generation of the Dispersal.] [Corrector’s addition from B; its statement understood by all texts..] Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: The first time it went out up to Calabria, the second time it went to the Capes of Barbary [He holds that the Eastern Mediterranean was part of the original creation; it was connected to the Okeanos through the Straights of Gibraltar by later catastrophes. Cf. Gen. rabba23(11).] . Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: The first time it went out to the Capes of Barbary, the second time it came to Acco and Jaffa [He holds that the Mediterranean was not part of the original creation; it was formed by waters of the Okeanos through the Straights of Gibraltar by later catastrophes.] . Up to here you shall come but no more [Job38:11.] ; up to Acco you shall come but not add. And there you stop the might of your waves [Job38:11.] , at Jaffa [Reading וּפֹא as יפו. Yalqut Šim`ony#924.] you stop the might of your waves. One understands the Great Sea and the Salt Sea, to make them sweet. Lake Tiberias and Lake Samchonitis [Since it is written that the river flowing out from the Temple brings healing to the water, what healing can it bring to sweet water lakes?] ? To increase their fish; their fish shall be in kinds [Ez. 47:10.] ; in great number shall be the kinds of their fish. It was stated: Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, it happened that I went to Sidon and they brought before me more than 300 kinds of fish on one tray.
The waters will be healed [Ez. 47:8.] . Its ponds and its puddles will not be healed, they will be given for salt [Ez. 47:10.] . It is written, the waters will be healed, and you are saying, they will not be healed? There is a place called “will not be healed.”
It is written [Ez. 47:11. Taaniot1:2 (ת).] , on the banks of the river on both sides all kinds of fruit tree will grow; its leaf shall not wilt, and its fruit not stop; in its months it shall produce first fruits. It was stated: Rebbi Jehudah said, in the present world grain grows in six months and trees produce every twelve months, but in the future grain will grow in a month and trees will produce in two months. Rebbi Yose said, in the present world grain grows in six months and trees produce every twelve months, but in the future grain will grow in fifteen days and trees will produce in a month, for so we find that grain grew in the days of Joel in fifteen days, and the ‘Omer was brought from it. What is the reason? The people of Zion shall enjoy and be happy in the Eternal, your God, for He in truth gave you strong rain, early rain and late rain in the first {month} [Ez. 47:12] . How does Rebbi Yose satisfy in its months it shall produce first fruits? Every month it shall produce first fruits [Joel2:23.] . And its leaf as medicine [Ez. 47:11. Taaniot1:2 (ת).] . Rebbi Joḥanan said, its healing is that one looks at it and food is turned into medicine. Rav and Samuel, one says, to open the upper mouth [Toothaches and any disease of the mouth. Menaḥot95a.] , but the other one says, to open the lower mouth [Constipation.] . Rebbi Ḥanina and Rebbi Joshua ben Levi, one says, to open the mouth of sterile women [The womb.] , but the other one says, to open the mouth of the dumb.
[A shortened version of a text in Lev. rabba19(6). For the first part, cf. also Gen. rabba94, end. The text cannot be considered as historical reconstruction; it is part of an attempt to project the rabbinic establishment of the time as dominating factor inherited from Moses, prophets, and kings.] You are finding that when Nebuchadnezzar campaigned here, he came and sat in Daphne of Antiochia. The Great Synhedrion went to him and said to him, did the time come that this House be destroyed? He said to them, give me the one which I made king over you and I will depart. They came and said to Jehoiachin, the king of Judea, Nebuchadnezzar wants you. [This is better read as a story about the destruction of the Temple, Babli Ta`anit29a, where the two Amoraic statements are combined into one (and the language of B is adjusted to fit the language there.)] When he heard this from them, he took the keys of the Temple and climbed to the roof of the Temple. He said before Him: Master of the world! In the past we were trustworthy for You and Your keys were handed to us. Now that we are not trustworthy for You, Your keys are handed to You. Two Amoraim, One said, he threw them upwards and they never returned. The other said, He saw that something like a hand came and took them from him. When all the freeholders of Jehudah heard this, they climbed to the tops of their roofs, fell down, and died. That is what is written [Is.22:1.] , Saying about the valley of vision: Why are you doing this, that you climbed on all roofs, the noisy, full, humming city.
MISHNAH: There were thirteen tables in the Temple [For the sacred service. There were more tables in the back part of the Temple domain, between the walls of the Temple and the walls of the enclosure, where the Cohanim had to eat their part of the most holy sacrifices. Thirteen, as the number of the Divine attributes of mercy, is a most lucky number in religious matters.] . Eight marble ones in the slaughterhouse on which one was soaking the intestines [Which must be washed before being sacrifices, Lev. 1:9,13.] . Two West of the ramp, one of marble and one of silver. On the marble one they put the limbs, on the silver one the vessels of service [Where the flour and wine sacrifices were deposited before being brought up to the altar.] . And two in the vestibule [The small hall in front of the main Temple hall in the Temples of Solomon and Herod, in contrast to the Tabernacle.] inside, near the entrance to the Temple Hall, one of marble and one of gold. On the marble one they put the shew-bread when it was brought in, and on the golden one when it was brought out, for one increases in holiness and does not decrease [The bread was brought in on Friday, but was exchanged for the old bread in the main Temple hall only on the Sabbath. The removed bread was deposited in the vestibule until it could be distributed to the Cohanim at the end of the musaf service. Since it was laying during the week on the golden table inside, it could not be deposited on a table of lesser value. Babli Menaḥot99b.] . And a golden one inside on which the shew-bread was permanently [Ex. 25:30.] .
HALAKHAH: It was stated, “on the silver one” [It is not perfectly clear to what this baraita refers. In the Babli version, there were no marble tables, only silver ones. In the Yerushalmi version, it either can mean that in the vestibule there was a silver table instead of the marble one mentioned in the Mishnah, or that the sentence is not from a baraita, but a quote from the Mishnah, implying that according to R. Joḥanan there was no silver table at all in the Temple, and that wine and flour offerings also had to be kept cool.] . Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac; Rebbi Ḥananiah brought it in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: There was none of silver because it heats [Assuming one speaks about the silver table mentioned in the Mishnah, one has to be careful to keep the flour offering cool lest it become leavened and forbidden in the Temple. If it is indicated that the table in the vestibule was of silver, the question is whether putting the new shew-bread on a warm table would spoil it. Tamid31b.] . But did we not state [Babli Yoma21a, in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi.] , this is one of the wonders which happened in the Temple, that just as they were putting it down hot, so they were removing it hot, [as it is written] [Corrector’s addition from B, missing in ג and deleted by the scribe himself in the Leiden ms.] , to put hot bread as on the day it was removed [1S. 21:7. The implication is that a warm silver table would be more appropriate for the shew bread than a cold marble one.] . Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, one does not mention wonders [One may not act trusting that a wonder will occur in one’s behalf. Babli Berakhot60a, Yebamot121b, Ḥulin43a.] . They asked before Rebbi Ila: If they did not have bread, may they leave it for the coming week [Since the shew-bread has to be exchanged every Sabbath (Lev.24:8), if there was no replacement available is it better to leave the table empty or leave the old bread in its place.] ? He said to them, it is written [Ex. 25:30.] : you shall put on the table the shew-bread before Me permanently. The shew-bread, even disqualified [Since the shew-bread removed from the sanctuary had to be eaten by the Cohanim as most holy sacrifice (Lev.24:9), it must be eaten on the day it becomes available and will be disqualified the next morning, to be burned. But this rule does not apply to bread never removed from the Sanctuary.] .
Solomon made ten tables: Solomon made ten tables and deposited them in the Temple Hall, five to the right and five to the left [2Chr. 4:8.] . If you would say, five to the North and five to the South, but the table is only qualified in the North, as it is said, and the table put on the North side [Ex. 26:35.] . Why does the verse say, five to the right and five to the left? Five to the right of Moses’s table, and five to its left. Nevertheless, only Moses’s alone was used, as it is said [1K. 7:49.] , the table on which is the shew-bread. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Jehudah says, all of them were used, for it is said [2Chr. 4:19.] , the tables on which the shew-bread is. It was stated: They were put East and West, the words of Rebbi. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon says, they were put North and South. He who says East and West is understandable; all of them are proper for Service [As prescribed in Ex. 40:22,, the table at the North side of the Tabernacle, and Ex. 40:24, the candelabrum at the South side, standing East-West, opposite the table.] . He who says, North and South, would then not the table be in the South and the candelabrum in the North? But was it not stated, the table was in the middle of the Temple, more to the inside, about two cubits away from the wall to the North, and opposite it the candelabrum in the South [If they are all in one line, at the North side of the Temple, the long side oriented East-West, all pentateuchal requirements are satisfied. Babli Menaḥot 99a.] . The golden altar was in the middle of the Temple, dividing the Temple, inside, a little bit drawn to the North [While the center of the golden altar exactly determines the middle of the Temple hall for distances measured East-West, i. e., between the entrance and the gobelins shielding the Holiest of Holies, it does not exactly determine the middle of the center of the distance of North to South walls.] . All were put inside of a third of the Temple [The first third of the distance between entrance and the Holiest of Holies was empty.] .
Solomon made ten candelabra, [as it is said] [Corrector’s insert following B.] , he made the ten candelabra according to its rules [2 Chr. 4:7. In the other two sources correctly “their rules”, and they add the end of the verse, to which the next argument refers: and put them in the Temple Hall, five to the right and five to the left. Cf. Babli Menaḥot98b–99a.] . If you would say, five to the North and five to the South, but the candelabrum is only qualified in the South, as it is said, and the candelabrum opposite the table on the South side [Ex. 26:35.] . Why does the verse say, five to the right and five to the left? Five to the right of Moses’s candelabrum, and five to its left. Nevertheless, only Moses’s alone was kindled, as it is said [2 Chr.13:11, showing actual practice.\] , and the golden candelabrum and its lights to kindle evening by evening. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Jehudah says, all of them were kindled, for it is said [2 Chr. 4:20–21.] , the candelabra and their lights, to kindle them regularly in the Temple Hall, closed gold [Cf. Yoma4:4, Note 101.] , and the flower [According to Rashi, the ornament of the candelabrum mentioned in Num. 8:4 but not in the original instructions, Ex. 25:31–40.] , and the lights, and the pincers of gold, this uses up the gold. These used up Solomon’s gold. Rav Jehudah in the name of Assi [In B a Tannaitic text, a statement of R. Jehudah in the name of Issy.] : Solomon took 1’000 talents of silver, put them repeatedly into the (fire) [smelting furnace] [The scribe’s text (in parentheses) is confirmed by the Genizah text; the corrector’s [in brackets] is from B.] until they were reduced to one, to fulfill what is written [Ex. 37:24.] , from one talent of pure gold he made it. It was stated, Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Jehudah said, [The following is from Yoma4:4, Notes 107–108.] it happened that the golden candelabrum which Moses made in the desert was in excess of one gold denar, and they returned it to the fire eighty times and it did not lose anything [This seems to contradict the preceding story of Solomon’s refining smelter.] . This is correct. Before it is refined it loses a lot, once it is refined it will not miss anything.
MISHNAH: Thirteen horns [The “horns” were chests for the money given to the Temple for various reasons, as detailed in Mishnah 7. A person putting money into one of the chests could not put his hand into it, he had to let the coins drop in from the top.] were in the Temple, and it was written on them: New sheqalim, and old sheqalim, nests [Obligatory purification or reparation offerings, as prescribed in Lev. In all cases, two birds are required, one as purification and one as elevation offering, following different rules.] , young birds for elevation sacrifices [Voluntary offerings which may be for a single bird.] , wood [A person vowing firewood for the Temple does not bring wood but the money for it.] , and incense, gold for the cover [To cover the Holiest of Holies in the absence of the Ark; Mishnah 4:4.] , and six for voluntary gifts [As explained in the Halakhah and in Tosephta 3:7.] . New sheqalim for the current year, and old ones, one who did not bring the past year, gives it for the next one [New sheqalim are given for current use; sheqalim for past years are treated directly as remainders from that year (Mishnah 4:3).] . “Nests” are turtle doves and “young birds as elevation offerings” are pigeons, all for elevation offerings, the words of Rebbi Jehudah [It was explained in the preceding Halakhah that R. Jehudah cannot accept the explanation of Mishnah 7 given in Note 134, but must require that a person offering two birds to be able to partake in sancta, the woman after childbirth (Lev. 12:8), the poor person healed from skin disease (Lev. 14:22), the male healed from gonorrhea (Lev. 15:14) and the female from flux (Lev. 15:29), personally deliver the birds to the Cohen who thereby is assured that the person is alive. As a consequence, for him the money deposited for “nests” is for elevation sacrifices; the distinction from “young birds for elevation offerings” only is in the amount of money required and the kind of birds bought. Mishnah 7 was explained following the Sages in Mishnah 8.] . But the Sages say, of “nests” one is a purification offering and one an elevation offering; “young birds as elevation offerings” are all elevation offerings. If one says, “I am obligated for wood logs”, he may not give less than for two logs; “incense”, he may not give less than for a fistful; “gold”, he may not give less than for a gold denar [25 silver denars, or their equivalent in small change.] . “Six for voluntary gifts.” What did they do with this? One buys with it elevation offerings [As with any money delivered to the gift account.] ; the flesh is for the Eternal and the skins are for the Cohanim. This explanation did Jehoyada the High Priest explain: It is a reparation offering, repairing, a reparation offering for the Eternal [Lev. 5:19.] ; this is the principle: Elevation offerings should be bought from anything coming [It is obvious that money given to the Temple for purification or reparation offerings must be used for the kind of offering specified. Money “coming from” these kinds of offerings are excess monies, not used for the obligatory offerings. Since obligatory offerings cannot be brought voluntarily, nor can monies dedicated to the Temple be returned, the excess has to be deposited in the gift account and used for elevation offerings.] because of sin or reparation; the flesh is for the Eternal and the skins are for the Cohanim. It turns out that both parts of the verse are fulfilled, a reparation offering for the Eternal and reparation for the Cohanim. And it says, money for reparation offerings and money for purification offerings are not to be brought to the Eternal’s House, it shall be for the Cohanim [2K. 12:17. The money is not for the Cohanim but the Cohanim receive the skins of the animals bought with the excess monies.] .
HALAKHAH: It was stated [Babli Yoma55a. This paragraph is two texts in one. The Yerushalmi text is that of the scribe of the Leiden manuscript; the Babli text (Yoma55b) is reproduced in Babylonian Aramaic in B and the corrector’s text given in brackets here.] : “Rebbi Jehudah said, there was no horn for nests in Jerusalem because of mix-up. [Tosephta 3:3.] ” Maybe one of them would die and it turn out that moneys of dying purification sacrifices were mixed up in them [This is the Yerushalmi’s explanation for R. Jehudah’s statement, as noted in Yoma55b. An animal dedicated as a purification sacrifice whose owner died between dedication and sacrifice cannot be used for anything, but it has to be let to die (Mishnah Temurah4:1). Moneys dedicated for a purification sacrifice under the same circumstances have to be destroyed; in Israel this means to be thrown into the Dead Sea. R. Jehudah holds that such money mixed up with other moneys makes everything unusable and worthless.] . [But did we not state] (It was stated): A woman who said, I have to bring a nest, brings the money for the nest and puts it in the horn, and eats from sancta without worry. And the Cohen does not worry that maybe moneys of dying purification sacrifices are mixed up in them [The woman is recovering from childbirth or from flux; she may not eat sancta unless a sundown was preceded by her sacrifice. (Therefore ג reads “gets up in the morning and eats.”) The statement implies that the horn for nests was emptied several times every hour and any money deposited there immediately used for the required sacrifice. This makes R. Jehudah’s objection moot; practice follows the Mishnah. In Babylonia, the Galilean explanation was rejected (Yoma55b); therefore, the baraita is read as a question, and an objection to R. Jehudah. Babli Eruvin32a, Menaḥot27a.] . [For what we are saying is about purification sacrifices whose owner certainly died [Everybody agrees that the requirement to destroy the money is rabbinical, restricted to cases of certainty. R. Jehudah’s statement is rejected as a matter of principle.] . We could say, let us choose two zuz and throw them into the River [The River is the Euphrates, which here appears as Babylonian equivalent of the Dead Sea. The argument is that even in case it is known that a woman died after paying her fee into the horn and the next sacrifices of nests, could not the amount of the Temple’s charge for the nest be taken from the horn, designated as this woman’s contribution, and eliminated?] , then the remainder should be permitted, but do we not say in general that Rebbi Jehudah does not accept retroactive choices [It is generally agreed that a later choice can retroactively eliminate rabbinic prohibitions but not biblical ones. R. Jehudah represents a minority opinion which rejects retroactivity in all cases. Therefore the remedy proposed according to R. Jehudah cannot be applied; for the majority, whom practice follows, there is a horn for nests, but for R. Jehudah this is an impossibility.] ?]
[A copy of this text, except for the last sentence, is in Shevi`it9:7, Notes 95–97.] Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, Rebbi Abba bar Mamal asked: If he said, I am obligated [to offer] a log, does he bring one log? Rebbi Eleazar said, a Mishnah says that each one is a separate sacrifice, as we have stated [Mishnah Yoma 2:5.] , “two, holding in their hands two wooden logs.” This adds single logs.
[The version of B and the corrector’s, derived from B, have to be understood from the parallel in the Babli Zevaḥim62a/b, which, however, can better be read as supporting the readings of the scribe of the Leiden ms.] Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, their width was (like an engraver’s cubit [A short cubit, of five hand-breadths, based on small hands.] ) [in an expansive cubit [A long cubit, of seven hand-breadths, based on large hands. Only two dimensions are given. In the Babli more correctly the logs were hewn as rectangular solids with a base of one cubit square and small height. A similar statement is required here by the baraita quoted at the end.] ], and its width (a dwarf) [an excessive] cubit. Rebbi Onias in the name of Rebbi Immi: Like scales [Latin trutina, Greek τρυτάνη. Since it is specified later that the fire place on Moses’s altar was only one cubit square, the two logs put on the altar at the beginning of each day’s service had to be half a regular cubit’s height and lying strictly parallel, as are the scales on a balance.] . Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac said, because the place of the fire was only one cubit square, therefore they only could be a (dwarf) [excessive] cubit. It was stated thus [Cf. Zevaḥim62a. The altar was five-by-five cubits (Ex. 27:1). This included the basis where most of the blood had to be spilled onto, a walkway at half height for the Cohen to sprinkle blood on the horns, the copper enclosure delineating the upper part. In the description given here, the place of the fire is given a full cubit; all the other items are half a cubit since there is one of them on each side. This is too much for the copper enclosure and too little for the walkway, but is possible if both together are taken to be 2 cubits. In these enumerations, very frequently “hand-breadth” means “not more than a hand-breadth” and “cubit” “more than a hand-breadth but not more than a cubit”.] : One cubit the basis, one cubit the walkway, one cubit the enclosure, and one cubit the horns, and one cubit the fire place.
“Incense”, he may not give less than for a fistful. It is said here “remembrance” and it is said there, “remembrance” [“Here” means the rules of voluntary flour offerings, described in Lev. Chapter 2. “There” means either the rules of the shew bread, Lev. 24:7 or that of the obligatory flour offering of the poor sinner, Lev. 5:12. In the first case, there are two rows of bread, each one with a portion of incense which at the end has to be entirely burned on the altar. In the second case, it is stressed that the entire fistful has to be burned. In both cases it can be inferred that for voluntary flour offerings, where “entire” is not mentioned, only an entire fistful is qualified.] . Since “remembrance” there means a full fistful, so “remembrance” here must mean a full fistful. Since “remembrance” there means two fistfuls [This can apply only to the shew bread.] , does “remembrance” here mean two fistfuls? Rebbi La said, they inferred fistfuls only from the shew bread [In B: From the poor sinner’s flour offering.] . Since there a deficient fistful is disqualified, also here a deficient fistful is disqualified. Rebbi Yose said, the word of Rebbi Ila implies that one who volunteers a flour offering brings it according to the High Priest’s [It seems that one refers not to a High Priest, but to a large priest, whose fistful can be enormous. Since the donor does not know which Cohen will present his offering to the altar, he must prepare for the largest possible fistful.] fistful. Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Jeremiah: even according to the owner’s fistful.
“Gold”, he may not give less than for a gold denar. Rebbi Eleazar said, only if he mentioned minting [Babli Menaḥot107a.] . But if he did not mention a coin he even may bring a hook.
“Six for voluntary gifts.” Ḥizqiah said, corresponding to the six clans [During the week of service of a “watch” of Cohanim, each of the six workdays another clan would serve, whose members then had claim to all hides of elevation offerings of that day. In B, the statement is ascribed to Rav, Ḥizqiah’s cousin, and fellow student of the Elder R. Hiyya, Rav’s uncle and Ḥizqiah’s father.] . Bar Pedaiah said, corresponding to seven animals: bull, and calf, and he-goat, ram, and lamb, and kid goat. Samuel said, corresponding to six sacrifices: the nests of the sufferer from gonorrhea, the nests of the sufferer from flux, the nests of the new mother, purification sacrifices, and reparation sacrifices, flour offerings, and the Tenth of an Ephah [This list has 7 items. The corresponding list in B has only six, but the selection in unconvincing. Probably the correct list is Tosephta 3:7: The excesses of money for 1) purification sacrifices, 2) reparation sacrifices, 3) nests of sufferers from gonorrhea or flux, 4) nests of a woman after childbirth, 5) offerings of a nazir, 6) of a healed sufferer from skin disease.] . Rebbi Joḥanan said, because the gifts were many, they added many horns for it. [As it is said] [This addition by the corrector, taken from B, has to be deleted, since it hides the fact that the following quote is the start of a question. The remaining additions by the corrector, while unnecessary, are not in conflict with the line of thought.] , when they were finished they brought before the king and Jehoyada [2 Chr.24:14. The problem is that the remaining part of the verse, quoted in full in ג nd B, notes that the excess money donated for the renovation of the Temple under King Joash was used to make silver and gold vessels for the Temple, while the corresponding verse in 2K. 12:14 declares the opposite.] etc. Rebbi Samuel ben Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan [said], two voluntary gifts [The two verses refer to two separate collections.] . Rebbi Ismael stated, one gift. But is it not written [2 Chr.24:8, while in 2K. 12:10 it is reported that the chest was deposited in the priests’ courtyard, to the right (East) of the altar.] , the king commanded and they made a chest and put it at the outside of the gate of the Eternal’s House. Rav Ḥuna said, because of those impure. Rebbi Ḥuna in the name of Rav Joseph: Because of but silver cups would not be made in the Eternal’s House [2K. 12:14.] . Things similar to silver cups would not be made in the Eternal’s House [Either there were two different calls for gifts to the Temple, or for the same collection period there were two chests, one inside and one outside, and vessels were made only from the money which never entered the sacred domain.] .