## Yoma Daf 22a

###### Yoma 22a:1
[Yoma 22a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:1)

**בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה** כׇּל מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לִתְרוֹם אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ — תּוֹרֵם. וּבִזְמַן שֶׁהֵן מְרוּבִּין רָצִין וְעוֹלִין בַּכֶּבֶשׁ, כׇּל הַקּוֹדֵם אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ בְּאַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת — זָכָה. וְאִם הָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶן שָׁוִין, הַמְמוּנֶּה אוֹמֵר לָהֶן: הַצְבִּיעוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** **Initially,** the practice among the priests was that **whoever wishes to remove** the ashes from **the altar removes them. And when there are many** priests who wish to perform that task, the privilege to do so is determined by a race: The priests **run and ascend on the ramp** leading to the top of the altar. **Any** priest **who precedes another** and reaches within **four cubits** of the top of the altar first **is privileged** to remove the ashes. **And if both of them were equal** and neither preceded the other, **the appointed** priest says to all the priests: **Extend** your **fingers,** and a lottery was performed, as will be explained.


###### Yoma 22a:2
[Yoma 22a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:2)

וּמָה הֵן מוֹצִיאִין — אַחַת אוֹ שְׁתַּיִם, וְאֵין מוֹצִיאִין אֲגוּדָל בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And what** fingers **do they extend** for the lottery? They may extend **one or two** fingers, **and** the priests **do not extend a thumb in the Temple.** The reason is that the lottery was conducted by the appointee choosing a number and counting the extended fingers of the priests standing in a circle. As the count progressed, a priest could calculate and manipulate the result in his favor by surreptitiously extending his thumb and an additional finger. Since there is separation between the thumb and the forefinger it could appear as though they belonged to two different priests, skewing the results of the lottery.


###### Yoma 22a:3
[Yoma 22a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:3)

מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִין, וְרָצִין וְעוֹלִין בַּכֶּבֶשׁ, וְדָחַף אֶחָד מֵהֶן אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ וְנָפַל וְנִשְׁבְּרָה רַגְלוֹ. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ בֵּית דִּין שֶׁבָּאִין לִידֵי סַכָּנָה, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ תּוֹרְמִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶלָּא בְּפַיִיס. אַרְבַּע פְּיָיסוֹת הָיוּ שָׁם, וְזֶה הַפַּיִיס הָרִאשׁוֹן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Initially, that was the procedure; however, **an incident** occurred **where both of them were equal** as they were **running and ascending on the ramp, and one of them shoved another and he fell and his leg was broken. And once the court saw that** people **were coming to** potential **danger, they instituted that** priests **would remove** ashes from **the altar only** by means **of a lottery. There were four lotteries there,** in the Temple, on a daily basis to determine the priests privileged to perform the various services, **and this,** determining which priest would remove the ashes, was **the first lottery.**


###### Yoma 22a:4
[Yoma 22a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:4)

**גְּמָ׳** וְהָא מֵעִיקָּרָא מַאי טַעְמָא לָא תַּקִּינוּ לַהּ רַבָּנַן פַּיְיסָא? מֵעִיקָּרָא סְבוּר: כֵּיוָן דַּעֲבוֹדַת לַיְלָה הִיא — לָא חֲשִׁיבָא לְהוּ וְלָא אָתוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָזוּ דְּקָאָתוּ, וְאָתוּ לִידֵי סַכָּנָה — תַּקִּינוּ לַהּ פַּיְיסָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The Gemara questions the original practice of holding a race to determine which priest would remove the ashes: **And what is the reason that the Sages did not initially institute a lottery for** the removal of the ashes as they did for other parts of the service? The Gemara answers: **Initially** they **thought:** Since it is **a service** performed **at night it would not be important to** the priests, and **not** many of them would **come** to perform it, so a lottery would be unnecessary. Then, **when they saw that** many priests **did** indeed **come and** that **they were coming to danger** by racing up the altar’s ramp, **they instituted a lottery.**


###### Yoma 22a:5
[Yoma 22a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:5)

וַהֲרֵי אֵיבָרִים וּפְדָרִים, דַּעֲבוֹדַת לַיְלָה הִיא, וְתַקִּינוּ לַהּ רַבָּנַן פַּיְיסָא! סוֹף עֲבוֹדָה דִימָמָא הִיא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara poses a question against the assertion that nighttime Temple services did not normally require a lottery: **But there is** the burning of the **limbs** of burnt-offerings **and the fats** of other offerings, **which is a service** that is performed at **night, and** nevertheless **the Sages instituted a lottery** for that from the outset. The Gemara answers: The burning of those parts is not considered a nighttime service but **the end of a daytime service,** as the main part of the sacrificial service, the slaughtering and the sprinkling of blood, took place during the day.


###### Yoma 22a:6
[Yoma 22a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:6)

הַאי נָמֵי תְּחִלַּת עֲבוֹדָה דִימָמָא הִיא, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: קִידֵּשׁ יָדָיו לִתְרוּמַת הַדֶּשֶׁן, לְמָחָר אֵין צָרִיךְ לְקַדֵּשׁ, שֶׁכְּבָר קִידֵּשׁ מִתְּחִילַּת עֲבוֹדָה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: If so, it could be argued that **this** service of removing the ashes is **also** not a nighttime service but **the start of a daytime service, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said:** If a priest has **sanctified his hands** at night by washing them **for the removal of the ashes, the next day,** i.e., after daybreak, if he remained in the confines of the Temple, **he need not sanctify** his hands again, **because he already sanctified** them **at the start of the service.** Apparently, the removal of the ashes, though performed at night, is considered the start of the next day’s service.


###### Yoma 22a:7
[Yoma 22a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:7)

אֵימָא: שֶׁכְּבָר קִידֵּשׁ מִתְּחִילָּה לָעֲבוֹדָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara responds by emending Rabbi Yoḥanan’s statement: **Say** the following version of the end of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s statement: **Because he had already sanctified** them **at the outset for service.** According to this formulation, Rabbi Yoḥanan did not say that the removal of the ashes is considered the start of the following day’s service. Rather, he said that although the removal of the ashes is a nighttime service, since the priest sanctified his hands before performing that service, the sanctification remains in effect for the services performed after daybreak as well, since there is no interruption between the two activities.


###### Yoma 22a:8
[Yoma 22a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:8)

אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: מֵעִיקָּרָא סְבוּר כֵּיוָן דְּאִיכָּא אוֹנֶס שֵׁינָה, לָא אָתוּ. כֵּיוָן דַּחֲזוֹ דְּאָתוּ, וְקָאָתוּ נָמֵי לִידֵי סַכָּנָה — תַּקִּינוּ לַהּ רַבָּנַן פַּיְיסָא. וַהֲרֵי אֵיבָרִים וּפְדָרִים, דְּאִיכָּא אוֹנֶס שֵׁינָה, וְתַקִּינוּ לַהּ רַבָּנַן פַּיְיסָא! שָׁאנֵי מִיגְנֵא מִמֵּיקַם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Some say** that the original practice should be explained as follows: **Initially,** the Sages **thought** that **since there is** a likelihood of being **overcome by sleep** at that time of night, **not** many priests **would come. When they saw that they did** indeed **come and** that **they were also coming to danger, the Sages instituted a lottery** for this task. The Gemara asks: **But there is** the burning of the **limbs** of burnt-offerings **and the fats** of other offerings, a service for **which there is** the same likelihood of being **overcome by sleep,** and nevertheless **the Sages instituted a lottery** for that from the outset. The Gemara answers: **Lying down** to go to sleep late **is different from rising** in the middle of the night. It is not as difficult to stay up late in order to burn limbs on the altar as it is to rise before dawn to remove the ashes from the altar.


###### Yoma 22a:9
[Yoma 22a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:9)

וְתַקַּנְתָּא לְהָךְ גִּיסָא הֲוַאי? תַּקַּנְתָּא לְהַאי גִּיסָא הֲוַאי! דְּתַנְיָא: מִי שֶׁזָּכָה בִּתְרוּמַת הַדֶּשֶׁן (יִזְכֶּה) בְּסִידּוּר מַעֲרָכָה וּבִשְׁנֵי גְּזִירִי עֵצִים!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara addresses the substance of the mishna’s claim: **But was the ordinance** to assign the removal of ashes by means of a lottery **due to that reason** cited in the mishna, the matter of the dangerous incident? **The ordinance** was instituted **due to this reason:** There were other important tasks associated with the removal of the ashes that required a lottery in their own right, **as it was taught** in a *baraita*: The priest **who was privileged to** perform **the removal of the ashes was** also **privileged with laying out the arrangement of wood** on the altar and with placing **the two logs** that were placed on the altar each morning. Since these were inherently important tasks, the only way to assign them was through a lottery, which would also determine who removed the ashes.


###### Yoma 22a:10
[Yoma 22a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:10)

אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: שְׁתֵּי תַּקָּנוֹת הֲווֹ. מֵעִיקָּרָא סְבוּר לָא אָתוּ. כֵּיוָן דַּחֲזוּ דְּקָאָתוּ וְאָתוּ נָמֵי לִידֵי סַכָּנָה — תַּקִּינוּ לַהּ פַּיְיסָא, כֵּיוָן דְּתַקִּינוּ לַהּ פַּיְיסָא — לָא אֲתוֹ, אָמְרִי: מִי יֵימַר דְּמִתְרְמֵי לַן? הֲדַר תַּקִּינוּ לְהוּ מִי שֶׁזָּכָה בִּתְרוּמַת הַדֶּשֶׁן יִזְכֶּה בְּסִידּוּר מַעֲרָכָה וּבִשְׁנֵי גְּזִירֵי עֵצִים, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּנֵיתוֹ וְנִיפַיְּיסוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **Rav Ashi said: There were two** separate **ordinances** instituted. **Initially,** the Sages **thought** that priests **would not** come forward to perform the task of removing the ashes. **Once they saw that** many priests **did come and** that **they were also coming to danger,** the Sages **instituted a lottery** for this task. **Once they established a lottery** for removing the ashes, the priests **did not come** anymore. **They said: Who says** the lottery **will fall in our favor?** Therefore, they did not bother to come. **Then** the Sages **instituted for** the priests that **whoever was privileged with** performing **the removal of the ashes would** also **be privileged with laying out the arrangement of wood** on the altar and with placing the **two logs, so that** the importance of all these tasks combined would ensure that the priests **would come and participate in the lottery.**


###### Yoma 22a:11
[Yoma 22a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:11)

וּבִזְמַן שֶׁהֵן מְרוּבִּין וְכוּ׳. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: פְּשִׁיטָא לִי אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת דְּאַרְעָא לָא, ״רָצִין וְעוֹלִין בַּכֶּבֶשׁ״ תְּנַן. קַמָּיָיתָא נָמֵי לָא, ״רָצִין וְעוֹלִין בַּכֶּבֶשׁ״ תְּנַן, וַהֲדַר ״כׇּל הַקּוֹדֵם אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It was taught in the mishna that before the lottery was instituted, **when there were many** priests who sought to perform the removal of the ashes, the first priest to reach within four cubits of the top of the altar was privileged with performing the removal of the ashes. **Rav Pappa said:** It is **obvious to me** that the **four cubits** the mishna is referring to are not the four cubits adjacent to the ramp **on the ground,** because **we learned** in the mishna that the priests **run and ascend on the ramp,** and not adjacent to the ramp. It is **also not** referring to the **first** four cubits from the foot of the ramp, because **we learned** that the priests **run and ascend on the ramp, and only afterward** it says: **Any** priest **who precedes another** and reaches within four cubits of the altar first, indicating that the competition begins only once they have ascended the ramp to some extent.


###### Yoma 22a:12
[Yoma 22a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:12)

דְּבֵינֵי בֵּינֵי נָמֵי לָא, דְּלָא מְסַיְּימָא מִילְּתָא. פְּשִׁיטָא לִי דְּגַבֵּי מִזְבֵּחַ תְּנַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
It is **also not** referring to four cubits somewhere in the **middle,** between the four on the bottom and the top of the altar, because **the matter is not defined** and there is no clear indication which four cubits on the ramp are the determining cubits. In light of all this, it is **obvious to me** that the four cubits **we learned** in the mishna are referring to the four cubits **that are adjacent to the altar** itself. The priest who reaches those four cubits first is the one privileged to remove the ashes.


###### Yoma 22a:13
[Yoma 22a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Yoma/r/22a:13)

בָּעֵי רַב פָּפָּא: אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת שֶׁאָמְרוּ, בַּהֲדֵי אַמָּה יְסוֹד וְאַמָּה סוֹבֵב,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Pappa **raised a dilemma** based on the above clarification: Are the **four cubits that they stated,** which are the four cubits adjacent to the altar, calculated **including the cubit of the base** of the altar **and the cubit of** its **ledge,** as the ramp continues and overlaps these two cubits at the top of the altar,