החלו – those who won the spoon of the incense and the coal pan of the coals to ascend on the steps of the hall leading to the interior of the Temple, for there were twelve steps to the hall. But in front of them, they would go first [to ascend]: whomever won the cleansing of the inner altar in order to to take the basket that was placed there, after it was needed to place the ashes near the eastern altar like the Menorah, he would wait until after the sprinkling of the daily offering, for the person who won the cleansing of the Menorah/candelabrum would make the preparations of the two lamps/candles/lights and finish the completion of the cleansing of the Menorah, and then both of them would remove – this one the basket and that one the oil vessel (in the shape of a large wine cup) and they would pour the ashes in one place near the altar eastward.

והשתחוה ויצא – for now the Mitzvah had been completed.

מצאו שכבה – as for example, after Shimon the Righteous had died, there was no miracle, whether it (i.e., the lamp) went out now after the slaughtering of the daily offering, or whether they found that it had gone out prior to the slaughtering of the daily offering, and they kindled, as we stated above in the first “The Superintendent said to them” (Tractate Tamid, Chapter 3, Mishnah 9), even though that now they found that it was still burning/flickering, since there was no miracle existing, they would put it out and clean its ashes in order to finish the preparation of the two lamps/candles/lights together.

ומדליקו מעל מזבח העולה – for they would not kindle the western lamp/candle/light ever other than from the fire of the altar of the burnt offering, as it is written (Leviticus 6:6): “A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar [not to go out],” and it is written (Leviticus 24:2): “for kindling lamps regularly”, above the outer altar it was kindled.

ממעלה שניה – of three steps that were before the Menorah/candelabrum.

והשתחוה ויצא – for his Mitzvah was completed.

צבר את הגחלים – that were in the coal-pan.

על גבי המזבח – of the incense.

ורדדן בשולי המחתה (he flattened – the heap of coals – with the bottom of the coal-pan) – in order that the incense would not fall from on top of the coals, therefore, he would spread [the glowing coals] and stretch them so that they would not be sloping/slanting this way or that. The Aramaic translation of וירקעו/he spread is ורדידו/flatten, stamp, beat. And he would offer it on the golden altar, but not within the coal-pan. But the incense of Yom Kippur, he would place the coals within the coal-pan, and upon it he would offer it, for there is no flattening/stamping of the coals on Yom Kippur.

ונותנו – into the spoon.

לאוהבו – that came with him to the hall containing the golden altar for this this purpose. If there scattered from incense that was in the dish/vessel into the pan/censer, because the censer/dish was full and overflowing, and sometimes, it would fall from him into the pan/censer, he would give the incense to his friend/fellow when it had scattered into the palm of the handfuls of the person offering the incense.

ומלמדין אותו – because he had never offered incense before, as is taught in the Mishnah above (see Tractate Tamid, Chapter 5, Mishnah 2): “Those who are new [to the preparation of] the incense, come and cast lots,” therefore, they had to teach him.

שלא תתחיל לפניך לפניך שלא תכוה – he would pour the incense on the coals on the western side far from him, and when it would scatter to his side, he would heap it up, as we have stated in [Tractate] Yoma [49b] so that its smoke would delay in coming, and this is the honor/glory that he would tarry/delay during the [Divine] Service. And he would heap up and make a pile on the western side, and when he would come to drag the incense that is adjacent/near him, he would pile it up to the western side far from him, and he wouldn’t be burned from the incense that would be bunrt. But if he had made the pile in front of him, when he gathered the incense that had scattered outside of him and he brought it near him, it would be that his arm would be singed/burned by the gathering of the incense that is burning in front of him. That is what is taught in the Baraitha in the chapter [five of Tractate Yoma], “They brought out for him” [at the bottom of 52b] that he would gather in front of him which is outside of him.

התחיל מרדד ויוצא (he flattened the heap of coals and went out) – meaning to say, immediately that he flattened the incense on top of the coals, he went out.

פרשו העם – all of the Kohanim depart from between the hall with the golden altar and the Altar at the time of the offering of the incense, as it is written (Leviticus 16:17): “When he goes in to make expiation in the Shrine, no one else shall be in the Tent of Meeting [until he comes out],” all atonement is made holy, no person shall be in the Tent of Meeting, therefore, whether at the time of the incense, whether at the time of the giving of the blood of the bullock of the anointed Priest or the bull for an unwitting communal sin and the goats of idolatry, the Kohanim would leave from the area between the Entrance hall and the altar. But at the time of the offering of the incense of Yom Kippur, they would not leave other than from the hall containing the golden altar, because the incense of Yom Kippur was not outside in the hall of the golden altar on the golden altar, but rather in the innermost section in the house of the Holy of Holies, therefore, there is no need that they should leave from between the Entrance hall and the altar, other than from the hall of the golden altar alone.