Seven days... We separate the High Priest. Since all the service of Yom Kippur is not kosher except through him [Yuma 32a and many other places], as it says in regard to Yom Kippur (Vaikra chapter 16) "And the Cohen ,who will be anointed with oil, will atone." [note of the translator: from this verse we see that only the anointed Cohen, i.e. High Priest can perform atonement service of Yom Kippur]. And this separation is learned out for us from what is written in regard to seven days of the dedication [of the Mishkan] (ibid. chapter 8) "And from the entrance of the Tent of Meeting don't go away for seven days", and after this it is written (ibid.) "Just like was done on this day commanded Hashem to do to atone for you", and the sages expound: [the phrase] "to do" this is doings of the cow [red heifer], [and the phrase] "to atone for you" this is doings of the Yom Kippur. Thus, the Cohen that burns the cow [red heifer] and the Cohen serving on Yom Kippur, both require separation from their houses for seven days just like were required Aharon and his sons during the seven days of dedication [of the Mishkan]. [note of the translator: thus, from the proximity of the two verses, the verse that talks about the seven days of separation during the dedication of the Mishkan and the verse that was expounded to mean "just like was done on this day, commended Hashem to do for the procedure of the Red heifer and the Yom Kippur service", the sages learn that the Cohen that does the burning of the red heifer and the High priest that serves on Yom Kippur should be separated from their houses similar to the seven day separation of the days of dedication of the Mishkan.]

ללשכת פלהדרין – the officers of the king are called Palhedrin/counselors, for since that the High Priests that existed in Second Temple times after Shimon HaTzaddik/the Righteous (see Mishnah Avot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 2) would give money in order to serve in the High Priesthood, and because they were wicked, they would not complete their years, and would be exchanged every twelve months like the officers of the king, who would exchange them every year, therefore, they call this apartment the apartment/cell of the counselors.

ומתקנין לו – They would invite another Kohen to become the High Priest in his place if a nocturnal pollution would occur to him or some other kind of defilement.

אם כן אין לדבר סוף – if so, that he would concerned for his death, and there would be no end to this, lest she (i.e., his wife) would also die, but for defilement that is frequent we are concerned, therefore we appoint for him another Kohen, for death is not frequent that he would die suddenly, we are not concerned, therefore, we do not appoint for him another wife. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.

He casts the blood. Of the sacrifices, so that he will be knowledgeable in the service

ומטיב את הנרות – trims them from the ashes of the wicks that went out (see also Mishnah Tamid, Chapter 3, Mishnah 9).

ושאר כל הימים – if he wants to offer any sacrifice that he wishes, he can offer it, and the men of the division of duty cannot prevent him from doing so.

מקריב חלק בראש – the head he offers of every portion that he chooses.

וטוטל חלק בראש – in the distribution of the Holy Things, he takes a nice portion that he chooses for him, and these words concern the Sacred things of the Altar, but the Sacred gifts [that are set apart and consumed] outside of the Temple and Jerusalem, both the High Priest and the common priest divide equally.

And they read before him. All seven days.

From the order of the day. From parashat Acharei Mot.

My master. My lord.

שמא לא למדת – During Second Temple times, it was necessary for this, as they would appoint High Priests who were not honest, according to the Kingdom, whereas during First Temple Times, they would not appoint a High Priest, other than someone who is the greatest among the Priests in wisdom, beauty, strength and riches, and if he did not have riches, his brethren among the Priests would raise him up from their own, as it states (Leviticus 21:10): “The priest who is exalted above his fellows….”they would raise him from among his brothers.

שיהא מכיר – he would take consideration of the animals passing before him to place upon his heart the laws of the order of the day [of Yom Kippur].

לא היו מניחין אותו לאכול הרבה – even from those foods that would not bring him to sexual excitement (pollution – see Talmud Yoma 18a), and we completely prevent him [from consuming] all foods that would bring him to sexual excitement and nocturnal emission like milk and eggs and fat meat and old wine and similar kinds of things.

The elders of the Court would transfer him. Those who had read before him the order of the day.

לזקני כהונה – to teach him the priest’s taking handfuls of incense (see Talmud Yoma 19a, which was the task of the House of Avtinas to teach him the manipulation of the incense), as it says (Leviticus 16:12): “two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense” and this was difficult work.

The House of Avtinas. There they would make the incense.

והשביעוהו – that he would not become a Sadducee to improve the incense upon the coal-pan from outside and to bring it in from inside, as they expound (Leviticus 16:2): “for I appear in the cloud over the cover,” from the cloud of the of smoke of the incense it will come, and then I will appear over the cover, but the matter is not this, for the Biblical verse states there (Leviticus 16:13): “He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD…”

הוא פורש ובוכה – for they suspected him of being a Sadducee.

והן פורשין ובוכין – that they suspected him, as the Master said (Shabbat 97a): “A person who suspects those who are fit, is whipped on his body.”

If he was clever he would explain. The issue of halacha all night of Yom Kippur, so that he wouldn't fall asleep. And if he wasn't so clever, and wasn't able to understand and explain an issue of halacha, then they would explain it to him.

From Job and Ezra. These are things which depress the heart and make it hard to sleep.

פרחי כהונה – young men when the hair of heir beards begins to flower are called those who blossom.

באצבע צרדה – the finger that is closest to the thumb. And the language of צרדה/snap is (see Talmud Yoma 19b – a phonetic play), the match to this (the middle finger) what is it? The thumb, i.e., the sound produced with these two fingers, the nearest to the thumb, closest to it, and they would combine the thumb with the finger closest to it, and it would slip off and strike his palm and produces a sound so that the High Priest doesn’t sleep.

עמוד – on your feet.

והפג אחת על הרצפה – of marble in order to remove the heat, for the coolness of the feet removes the sleep and the word הפג is the language of removal, like (Talmud Betza 14a) like spices “losing their taste” when pounded the day before.

תורמין את המזבח – the removal of the ashes from the altar (based upon Leviticus 6:3), through which he takes the coals out with a (silver) coal-pan (see Mishnah Yoma, Chapter 4, Mishnah 4) whether there is a lot or whether there is a little on the eastern side of the ramp and it is absorbed there in its place, and it was at the beginning of the Divine Service in the morning.

או סמוך לו – near the time of the cock’s crowing or from before it or from after it.

ביוה"כ – he removes them from midnight, because of the weakness of the High Priest, since everything is upon him alone, he needs to rise earlier.

וברגלים – since there are many Israelites and many sacrifices and a lot of ashes in the place of the pile of wood on the altar in the Temple, and he must take up the ashes from the place of the pile of wood to a place that is in the middle of the altar, which is called תפוח/TAPUACH, for there is a large of pile of the ashes and the community which is directed like an apple, it was necessary to arise earlier and they would rise from the first watch which is one-third of the night (i.e. 10 pm, assuming that the sun sets at 6 pm and rises at 6 pm).

ולא היתה קריאת הגבר מגעת – on the Festivals.

עד שהיתה עזרה מלאה מישראל – who bring their sacrifices to offer them immediately after the morning daily-offering.