2. He said to them, “novices[552] to the incense, come and cast lots.” They cast lots. He gained who gained. He said to them, “novices with old men come and cast lots, who shall bring up the members of the lamb from the ascent to the altar.” R. Eliezer, the son of Jacob, said, “those priests who brought the members to the ascent must also bring them to the top of the altar.”
3. He handed the priests over to the sextons. They divested them of their dresses, leaving them their breeches only, and there were windows there, and over them was written, “used for vestments.”[553]
4. He who gained the lot for the incense, took the spoon; and the spoon resembled a great measure of gold containing [pg 229] three cabs. And the pan was heaped full of incense; and it had a covering like a kind of weight upon it.
5. He who gained the lot for the censer, took the silver censer, and went up to the top of the altar, and he turned the live coals here and there, and he put them into the censer. He descended, and poured them into a censer of gold. There was dispersed from them about a cab of live coals, and he brushed them into the channel for refuse. On the Sabbath he put over them a cover. And the cover was a great vessel containing a letech.[554] And there were two chains to it, one by which the priest drew it down, and one by which he held it from above, that it should not be rolled about; and it was useful for three purposes, as a covering over the live coals, and as a covering over the reptile on the Sabbath, and it was also used to carry down the ashes from the altar.
6. The priests arrived between the porch and the altar. One of them took the shovel,[555] and flung it between the porch and the altar. No one could hear the voice of his neighbor in Jerusalem from the rattling of the shovel. And it was useful for three purposes: when the priest heard its rattle, he knew that his brother priests were entering to worship, and he came running; and the Levite, when he heard its rattle, knew that his brother Levites were entering to chant, and he came running; and the chief of the Delegates[556] compelled the defiled men to stand in the eastern gate of the Temple.
Chapter VI
1. The priests began ascending the steps of the porch. They who gained the lot for the removal of ashes from the inner altar and from the candlestick, proceeded in front. He who gained the lot for the removal of ashes from the inner altar, entered the Holy Place, and took the flagon, and he bowed down and went out. He who gained the lot for the removal of snuff from the candlestick, entered the Holy Place, and found the two eastern lamps burning; he removed the snuff from the eastern one and left the western one burning, and from it he lighted the candlestick in the evening. If he found [pg 230] it extinguished, he removed the snuff, and lit it from the altar of burnt offerings. He took the cup from the second step, and he bowed down, and went out.
2. He who gained the lot for the censer, gathered the live coals on the top of the altar of incense; and he smoothed them with the bottom of the censer, and he bowed down, and went out.
3. He who gained the lot for the incense, took the pan from the cup, and gave it to his friend or to his neighbor. When the incense was dispersed in it, he supplied it to him in handfuls. And he instructed him, “be careful and do not begin too near yourself, lest you be burned.” He smoothed it and went out. The offerer could not offer the incense, till the Captain said to him, “offer incense.” If the offerer were the high priest, the captain said, “My Lord, High Priest, offer the incense.” The people dispersed, and he offered the incense, and he bowed down and went out from the Holy Place.