תלמוד על יומא 2:1

HALAKHAH: “Originally, anybody who wanted to remove the ashes from the altar,” etc. Rebbi Mana asked, why did they not establish a lottery for the removal of ashes? Come and see, slaughter is valid by a non-Cohen, but you are saying that there is a lottery⁷Mishnah 2:2.. Removal of ashes is forbidden to a non-Cohen, and you are saying, there is no lottery? Rebbi Mana turned around and said, slaughter is valid only during daytime, but the removal of ashes is valid during the entire night. If you are saying that there is a lottery, he will not get up early for the doubt⁸If the chances are slim that he will be able to serve, no Cohen will show up for the night duty. Babli 22a.. What did you see to say this? All the night⁹Lev. 6:2., he shall remove¹⁰Lev. 6:3.. From here that the removal of ashes is valid during the entire night.

¹⁵³A 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 stated¹⁵⁴Mishnah Yoma 2:5., “two, holding in their hands two wooden logs.” This adds single logs.

HALAKHAH: “ ‘Until the rains,’ ” etc. Rebbi Ze‘ira asked: If one said ‘until the rain’, is he forbidden until another rainfall came down⁶³In the Babli, 62b, R. Ze‘ira is quoted to declare that the singular implies that one fertilizing rain only is meant.? There⁶⁴Mishnah S̄eqalim 6:6, Menaḥot 106b., we have stated: “One who said, I take upon me [the obligation to bring] wood⁶⁵A plural., should not bring less that two cut logs⁶⁶For the altar in the Temple. The logs used for the altar had to be prepared so that all branches were cut off and all worms taken out. This is the emphasis on cut logs..” Rebbi Yose the important said that Rebbi Abba bar Mamai asked, if he said, I take upon me [the obligation to bring] to bring wood⁶⁷Singular., does he bring one cut log? Rebbi Eleazar said, a Mishnah explains that each one is a separate sacrifice, as we have stated there⁶⁸Mishnah Yoma 2:5. While for the daily morning sacrifice only one Cohen brought wood to the altar, for the evening sacrifice there were two. R. Eleazar read the Mishnah to imply that each Cohen took only one log to the altar. This would imply that a single log is an acceptable gift to the altar.: “Two in whose hands are two cut logs.” In order to increase the number of logs⁶⁹There were four logs brought to the altar, two by each Cohen. This certainly implies that a person vowing “a log” has in fact to bring two, and probably that the person who vows not to taste something until the rains, is forbidden until the second batch of rain showers. (The Babli seems to disagree, 63a)..