Tamid 29b — the Talmud in English

And anyone who would make a voluntary donation

of gold for the Temple, and wished that they should place it in the Sanctuary, would make from it

a leaf ![](pamud.bmp "

precise page location")

or a grain or a cluster

of gold, and

would bring

it and

hang

it

on it.

And

Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Tzadok said: There was an incident

in which they needed to move it from place to place,

and three hundred kohanim were appointed over it

in order to carry it and

move it,

because of the weight of the gold that was in it.

And this too is an expression of exaggeration. For if there had been so much gold in it, it would have broken. Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Tzadok intended only to inform us that much gold was donated there.

Curtain –

this is

that which we learned: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Ha-Segan: The curtain

of the Sanctuary

was one handbreadth thick. And it was woven on seventy-two strands.

[For they would twist each warp thread from seventy-two strands. Explanation of the Gaon of Vilna.]

And on each

[and in each]

strand

were twisted

twenty-four threads.

Since it was made of four kinds: tekhelet, purple, scarlet, and linen. And the thread of each kind was doubled sixfold. It follows that each braid of the warp was composed of one thousand seven hundred and twenty-eight threads. And because of this its thickness reached one handbreadth.

And

the length

of the curtain

was forty cubits, and its width twenty cubits.

For that curtain separated between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. And the height and width of the Sanctuary were of this measure .

And

the weaving work of

eight hundred and twenty thousand maidens

was

done !

For since they wished to make it in purity, maidens who had not yet reached the status of menstruants were engaged in it.

And two

curtains

they would make

in the Second Temple

each year.

And these two curtains were in place of the cubit of partition that had been in the First Temple.

In the First Temple, the partition between the Holy of Holies and the Sanctuary was made of a stone wall whose width was one cubit. And in the Second Temple they could not do so, because the height of its Sanctuary was forty cubits. [However, the commentator wrote that its height was one hundred cubits, but Rashi in Bava Batra 3a and the Tosafot Yom Tov, chapter 5, mishna 1, emended it to read that its height was forty cubits.] And a wall of such height cannot stand with a width of only one cubit. And it was impossible to broaden it, because of “everything in writing,” and it is forbidden to alter the measure written there. Therefore they made two curtains in place of that wall. And they left a space between them. And the curtains together with the space occupied a width of one cubit.

And because the curtains became blackened from the smoke of the incense, they would make new ones each year [Rosh].

And three hundred kohanim

would

immerse it,

because of its great size ! And this too is an expression of exaggeration.

We learned in the Mishna:

They began bringing split logs to arrange the pyre. But are all the wood fit for the pyre?

All wood is fit except olive wood and grapevine wood.

And we raised it as a difficulty:

These

woods –

what is the reason they were not

fit?

Rav Pappa said: Because

olive wood and grapevine wood

have knots

[they contain knots]! And because of the water that is in the knots, they do not burn well and produce smoke. And this is not the honor of the Omnipresent.

Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov said:

Besides this reason, there is another reason why they would not bring olive wood and grapevine wood –

because of the settlement of the Land of Israel.

For if they burned them on the pyre, they would not find grapevines for wine, and olives for oil with which to anoint, and the Land of Israel would be ruined.

A challenge was raised:

It is written concerning the wood of the pyre,

“upon the wood that is upon the fire.”

And we expound: Bring

wood that is quickly consumed

[burned]

to become fire! And what is it? Smoothly split wood, which does not have knots and goes on burning

and these are pieces of wood split well, which do not contain knots of the category

“knotted from within,”

where the knot proceeds and enters within the wood. For only branches of a young tree are fit, as the Mishna teaches: “fig saplings.” Since it is young, it is burned quickly.

But are all the wood fit for the pyre? All wood is fit for the pyre, except olive wood and grapevine wood.

But with these they were accustomed: with branches of fig, walnut, and oil tree.

Rabbi Eliezer adds: also myesha wood, oak, palm, carob, and sycamore –

are unfit for the pyre!

And he concludes the difficulty:

Granted, according to the one who says

that they are disqualified only

because they have knots,

it may be said that

this is the matter over which

Rabbi Eliezer and the first tanna disagree.

One

[Rabbi Eliezer]

holds:

myesha wood, oak, and their like,

even though they do not have knots from within

[that their knots do not enter within them], nevertheless

since they have knots on the outside

[externally],

we do not bring

from them for the altar.

And the other

[the first tanna]

holds: Since they do not have knots from within –

even though they have knots on the outside,

we bring from them.

But according to the one who says

that even

because of the settlement of the Land of Israel

we do not bring olive wood and grapevine wood, why does the first tanna disagree with Rabbi Eliezer? And is it that

a palm tree—does it not involve the settlement of the Land of Israel?

For it too produces fruit, and it is obvious that because of this its cutting for the needs of the altar should be forbidden.

And we answer:

He can say to you

that one who says this:

And according to your reasoning,

since you challenged me from the beraita, challenge me from the Mishna, which teaches: “branches of fig.” And is it that

a fig tree does not involve the settlement of the Land of Israel,

and how do we permit bringing wood from it for the altar?

Rather,

necessarily,

what do you have to say? –

It is speaking of a fig tree that does not produce fruit

and if so, with regard to

a palm tree as well,

let us establish it as

a

palm tree

that does not produce fruit.

And therefore it does not involve the settlement of the Land of Israel. And Rabbi Eliezer disqualifies it only because it has knots. Whereas the first tanna holds that anything not knotted from within is not disqualified.

And we raised it as a difficulty:

But is there a fig tree that does not produce fruit?

And we answer:

Yes! As Rahava [said].

For Rahava said: One brings

saplings from

white fig trees

[white], which are inferior,