Yoma 17b — the Talmud in English

And from the words of Rav Huna son of Rav Yehoshua it is proven that the Chamber of the Lambs was drawn toward the southern side of the Forecourt.

For

if you say, granted

that even the tanna of tractate Tamid, who placed the Chamber of the Lambs on the northwestern side, concedes that the main location of the Chamber of the Lambs

was in the southwestern [corner],

and only one who comes by the leftward route sees it as though it were in the northwest, it is well:

that is

the statement of Rav Huna son of Rav Yehoshua,

who resolves

the contradiction between the Mishnayot from

the showbread to the showbread.

For if the Chamber of the Lambs is located in the southwest, then one who comes by the leftward route encounters the Chamber of Those Who Make the Showbread in the southeast of the Chamber of the Hearth, and there is no contradiction between the Mishna in tractate Middot and the Mishna in tractate Tamid.

Rather, if you say

that the Chamber of the Lambs

was in the northwestern corner,

then one who walks on the left encounters the Chamber of Those Who Make the Showbread in the southwestern corner according to the order of his walking. And if so,

in the end—

what resolution is there

for the contradiction between the Mishnayot

concerning the showbread!?

Rather, is it not, learn from it

that the Chamber of the Lambs

was in the southwestern [corner].

And we conclude:

learn from it.

And the Gemara raises an objection: How did we state the location of the chambers according to the order of walking from the left?

But the Master said: All turns that you turn shall only be toward the right,

so that the first turn for one who comes with his face toward the ramp of the altar and wishes to encircle it will always be

to

the

east!

And we answer:

These words—

in the service.

But here—

it is merely a calculation.

We learned in the Mishna:

That the High Priest offers a portion first and takes a portion first.

The Sages taught: How does [the High Priest] offer

a portion

first?

He says: “This burnt offering—I offer; this meal offering—I offer.”

How does he take a portion first?

He says: “This sin offering—I eat; this guilt offering—I eat.”

And he takes one loaf from two loaves

on the Festival of Weeks.

And he takes

four or five

loaves

from the making of the showbread,

as will be explained below: when he takes four loaves and when five.

Rabbi says: Always

he takes

five

loaves.

Because

it is stated

in [Leviticus 24] concerning the showbread:

“And it shall be for Aaron and for his sons”—

half for Aaron and half for his sons,

for the other priests.

And they divide among themselves only ten loaves out of the twelve loaves, as he explains and proceeds.

And we examine it:

This itself is difficult.

You said

at the beginning:

he takes

the High Priest

one loaf from two loaves

of the Festival of Weeks.

Who is it?—

It is Rabbi, who says

that the High Priest

takes half.

Let us say the middle clause:

he takes

four or five from the making of the showbread—

we have come to the Rabbis, who say

that he does not take half.

For according to Rabbi he always takes five, and not four.

Let us say the final clause: Rabbi says, always five.

The beginning and the end—

Rabbi; and the middle clause, the Rabbis!?

Abaye said: The beginning and the middle clause are the Rabbis,

who hold that he takes less than half.

And

in the beginning, in the division of the two loaves of the Festival of Weeks,

the Rabbis concede

that he takes a whole loaf and does not take less than half, since then the status of the High Priest would be

that of a piece—

for it is not proper conduct

to give

to give

a piece

to the High Priest.