Tzav - The Holiness of Getting Your Hands Dirty

(1) “The Priest shall put on his fitted tunic and he shall put on linen trousers on his flesh; he shall remove the ash.” The Torah is teaching us here that even removing the ashes, which is not serious service, requires the priestly garments...

(1) Initially, the practice among the priests was that whoever wishes to remove the ashes from the altar removes them. And when there are many, they run and ascend on the ramp. Any priest who precedes another and reaches within four cubits is privileged. And if both of them were equal, the appointed priest says to all the priests: Extend your fingers...

(2) Initially, that was the procedure; however, an incident occurred where both of them were equal as they were running and ascending on the ramp, and one of them shoved another and he fell and his leg was broken. And once the court saw that people were coming to potential danger, they instituted that priests would remove ashes from the altar only by means of a lottery. There were four lotteries there and this was the first lottery.

GEMARA: And what is the reason that the Sages did not initially institute a lottery for the removal of the ashes? Initially they thought: Since it is a service performed at night it would not be important to the priests, and not many would come. Then, when they saw that many priests did indeed come and that they were coming to danger, they instituted a lottery.

Some say: Initially, they thought that since there is a likelihood of being overcome by sleep, not many would come. When they saw that they did indeed come and that they were also coming to danger, the Sages instituted a lottery for this task.

But there is the burning of the limbs of burnt-offerings and the fats of other offerings, a service for which there is the same likelihood of being overcome by sleep, and nevertheless the Sages instituted a lottery! Lying down to go to sleep late is different from rising in the middle of the night.

(1) One should strengthen oneself like a lion to get up in the morning to serve your Creator, so that it is you who awakens the dawn...

Rav Safra would roast the head. Rava salted a shibuta. Rav Huna kindled lamps. Rav Pappa spun the wicks. Rav Ḥisda cut the beets. Rabba and Rav Yosef cut wood. Rabbi Zeira prepared thin sticks. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak would load objects on his shoulder and enter, load objects on his shoulder and exit. He said: If Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi happened to visit me, would I not load on my shoulder before them?