Daily and Additional Sacrifices

46. Daily and Additional Sacrifices – Temidin u-Musafin

We are commanded to offer two lambs daily as burnt-offerings, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, as it says “Two each day, a regular burnt-offering…”.¹ The priests are commanded to keep a fire always burning on the altar, as it says “A perpetual fire shall burn on the altar”²; it is forbidden to extinguish it, as it says “It shall not be extinguished”.² They are also commanded to remove the ashes from the altar daily, as it says “And he shall lift up the ash […on the altar]”.^3,a

The priests are commanded to burn incense on the golden altar every morning and afternoon, as it says “And Aaron shall burn compounded incense on it…”.⁴ They are also commanded to light the candelabrum daily, as it says “[To raise a perpetual candle…] Aaron and his sons shall arrange it”.⁵ The high priest is commanded to offer a cake-offering every morning and afternoon [as it says “This is the sacrifice of Aaron and his sons… and the priest of his sons who is anointed in his place shall make it”.]^6,b

On the sabbath there are two additional lamb burnt-offerings [as it says “And on the sabbath day…”⁷]. The showbread is also placed on the table every sabbath with frankincense, as it says “[You shall take flour and bake it into twelve loaves…] on the sabbath he shall arrange it…”.⁸ The previous sabbath’s showbread is divided between the watch of priests going off duty and that coming on duty and its frankincense is burned on the altar; it must be eaten in the Temple. On the new moon the additional burnt-offerings consist of two bulls, a ram and seven lambs, and there is also a he-goat sin-offering.^9,c

On each of the seven days of Pesach there are additional offerings like those on the new moon.¹⁰ On the second day, besides these there is a lamb burnt-offering in conjunction with the omer, an offering of flour made from parched barley.¹¹ We are commanded to count seven weeks from the day that the omer is brought, as it says “And you shall count… [from the day you bring the omer…] seven sabbaths… you shall count 50 days”¹²; this commandment applies even when the Temple does not exist. The fiftieth day is Shavuos; on it there are additional offerings like those on the new moon.¹³ Besides these there are a bull, two rams, and seven lambs as burnt-offerings, a he-goat sin-offering, and two lamb peace-offerings¹⁴; these are brought in conjunction with a bread-offering of two leavened loaves.^d

On Rosh ha-Shanah, besides the additional offering for the new moon, there are a bull, ram, and seven lambs as burnt-offerings and a he-goat sin-offering.¹⁵ On Yom Kippur there are the same offerings, together with another he-goat sin-offering (brought in conjunction with the scapegoat) that is not eaten.¹⁶ On the first day of Sukkos there are thirteen bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs as burnt- offerings and a he-goat sin-offering; and the same on the succeeding six days except that the number of bulls is reduced by one each day.¹⁷ It is also traditional to pour a water libation on the altar on these seven days. On the eighth day the offerings are like those on Rosh ha-Shanah.^18,e