The one who won the cleaning of the Menorah enters the Heikhal. If he finds the two eastern lamps burning, he cleans the other five — burnt wicks and ashes into the kuz, fresh oil and wick — and leaves those two; he then returns to the two eastern lamps: according to Tamid 6:1, before the incense, he cleans the eastern one and leaves the western one burning; according to the Rambam (Temidin 6:4), after the incense, he tends both. Before the Menorah stands a stone with three steps on which he stands; he sets the kuz on the second. The tamid tour places this kohen on the top step of the stone, facing the lamps; the kuz waits on the second step.
Dimensions
- five lamps, then two
- the kuz set on the second step of the stone
- “when he trims the lamps”: in the morning, with the incense
Sources
- Exodus 30:7“בְּהֵיטִיבוֹ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת יַקְטִירֶנָּה”
- Tamid 3:9“מִי שֶׁזָּכָה בְדִשּׁוּן הַמְּנוֹרָה, נִכְנַס וּמָצָא שְׁנֵי נֵרוֹת מִזְרָחִיִּים דּוֹלְקִים, מְדַשֵּׁן אֶת הַשְּׁאָר… וְאֶבֶן הָיְתָה לִפְנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה וּבָהּ שָׁלשׁ מַעֲלוֹת, שֶׁעָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן עוֹמֵד וּמֵטִיב אֶת הַנֵּרוֹת. וְהִנִּיחַ אֶת הַכּוּז עַל מַעֲלָה שְׁנִיָּה וְיָצָא”
- Tamid 6:1“נָטַל אֶת הַכּוּז מִמַּעֲלָה שְׁנִיָּה, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה וְיָצָא”
- Rambam, Hilchot Temidin uMusafin 6:4“וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְפִיסִין פַּיִס שְׁלִישִׁי וּרְבִיעִי וְזוֹכֶה בַּקְּטֹרֶת מִי שֶׁזָּכָה וְנִכְנַס וּמַקְטִיר. וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִכְנַס זֶה שֶׁזָּכָה בְּדִשּׁוּן הַמְּנוֹרָה וּמֵטִיב שְׁתֵּי הַנֵּרוֹת”
Project decisionThe shape of the kuz is a choice.