“The kohen shall burn wood on it every morning.” The ashes removed, the kohanim carry the logs up onto the altar to set up the great ma'arakha, on the east of the hearth, its face turned eastward. Any wood is fit except olive and vine; they usually took young branches of fig, of nut and of pine. The tamid tour places a kohen on the altar, a log in his arms, lowering it toward the pile before straightening up.
Dimensions
- the great ma'arakha on the eastern side of the altar top, facing east
- any wood except olive and vine
- fig, nut, pine
Sources
- Leviticus 6:5“וְהָאֵשׁ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ לֹא תִכְבֶּה וּבִעֵר עָלֶיהָ הַכֹּהֵן עֵצִים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר”
- Tamid 2:3“הֵחֵלּוּ מַעֲלִין בְּגִזְרִין לְסַדֵּר אֵשׁ הַמַּעֲרָכָה… כָּל הָעֵצִים כְּשֵׁרִין לַמַּעֲרָכָה, חוּץ מִשֶּׁל זַיִת וְשֶׁל גֶּפֶן”
- Tamid 2:4“סִדֵּר הַמַּעֲרָכָה גְדוֹלָה מִזְרָחָה, וַחֲזִיתָהּ מִזְרָחָה”
Project decisionTour's choice: a single kohen; the Mishna says “they began to bring up the logs,” in the plural.