Every day they removed [ashes] from the Altar at the call of the crier or thereabout, either before it or after it. On Yom Kippur [it was done] from midnight, and on the [three] festivals from the first watch. And yet before the call of the crier the Courtyard was already filled with Jews.

At first, whoever wanted to remove [the ashes] from the Altar, did so. In case there were many, they ran and ascended the ramp, and whoever preceded his colleague into the four cubits, won.  If two of them were even, the administrator would say to them, “Put out a finger.” What did they put out? One or two [fingers], but they did not put out a thumb in the Temple.