The Kohanim would stand guard in three places in the Holy Temple: In the Chamber of Avtinas, in the Chamber of the Ray, and in the Hall of the Fire. The Chamber of Avtinas and the Chamber of the Ray were upper stories, and the youngsters would guard there. The Hall of the Fire [was] a dome. And it was a large house, encircled with ledges of stone. And the elders of the beis av would sleep there, and the keys of the Courtyard were in their hands. And the young Kohanim [would sleep] each with his pillow on the ground.  They would not sleep in [their] holy vestments, rather they would remove [them] and fold [them], and place them beneath their heads, and they would cover themselves with their personal garment.  If one of [the Kohanim] experienced a seminal emission, he would exit [the Hall of the Fire] and proceed through the tunnel that went under the Birah, and there were lamps burning here and there, until he reached the immersion room. A large fire was there, as well as a latrine of dignity. This was its dignity: [If] one found it closed, he knew that there was a person there; [if he found it] open, he knew that there was no person there. He descended and immersed, ascended and dried himself off, and warmed himself in front of the large fire. He came and sat next to his fellow Kohanim until the gates were opened; he departed and went on his way.

There is no commission of me’ilah after a commission of me’ilah [has already taken place] with consecrated objects, except [for] an animal and [Temple] service vessels. How so? [If] one rode upon an animal and his fellow came and rode [upon it] and his [other] fellow came and rode [upon it], [or if] one drank from a golden cup and his fellow came and drank [from it] and his [other] fellow came and drank [from it], [or if] one plucked [hair] from a cha- tas and his fellow came and plucked [hair] and his [other] fellow came and plucked [hair], they have all committed me’ilah. Rebbi says: Anything that is not subject to redemption is subject to a commission of me’ilah after a commission of me’ilah.

[If a Temple treasurer] took a consecrated stone or beam, he has not committed me’ilah. [If he] gave it to his fellow, he has com- mitted me’ilah but his fellow has not committed me’ilah. [If he] built it into his house, he has not committed me’ilah until he dwells underneath it for one perutah’s worth [of benefit].  [If a Temple treasurer] took a consecrated perutah, he has not committed me’ilah. [If he] gave it to his fellow, he has committed me’ilah but his fellow has not committed me’ilah. [If he] gave it to the bathhouse owner, even though he did not bathe, he has committed me’ilah, for [the owner] can say to him, “The bathhouse is open —- enter and bathe!”

His [own] consumption and the consumption of his fellow, his [own] benefit and the benefit of his fellow, his consumption and the benefit of his fellow, his benefit and the con- sumption of his fellow, [all] combine one with the other, even over an extended period of time.

[If] an agent carries out his assignment, the householder has committed me’ilah; [if the agent] does not carry out his assignment, the agent has committed me’ilah. How so? [If the householder] said to [his agent], “Give meat to the guests,” and [the agent] gave them liver, [or if the householder said, “Give] liver,” and [the agent] gave them meat, the agent has committed me’ilah.  [If the householder] said to [his agent], “Give them each one piece [of meat],” and [the agent] said [to them], “Take two pieces each,” and they took three pieces each, they have all committed me’ilah.  [If the householder] said to [his agent], “Bring me [money] from the alcove,” or “[Bring me money] from the box,” and [the agent] brought [it] to him, even though the householder says, “I only intended [for him to bring it] from this [place] and he brought it from this [other place],” the householder has committed me’ilah. However, if [the householder] said to [his agent], “Bring me [money] from the alcove,” and [the agent] brought it to him from the box, or [the householder said, “Bring it] from the box,” and [the agent] brought it to him from the alcove, the agent has committed me’ilah.

[A householder] sent [consecrated money] with a deaf-mute, a deranged person, or a minor: If they carried out his assign- ment, the householder has committed me’ilah; if they did not carry out his assignment, the storekeeper has committed me’ilah.  [If the householder] sent [the money] with a competent person, and remembered [that the money was consecrated] before [the agent] reached the storekeeper, the store- keeper will have committed me’ilah when he spends the money. What should he do? He takes a perutah or a utensil and says, “The consecrated perutah, wherever it is, is deconsecrated onto this,” since consecrated items can be redeemed with money or with [items that are] worth money.

[If the householder] gave [the agent] a perutah [and] said to him, “Bring me lamps with half of [the perutah] and wicks with half of [the perutah],” [and the agent] went and brought him lamps with the entire [perutah] or wicks with the entire [perutah], or [if the householder] said to [the agent], “Bring me lamps with the entire [perutah],” or “[Bring me] wicks with the entire [perutah],” [and the agent] went and brought lamps with half of it and wicks with half of it, neither of them has committed me’ilah.  However, if [the householder] said to [the agent], “Bring me lamps with half of [the perutah] from such and such a place and wicks with half of [the perutah] from such and such a place,” and [the agent] went and brought him lamps from the house of wicks and wicks from the house of lamps, the agent has com- mitted me’ilah.

[If the householder] gave [the agent] two perutos [and] said to him, “Bring me an esrog,” and [the agent] went and brought him an esrog with one perutah and a pomegranate with one perutah, both of them have com- mitted me’ilah. R’ Yehudah says: The householder has not committed me’ilah, for he can say to [the agent], “I would have wanted a supe- rior esrog and you brought me a small, inferior [one].”  [If the householder] gave [the agent] a gold dinar [and] said to him, “Bring me a shirt,” and [the agent] went and brought him a shirt with three [of the selaim] and a cloak with three [of the selaim], both of them have committed me’ilah. R’ Yehudah says: The householder has not committed me’ilah, for he can say to [the agent], “I would have wanted a superior shirt and you brought me a small, inferior [one].”

[Regarding] one who deposits money with a moneychanger: If [the money] is tied, [the moneychanger] may not use it, therefore, if [the moneychanger] spends [the money], he has committed me’ilah; if [the money] is loose, [the moneychanger] may use it, therefore, if [the moneychanger] spends [the money], he has not committed me’ilah.  [If the money is deposited] with a householder, whether [tied] or [loose], he may not use it, therefore, if he spends [the money], he has committed me’ilah.  A storekeeper is likened to a householder; these are the words of R’ Meir. R’ Yehudah says: [A storekeeper] is likened to a moneychanger.

[Regarding] a consecrated perutah that fell into a purse, or [if the owner] said, “A perutah in this purse shall be consecrated,” [then] as soon as he spends the first [perutah], he has committed me’ilah, these are the words of R’ Akiva; but the Sages say: [He does not commit me’ilah] until he spends the entire purse.  R’ Akiva agrees regarding one who says, “A perutah of this purse shall be consecrated,” that he may spend and continue [to spend the money] until he spends the entire purse.