He took the knife and separated the lung from the liver, and [separated] the liver appendage from the liver, but would not budge it from its place. He would pierce [the sides of] the breast and give it to whoever won the privilege of [carrying] it.  He went up to the right flank; he would cut down to the spine, but he would not touch the spine, until he reached the two soft ribs. He cut off [the right flank] and gave it to whoever won the privilege of [carrying] it, and the liver was suspended within [the right flank].  He approached the neck and left in it two ribs from this side and two ribs from that side; he cut off [this neck section] and gave it to whoever won the privilege of [carrying] it, and the trachea, heart, and lungs were suspended within it.  He approached the left flank and left two soft ribs above and two soft ribs below, and he would leave out the same in its counterpart; thus, he would leave out of both [flanks] two [and] two above, and two [and] two below. He would cut out the [left flank] and give it to whoever won the privilege of [carrying] it, and the spine was together with it, and the spleen was suspended within it. In truth, [the left flank] was greater, but it was the right [flank] that they referred to as “the greater one,” because the liver was suspended within it.  He approached the back portion, cut it off, and gave it to whoever won the privilege of [carrying] it, and the fatty tail, and the liver appendage, and the two kidneys were together with it.  He took the left hindleg and gave it to whoever won the privilege of [carrying] it. Thus, all of [the Kohanim] were standing in a row and the limbs [were] in their hands: The first [Kohen] with the head and the [right] hindleg; the head [was] in his right hand with its snout facing his arm, and its horns between his fingers, and the place of its incision [was] above with the fat placed upon it, and the right hindleg in his left hand, with the place of the skin [facing] outward. The second [Kohen] with the two forelegs; the right one in his right hand [and] the left one in his left hand, with the place of the skin [facing] outward. The third [Kohen] with the back portion and the [left] hindleg; the back portion in his right hand with the fatty tail hanging between his fingers, and the liver appendage and two kidneys with it. The left hindleg in his left hand, with the place of the skin [facing] outward. The fourth [Kohen] with the breast and the neck; the breast in his right hand, and the neck in his left hand with [the neck’s] ribs between his fingers. The fifth [Kohen] with the two flanks; the right one in his right hand and the left one in his left hand, with the place of the skin [facing] outward. The sixth [Kohen] with the intestines which were placed in a spoon, and the feet [were placed] atop [the intestines]. The seventh [Kohen] with the fine flour. The eighth [Kohen] with the chavitin. The ninth [Kohen] with the wine. [The Kohanim] went and placed [the limbs] from the halfway point of the ramp [and] down on its west side, and they salted [these items]. Then [these Kohanim] descended and came to the Chamber of Hewn Stone to recite the Shema.

The appointed one said to [the Kohanim]: “Recite a single blessing,” and they recited the blessing. They recited the Ten Statements, “Hear [O Israel],” “And it will come to pass if you will hearken,” and “And [Hashem] said.” They recited three blessings: “Emes Veyatziv,” and the service, and the blessings of the Kohanim. And on the Sabbath, they would add a single blessing for the outgoing mishmar.

[The appointed one] said to them: “Those who are new to the incense [service], come and draw lots!” They cast lots; whoever won the privilege [of offering the incense] won [it].  ”Those who are new [to the service] and those who are old [to it], come and draw lots, who brings the limbs up from the ramp to the Altar!” R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: The one who brings the limbs up onto the ramp is the one who brings them up onto the Altar.

[The Kohanim] handed over [the garments] to the attendants. They would remove the [priestly] garments of [the Kohanim] from them; they would leave only the breeches on them. And there were alcoves there, and above [these alcoves] was written the name of the garments [placed there].

Whoever won the privilege of the incense [service] would take the ladle.  The ladle is similar to a large tarkav [vessel] [made] of gold, [which] holds three kavs. And the spoon was inside of it, filled and heaped over with incense. [The spoon] had a cover, and a kind of ring was upon [the cover], from above [the spoon and its cover].

Whoever won the privilege of the shovel [service] took the silver shovel and ascended to the top of the [Outer] Altar, [and] he cleared away the coals to this side and to that side and scooped out [from the inner coals]. He descended, and poured [these coals] into [the shovel] of gold. About a kav of coals would become scattered from it, and he would sweep them into the stream. And on the Sabbath he would invert the copper pot over them.  The copper pot was a large vessel [which] holds a lesech, and two chains [were connected] to [the copper pot]: One [chain] that [a Kohen] would pull on and [the pot] would descend, and one [chain] [a Kohen] would hold onto from above so that [the pot] would not roll. It served three purposes: [They] inverted it over the coals and over a [dead] sheretz on the Sabbath, and they lowered the ash from the top of the Altar in it.

They reached [the area] between the Antechamber and the Altar; one [Kohen] took the “shovel” and threw it between the Antechamber and the Altar.  A person could not hear the voice of his fellow in Jerusalem due to the sound of the “shovel.” And [the sound] served three purposes: A Kohen who heard its sound would know that his brethren, the Kohanim, would be entering [the Heichal] to prostrate themselves, and he would run and come. And a Levi who heard its sound would know that his brethren, the Leviim, would be entering [the Courtyard] to chant the song, and he would run and come. And the head of the maamad would post the tamei [Kohanim] at the eastern gateway [to the Temple Mount].

They began ascending the steps of the Antechamber. [The two Kohanim] who won the privileges of clearing the ash from the Inner Altar and from the Menorah would go ahead of them: [The Kohen] who won the privilege of clearing the ash from the Inner Altar entered [the Heichal] and took the basket, and prostrated himself and exited. [The Kohen] who won the privilege of clearing the ash from the Menorah entered [the Heichal] and [if] he found the two easternmost lamps burning, he would clear the ash of the eastern [lamp], and [would] leave the western [lamp] burning, because from it [the Kohen] would kindle the [other lamps of the] Menorah in the evening. [If] he found that [the western lamp] went out, he would clear its ash and light it from the [fire of the] Olah Altar. He took the jug from the second step, and prostrated himself and exited.

[The Kohen] who won the privilege of the shovel [service] heaped up the coals on top of the [Inner] Altar and flattened them with the bottom of the shovel, and prostrated himself and exited.

[The Kohen] who won the privilege of the incense [service] would take the spoon from within the ladle, and would give [the ladle] to his friend or relative. [If some] spilled from [the spoon] into [the ladle], [the friend or relative] gives it to him in his cupped hands. And they instruct him: “Be careful that you not begin directly in front of you, lest you get burned!”  He started arranging [the incense], and [then] he would leave [the Heichal].  The one who offered the incense would not offer it until the appointed one said to him: “Offer the incense!” If it was the Kohen Gadol, the appointed one said [to him]: “My master, Kohen Gadol, offer the incense!”  The people moved away, and [the Kohen] offered the incense, and he [then] prostrated himself and exited.

When the Kohen Gadol enters [the Heichal] to prostrate himself, three [Kohanim] would hold on to him: one on his right, one on his left, and one [holding] on [to] the precious stones. And when the appointed one heard the sound of the Kohen Gadol’s feet as he was exiting [the Heichal], he lifted the curtain for him. He entered, and prostrated himself, and exited, and his fellow Kohanim entered, and prostrated themselves, and exited.

They came and stood on the steps of the Antechamber. The first ones stood to the south of their fellow Kohanim, and there were five vessels in their hands: the basket in the hand of one, and the jug in the hand of one, and the shovel in the hand of one, and the spoon in the hand of one, and the ladle and [the spoon’s] cover in the hand of one.  And they blessed the nation [with] one blessing; except that in the provinces, [the Kohanim] pronounce it [as] three blessings, whereas in the Temple [they pronounce it as] one blessing.  In the Temple, [the Kohanim] would pronounce the Name [of God] as it is written, but in the provinces, [they use] its alternative pronunciation.  In the provinces, the Kohanim raise their palms, [with] their hands at shoulder height, whereas in the Temple [they raise their hands] above their heads, except for the Kohen Gadol who does not raise his hands above the tzitz. R’ Yehudah says: Even the Kohen Gadol raises his hands above the tzitz, for it is stated (Leviticus 9:22): And Aaron raised his hands toward the people and he blessed them.