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אִישׁ הַר הַבַּיִת הָיָה מְחַזֵּר עַל כָּל מִשְׁמָר וּמִשְׁמָר, וַאֲבוּקוֹת דּוֹלְקִין לְפָנָיו. וְכָל מִשְׁמָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹמֵד, אוֹמֵר לוֹ אִישׁ הַר הַבַּיִת: ”שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ!” נִכָּר שֶׁהוּא יָשֵׁן, חוֹבְטוֹ בְמַקְלוֹ, וּרְשׁוּת הָיָה לוֹ לִשְׂרֹף אֶת כְּסוּתוֹ. וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים: ”מַה קוֹל בָּעֲזָרָה? קוֹל בֶּן לֵוִי לוֹקֶה וּבְגָדָיו נִשְׂרָפִים, שֶׁיָּשַׁן לוֹ עַל מִשְׁמָרוֹ.” רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: פַּעַם אַחַת מָצְאוּ אֶת אֲחִי אִמָּא יָשֵׁן, וְשָׂרְפוּ אֶת כְּסוּתוֹ.
The Officer of the Temple Mount would make the rounds to each and every guard, and torches were lit before him. And any guard who did not stand, the Officer of the Temple Mount would say to him, “Peace unto you!” [If] it was apparent that he was sleeping, [the Officer] would strike him with his staff, and he also had permission to burn his garment. And they would say, “What is that noise in the Courtyard? [It must be] the sound of a Levi being beaten and his clothing being burned, because he fell asleep on his watch.” R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: One time they found my mother’s brother sleeping [on his watch] and they burned his garment.
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