The Kohanim would stand guard in three places in the Holy Temple: in the Chamber of Avtinas, and in the Chamber of the Ray, and in the Hall of the Fire. And the Leviim [would stand guard] in twenty-one places: five [Leviim] at the five gateways of the Temple Mount; four [Leviim] at the four corners of [the Temple Mount walls], on its inside; five [Leviim] at [the] five gateways of the Temple Courtyard; four [Leviim] at its four corners, on the outside; and one [Levi] in the Chamber of the Offering; and one [Levi] in the Chamber of the Curtain; and one [Levi] behind the Chamber of the Ark-cover.

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.

The Temple Mount had five gateways: the two Chuldah Gates in the south were used for enter-ing and exiting; Kiponos in the west was used for entering and exiting; Tadi in the north was not used for any purpose; the Eastern Gate, upon it was depicted a likeness of Shushan, the capital city [of Persia], that through it, the Kohen Gadol who was to burn the parah [adumah], and the parah [itself] and all the others assisting [the parah] would exit to the Mount of Olives.

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.

When the Kohen Gadol wishes to burn [the limbs of the tamid], he would ascend the ramp and the Deputy was to his right. [When the Kohen Gadol] reached the midpoint of the ramp, the Deputy took hold of his right [arm] and helped him ascend. The first [Kohen] handed to [the Kohen Gadol] the head and the leg, and [the Kohen Gadol] leaned on them and [then] threw them. The second [Kohen] handed the two forelegs to the first [Kohen], [the first Kohen] gives them to the Kohen Gadol, and [the Kohen Gadol] leaned on them and threw them; the second [Kohen] slipped away and departed. And in this manner they would hand to [the Kohen Gadol] all the remaining limbs, and he would lean on them and throw them. And when [the Kohen Gadol] wishes, he leans and others throw.  [The Kohen Gadol] comes to circle the Altar; from where does he begin? From the southeast corner, [then to the] northeast, [to the] northwest, [and to the] southwest.  They gave [the Kohen Gadol] wine to offer; the Deputy would be standing on the horn with the flags in his hand, and two Kohanim would stand on the Table of the Fats with two trumpets of silver in their hands. They sounded a tekiah-teruah-tekiah. They came and stood next to Ben Arza, one to his right and one to his left. [The Kohen Gadol] bent down to pour [the wine] and the Deputy waved the flags, and Ben Arza sounded the cymbals, and the Leviim chanted the song. [When] they arrived at the end of a stanza they sounded a tekiah, and the people prostrated themselves. At every stanza [a] tekiah, and at every tekiah [a] prostration.  This is the order of the tamid for the service of the House of our Lord. May it be [His] Will that it be rebuilt speedily in our days, Amen.

The song that the Leviim would recite in the Temple: On the first day they would say: Hashem’s is the earth and its fullness, the inhabited land and those who dwell within it. On the second [day] they would say: Great is Hashem and much praised, in the city of our God, Mount of His Holiness.” On the third [day] they would say: “God stands in the Divine assembly, in the midst of judges shall He judge.” On the fourth [day] they would say: “O God of vengeance, Hashem, O God of vengeance, appear, etc. On the fifth [day] they would say: Sing joyously to the God of our might, call out to the God of Jacob.” On the sixth [day] they would say: “Hashem will have reigned, He will have donned His grandeur, etc.” On the Sabbath they would say: “A song, a hymn for the Sabbath day.” A song, a hymn for the future era, for a day that is entirely a Sabbath, [a day of] rest [leading] to everlasting life.