Seven days before Yom Kippur they sequester the Kohen Gadol from his house to the officials' chamber, and they prepare an-other Kohen [to serve] as his substitute, lest he become disqualified.  R' Yehudah says: They also prepare another wife for him, lest his wife die, for it is said: And he shall make atonement for himself and for his house; “his house” —- that is his wife.  They said to him: If so, there is no end to the matter.

On all of these seven days he throws the blood, burns the incense, prepares the lamps, and offers the head and the hind leg. On all the other days [of the year], if he wishes to offer [any sacrifice], he may offer [it]. For the Kohen Gadol has the first right to offer and the first right to take a portion.

They provide him sages from among the sages of the court who read to him about the service of the day. Then they say to him, “My lord Kohen Gadol, read with your own mouth, perhaps you have forgotten or perhaps you have not learned.”  On the morning of the Eve of Yom Kippur they stand him at the Eastern Gate and they lead before him oxen, rams, and sheep, that he should recognize [them] and be conversant in the service.

During the entire seven-day period, they did not withhold food and drink from him. But on the Eve of Yom Kippur toward nightfall they did not let him eat much, because food induces sleep.

The sages of the court put him in the custody of the sages of the priesthood, who took him up to the Avtinas family's upper chamber, adjured him, took their leave [of him] and went their way.  They said to him, “My lord Kohen Gadol, we are emissaries of the court and you are our emissary and the emissary of the court; we adjure you by Him Who domiciled His Name in this House, that you will not change anything of all that we have told you.”  He would turn aside and weep, and they would turn aside and weep.

If he was a scholar he lectured; but if not, scholars would lecture before him. If he was accustomed to read [Scripture], he would read; but if not, they would read to him.  And from what did they read to him? From Job, from Ezra, and from Chronicles.  Zechariah ben Kevutal says: Many times I read before him from Daniel.

If he wished to doze, young men of the priesthood snapped before him with the index finger, and they said to him, “My lord Kohen Gadol, stand up and cool off once on the floor!”  And they kept him busy until the time for slaughtering [the daily offering] arrived.

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.