The Eve of Yom Kippur

The Kohain Gadol stayed awake by presenting or listening to a discussion of laws of the Oral Torah and by reading or listening to portions from the written Tanach. The Kohanim surrounded him studying, keeping him awake until midnight when they made the lottery.

The Kohanim rejoiced when the Kohain selected by the first lottery lifted the ashes from the outer Mizbayach. Again, they chose by lot who would remove the ashes from the inner Mizbayach and Menorah. A Kohain was selected for the purpose of bringing the coals for the daily incense, by a third lottery among new Kohanim who had not previously done this service. The fourth lottery decided who would give the Kohain Gadol the pieces of the Korban to assemble on the Mizbayach.

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All text and graphics are from the book "The Yom Kippur Avodah," by Rabbi Menachem Moshe Oppen, illustrations by Shepsil Scheinberg, © C.I.S. Publishers,1997 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We welcome your questions and comments .