Arachin 2:3
אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין מֵעֶשְׂרִים וְאַחַת תְּקִיעוֹת בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ וְלֹא מוֹסִיפִין עַל אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמֹנֶה .
אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין מִשְּׁנֵי נְבָלִין וְלֹא מוֹסִיפִין עַל שִׁשָּׁה .
אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין מִשְּׁנֵי חֲלִילִין וְלֹא מוֹסִיפִין עַל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר .
וּבִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר יוֹם בַּשָּׁנָה הֶחָלִיל מַכֶּה לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ —
בִּשְׁחִיטַת פֶּסַח רִאשׁוֹן , וּבִשְׁחִיטַת פֶּסַח שֵׁנִי ,
וּבְיוֹם טוֹב רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל פֶּסַח , וּבְיוֹם טוֹב שֶׁל עֲצֶרֶת , וּבִשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי הֶחָג .
וְלֹא הָיָה מַכֶּה בְּאַבּוּב שֶׁל נְחשֶׁת אֶלָּא בְּאַבּוּב שֶׁל קָנֶה , מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקּוֹלוֹ עָרֵב.
וְלֹא הָיָה מַחֲלִיק אֶלָּא בְאַבּוּב יְחִידִי , מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מַחֲלִיק יָפֶה.
Listen with Ephraim Diamond
Listen to the Mishnah ▶ 0:00 0:00 1× Transcript ▾ Hello chevra and welcome back to our pre-Pesach Mishnayos learning series where we are learning Mishnayos related to the period of time between Purim and Pesach. We are continuing our study of Erev Pesach Mishnayos as it relates to that period of time that is so busy and we started talking about the Carbon Pesach and what's happening in the Beis Hamikdash. We said you bring the Carbon Tamid earlier and especially on Erev Shabbos so that you can have time to even start the roasting of your Carbon Pesach. And as I said, if you look starting from Perek Heh and on in Masechtos Pesachim, you get a sense of all of the entire ceremony related to the Carbon Pesach. But one of the things that was particular about the shechita of the Carbon Pesach was that in the Beis Hamikdash, not only were the Levi'im singing shira and was there musical accompaniment, but we'll see that there was also extra instruments, the flute was played on that day as well. It was one of the few days of the year where a flute was played in the Beis Hamikdash. So our Mishnah can be found in Masechtos Arachin, פרק ב משנה ג. פרק ב משנה ג. This is a series of Mishnayos that you find in Arachin where there's not less than or more than and we've dealt with one of those in our series prior. So but our Mishnah is very specific about the musical accompaniment in the Beis Hamikdash. So the Mishnah begins: אין פוחתין מעשרים ואחת תקיעות במקדש ולא מוסיפין על ארבעים ושמונה. The Mishnah begins by saying, look, when it come there were no a minimum of 21 blasts of tekiyos on the shofar or the trumpets Be'Mikdash in the Beis Hamikdash, and never more than 48. Now the Mishnah in Masechtos Sukkah actually details this and we'll quickly quote from there that on a typical day you had three blasts of the three tekiyos when they opened the gates of the Beis Hamikdash, then you had nine tekiyos during the Tamid shel Shacharis and the and nine during the Bein Ha'Arbayim, the afternoon Tamid. So 9 plus 9 is 18 plus 3 is 21. Then the Mishnah says when there was a Carbon Musaf you blew more and then when it was Erev Shabbos they also blew more to tell the people that Shabbos was coming and to make sure that when Shabbos like the sirens that you hear in some neighborhoods that Shabbos is coming. And then during Sukkos they blew more tekiyos related to all the different ceremonies that took place on Sukkos including Nissuch Hamayim, they would pour water on the Mizbeach. So the most you would get is 48. However, I do want to point out that although the Mishnah does not relate it, the Gemara discusses that it could very well be that on Erev Pesach they also blew 48 tekiyos because every time the Levi'im would sing Hallel they would also blow the tekiyos as well and the Mishnah here in Pesachim tells us that they would have at least almost nine almost nine they would say Hallel almost nine times and each one would get get three blasts and therefore you would end up with 9 times 3 is 27 plus the original 21 would get you 48 even on Erev Pesach. But again our Mishnah doesn't say that. Now the Mishnah continues: אין פוחתין משני נבלים. You didn't have less than two harps playing in the Beis Hamikdash, ולא מוסיפין על ששה. But you also didn't have more than six harps playing at any one time. Mishnah continues: אין פוחתין משני חלילין ולא מוסיפין על שנים עשר. You never had less than two flutes and not more than 12 flutes playing in the Beis Hamikdash. Now the Mishnah stops and discusses the days on which we use the flutes: ובשנים עשר יום בשנה החליל מכה לפני המזבח. There were 12 days during the year that the flute would play in front of the Mizbeach. What are they? Bishchitas Pesach Rishon which is Erev Pesach, Erev Pesach when they were shechting the Carbon Pesach. Now normally the flutes would play later in the process when they would I believe when they would sprinkle the blood as opposed to here because there was no but here then during the Hallel of the shechita of Pesach Rishon, Uvishchitas Pesach Sheni also by the way when it came the Mishnah continues with Pesach Sheni they would have the flute. וביום טוב ראשון של פסח and also on the first day of Pesach when they had Hallel. וביום טוב של עצרת on Shavuos they would have the flute. Uvishmonah Yemei Hechag and all eight days of Sukkos including Shemini Atzeres. Now ולא היה מכה באבוב של נחושת they wouldn't use like a bronze flute אלא באבוב של קנה they would use one made of reeds because the sound was smoother and nicer and more pleasant. Mipnei Shekolo Arev because it had a nicer sound to it. And now the Mishnah tells us if you were the conductor of the Beis Hamikdash orchestra: ולא היה מחליק אלא באבוב יחידי. When they came to the finale when they came to the closing of the tune they would only use a single flute. מפני שהוא מחליק יפה because it is a very nice way to end, a very soft and nice way. singular flute. So you could just imagine the orchestra in the Beis HaMikdash and the Leviim singing, and that brings us through the process of the Korban Pesach, and we're almost finished with our series on Erev Pesach. And with that, I wish you continuing hatzlacha in your preparation for the Seder tonight, and hopefully you enjoyed the series. Chag Sameach.