Arachin 2:3 — Full Text
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.
כְּלֵי הַשִּׁיר: Three Instruments — Minimum and Maximum
Each instrument has a floor and a ceiling — the Temple service may never fall below the minimum or exceed the maximum
📯
תְּקִיעוֹת
Trumpet blasts
🎵
נְבָלִין
Harps / Nevalim
🎶
חֲלִילִין
Flutes / Chalilim
שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר יוֹם: The Twelve Days the Flute Plays Before the Altar
The flute is not played every day — only on twelve specific days of the year. Erev Pesach is the first of them
הֶחָלִיל מַכֶּה לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ — The Twelve Days
Day 1 ✦ Erev Pesach
שְׁחִיטַת פֶּסַח רִאשׁוֹן
Slaughter of the First Pesach — 14 Nissan
Day 2
שְׁחִיטַת פֶּסַח שֵׁנִי
Slaughter of the Second Pesach — 14 Iyar
Day 3
יוֹם טוֹב רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל פֶּסַח
First day of Pesach — 15 Nissan
Day 4
יוֹם טוֹב שֶׁל עֲצֶרֶת
Shavuot — 6 Sivan
Days 5–12 (8 days)
שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי הֶחָג
The eight days of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret
סַךְ הַכֹּל: שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר יוֹם
1 (Pesach 1) + 1 (Pesach 2) + 1 (Yom Tov Pesach) + 1 (Shavuot) + 8 (Sukkot/Shemini Atzeret) = 12
אַבּוּב שֶׁל קָנֶה: Reed, Not Copper — Because Its Sound Is Sweet
The mishnah specifies not just that the flute is used, but what kind — and for the smoothing passage, one flute alone
לֹא בְּאַבּוּב שֶׁל נְחשֶׁת אֶלָּא בְּאַבּוּב שֶׁל קָנֶה — מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקּוֹלוֹ עָרֵב
The flute played before the altar was not a copper instrument but a reed flute — because its sound is sweeter. A copper flute is louder and more piercing; a reed flute produces a warmer, more flowing tone that is fitting for the altar service. And for the final smoothing passage (הַחְלָקָה) that rounded off the melody, a single flute played alone — because one flute smooths most beautifully, without others blending in.
הַמַּסְקָנָה — שְׁחִיטַת פֶּסַח רִאשׁוֹן: רֹאשׁ לְכָל יְמֵי הֶחָלִיל
Arachin 2:3 encodes the Temple's musical calendar. The flute does not play every day — it plays on twelve specific days, and Erev Pesach is the first of them. The slaughter of the Korban Pesach is the opening event of the flute's year. The mishnah's logic of minimums and maximums — you may never go below the floor or above the ceiling — reflects a broader Temple principle: the service has an irreducible core and a sanctioned expansion, but never an unstructured improvisation. Even beauty has its halachic parameters.