The Tamid-offerings, two daily offerings of one lamb at a time, were offered once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The former was the first public-offering brought on the Altar each day. And the latter terminated the day's offerings. These animals were purchased from the annual half-shekel gifts of the people and were offered on behalf of the entire Jewish People. Before reading this passage we offer a brief prayer.
Some do not say the following prayer on Sabbath and Yom Tov.
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּ֒פָנֶֽיךָ, May it be Your will,
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ, Adonoy, our God and God of our fathers,
שֶׁתְּ֒רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ to have compassion on us,
וְתִמְחָל לָֽנוּ עַל כָּל חַטֹּאתֵֽינוּ to forgive us all our sins, [done unknowingly],
וּתְכַפֶּר לָֽנוּ אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵֽינוּ to atone all our iniquities, [done knowingly],
וְתִסְלַח לָֽנוּ עַל־כָּל פְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ to pardon all our [malicious] transgressions,
וְשֶׁתִּבְנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ and may You build the Holy Temple
בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵֽינוּ quickly, in our days,
וְנַקְרִיב לְפָנֶֽיךָ that we may offer, before You,
קָרְבַּן הַתָּמִיד שֶׁיְּ֒כַפֵּר בַּעֲדֵֽנוּ the daily burnt-offering to atone for us,
כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַֽבְתָּ עָלֵֽינוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶֽךָ, as You wrote for us in Your Torah
עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה עַבְדֶּֽךָ, by the hand of Moses, Your servant,
מִפִּי כְבוֹדֶֽךָ from the mouth of Your Reverence,
כָּאָמוּר: as it is said:
Numbers 28:1-8
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־משֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: And Adonoy spoke to Moses to say:
צַו אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל Command the Children of Israel,1Kohanim, Levites and Israelites were to be present at the offering of the two daily public burnt-offerings. The Sages instituted the program of Ma’amodos, under which representatives of all 12 tribes were always present when these sacrifices were offered. These representatives were rotated each week.
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם and say to them:
אֶת־קָרְבָּנִי לַחְמִי My offering, My food,
לְאִשַּׁי to be consumed by My fires,
רֵֽיחַ נִיחֹחִי a pleasing odor to Me,
תִּשְׁמְ֒רוּ לְהַקְרִיב לִי You shall be diligent to bring unto Me,
בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ: at its fixed time.
וְאָמַרְתָּ לָהֶם And you will say to them:
זֶה הָאִשֶּׁה This is the fire-offering
אֲשֶׁר תַּקְרִֽיבוּ לַיהוָֹה that you will bring unto Adonoy:
כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָה [male] lambs, in their first year,
תְמִימִם without blemish,
שְׁנַֽיִם לַיּוֹם two [of them] each day,
עֹלָה תָמִיד: as a constant burnt-offering.
אֶת־הַכֶּֽבֶשׂ אֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּֽקֶר Offer one lamb in the morning,
וְאֵת הַכֶּֽבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי and the second lamb,
תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּֽיִם: offer in the afternoon.
וַֽעֲשִׂירִית הָאֵיפָה סֹֽלֶת And a tenth of an ephah2One-tenth of an ephah is the equivalent of 43-⅕ eggs. of fine flour
לְמִנְחָה as a meal-offering,
בְּלוּלָה בְּשֶֽׁמֶן כָּתִית mixed with oil of crushed [olives]
רְבִיעִת הַהִין: measuring one-fourth of a hin.3The hin is a liquid measure containing 12 logs, of which each log is approximately 6 eggs.
עֹלַת תָּמִיד [This is] a constant burnt-offering
הָעֲשֻׂיָה בְּהַר סִינַי as offered at Mount Sinai
לְרֵֽיחַ נִיחֹֽחַ אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָֹה: for a pleasing odor, a fire-offering to Adonoy.
וְנִסְכּוֹ And its libation will be
רְבִיעִת הַהִין לַכֶּֽבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד a fourth of a hin for the one lamb;
בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ הַסֵּךְ in the Holy4On the Altar. [Sanctuary] you will pour out
נֶֽסֶךְ שֵׁכָר לַיהוָֹה: a drink-offering of strong wine to Adonoy.
וְאֵת הַכֶּֽבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי And the second lamb
תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּֽיִם you will offer in the afternoon;
כְּמִנְחַת הַבֹּֽקֶר as the meal-offering of the morning
וּכְנִסְכּוֹ תַּעֲשֶׂה [together] with its libation, you shall offer
אִשֵּׁה רֵֽיחַ נִיחֹֽחַ לַיהוָֹה: a fire-offering of pleasing odor to Adonoy.
Leviticus 1:11
וְשָׁחַט אֹתוֹ And he will slaughter it
עַל יֶֽרֶךְ הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ צָפֹֽנָה on the north side of the Altar,
לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה before Adonoy;
וְזָרְקוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים and Aaron's sons, the Kohanim, will sprinkle
אֶת־דָּמוֹ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ סָבִיב: its blood all around the Altar.
Some do not say the following prayer on Sabbath and Yom Tov.
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּ֒פָנֶֽיךָ, May it be Your will,
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ, Adonoy, our God and God of our fathers,
שֶׁתְּ֒הֵא אֲמִירָה זוּ, that this recitation be
חֲשׁוּבָה וּמְקֻבֶּֽלֶת, important, acceptable
וּמְרֻצָּה לְפָנֶֽיךָ, and desirable before You,
כְּאִלּוּ הִקְרַֽבְנוּ as if we sacrificed
קָרְבַּן הַתָּמִיד the daily burnt-offering
בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ, at its proper time,
וּבִמְ֒קוֹמוֹ in its proper place
וּכְהִלְכָתוֹ: and according to its laws.
אַתָּה הוּא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ You are Adonoy, our God,
שֶׁהִקְטִֽירוּ אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ before Whom our fathers burned
אֶת קְטֹֽרֶת הַסַּמִּים the incense of spices
בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיָה קַיָּם when the Holy Temple was standing,
כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ אוֹתָם as You commanded them
עַל יְדֵי משֶׁה נְבִיאֶֽךָ by the hand of Moses Your prophet,
כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶֽךָ: as it is written in Your Torah: