About this episode
How was the lottery system instituted for the job of the removal of the ashes? Originally, they didn't think so many kohanim would be interested in the job so they said that whoever came first would get the job. However one time two kohanim raced up the ramp of the altar and one pushed the other and he fell off and broke a leg. They didn't think kohanim would all be interested in doing this job because it was a night job and therefore less important. But aren't there other night jobs that have a lottery? Others suggest it was because they wouldn't be able to wake up in time. Once they instituted the lottery for removal of the ashes, kohanim were no longer interested in getting the job, so they added a few other jobs to the one who would win that lottery to incentivize kohanim to come. In the time when they used to race for the job, where was the finish line? When they did the lottery, they would put out fingers and the kohen would count fingers. This was because it was forbidden to count heads - from where is this derived? When one takes on a leadership position in the community, one becomes wealthy. This is learned from King Saul as first he counted the people with shards and later with sheep, a sign of his wealth. King Saul pitied the Amalekim and yet did not pity the city of Nov, a city of kohanim who helped save David when he ran away from him. The gemara compares King Saul's sin to King David's sin. Even though King Saul sinned once and King David twice, King Saul lost the kingship and King David did not. Why was King Saul punished so harshly? What other sins did King David commit that he was punished for?