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Chapter 2, Mishna 1 We learned yesterday the Priests in the Temple raced each other for the morning ash-removal work, until one got hurt and they switched to a lottery system. Today we learned there was also an incident in which a Priest lost the race, became enraged and killed the winner with a knife. How did the Priests and Sages respond? The sun was more humble than the moon, and so maintained its brilliance, whereas the moon was diminished, yet the moon has an opportunity to βgrowβ and outdo the sun in the long run. The ritual of the heifer whose neck is broken reminds us that an unsolved murder β or any murder β is a blight on the nation. A Torah scholar must be humble for his personal honor, but jealous of his honor as a Torah scholar.
