The Mishnah states:1Middos 3:6. “The basin was situated between the Ulam and the Altar, positioned towards the south.” True, the basin is not mentioned in Yechezkel’s vision. Nevertheless, it is frequently mentioned2See Shmos 30:18, 31:9, 38:8. in the Torah conveyed to us by Moshe, and the words of Yechezkel do not, heaven forbid, contradict Moshe Rabbeinu’s words.
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וּמִתְּחִלָּה לֹא הָיוּ לוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁנֵי דַּדִּין. וְאַחַר כָּךְ עָשָׂה לוֹ בֶּן קָטִין אכהן גדול היה (רש”י יומא לז.) י"ב דַּדִּין, כְּדִתְנַן בְּפ"ג דְּיוֹמָא (מ"י). כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּל הַכֹּהֲנִים הָעוֹסְקִים בַּתָּמִיד מִתְקַדְּשִׁין בּוֹ כְּאֶחָד (יומא כה:), שֶׁהֲרֵי הֵם י"ב (שם) חוּץ בבגמ’ (יומא כה:) הקשו שהרי יש שלשה עשר כהנים שעוסקים בקרבן התמיד. ומתרצין שכיון ששחיטה כשרה בזר, ע”כ אף אם הכהן שוחט, אינו מחויב בקידוש יו”ר. מֵהַשּׁוֹחֵט שֶׁכְּשֵׁרָה בְּזָר (שם כז.), וְתִמְצָאֵם רֵישׁ פ"ג דְּתָמִיד, עַיֵּן שָׁם (ברע"ב).
Originally, the basin had only two faucets. Afterwards, one of the Kohanim Gedolim, ben Katin, upgraded the basin so that it had 12 faucets, as stated in the Mishnah in Tractate Yoma.3Yoma 3:10. This improvement enabled all the kohanim who would be involved in offering the daily sacrifice to sanctify themselves at the same time.4Yoma 25b. There were twelve kohanim – in addition to the slaughterer. The slaughterer was counted separately, since he did not have to be a kohen.5Ibid. 27a. As Tosafos Yom Tov notes, the passage states that in fact thirteen kohanim were involved in the offering of the daily offering and explains that since it was permitted for the slaughterer to be an Israelite, even when – as was usually the case – he was a kohen, it was not absolute obligatory for him to sanctify his hands and feet. Hence, a faucet was not fashioned for him. The 12 are enumerated in the Mishnah in Tractate Tamid.6Tamid 3:1.
תְּנַן הָתָם בְּפ"ג דְּמִדּוֹת (מ"ו): הַכִּיּוֹר, בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ, מָשׁוּךְ כְּלַפֵּי הַדָּרוֹם. וְאַף כִּי לֹא הֻזְכַּר [הַכִּיּוֹר] בְּמַרְאוֹת הַנְּבוּאָה הַזֹּאת, הֲלֹא הוּא כָּתוּב עַל סֵפֶר תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה (שמות ל, יח; לא, ט; לח, ח). וְאֵין דִּבְרֵי יְחֶזְקֵאל סוֹתְרִין דְּבָרָיו, חָלִילָה.
The Mishnah states:1Middos 3:6. “The basin was situated between the Ulam and the Altar, positioned towards the south.” True, the basin is not mentioned in Yechezkel’s vision. Nevertheless, it is frequently mentioned2See Shmos 30:18, 31:9, 38:8. in the Torah conveyed to us by Moshe, and the words of Yechezkel do not, heaven forbid, contradict Moshe Rabbeinu’s words.
וּמִתְּחִלָּה לֹא הָיוּ לוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁנֵי דַּדִּין. וְאַחַר כָּךְ עָשָׂה לוֹ בֶּן קָטִין אכהן גדול היה (רש”י יומא לז.) י"ב דַּדִּין, כְּדִתְנַן בְּפ"ג דְּיוֹמָא (מ"י). כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּל הַכֹּהֲנִים הָעוֹסְקִים בַּתָּמִיד מִתְקַדְּשִׁין בּוֹ כְּאֶחָד (יומא כה:), שֶׁהֲרֵי הֵם י"ב (שם) חוּץ בבגמ’ (יומא כה:) הקשו שהרי יש שלשה עשר כהנים שעוסקים בקרבן התמיד. ומתרצין שכיון ששחיטה כשרה בזר, ע”כ אף אם הכהן שוחט, אינו מחויב בקידוש יו”ר. מֵהַשּׁוֹחֵט שֶׁכְּשֵׁרָה בְּזָר (שם כז.), וְתִמְצָאֵם רֵישׁ פ"ג דְּתָמִיד, עַיֵּן שָׁם (ברע"ב).
Originally, the basin had only two faucets. Afterwards, one of the Kohanim Gedolim, ben Katin, upgraded the basin so that it had 12 faucets, as stated in the Mishnah in Tractate Yoma.3Yoma 3:10. This improvement enabled all the kohanim who would be involved in offering the daily sacrifice to sanctify themselves at the same time.4Yoma 25b. There were twelve kohanim – in addition to the slaughterer. The slaughterer was counted separately, since he did not have to be a kohen.5Ibid. 27a. As Tosafos Yom Tov notes, the passage states that in fact thirteen kohanim were involved in the offering of the daily offering and explains that since it was permitted for the slaughterer to be an Israelite, even when – as was usually the case – he was a kohen, it was not absolute obligatory for him to sanctify his hands and feet. Hence, a faucet was not fashioned for him. The 12 are enumerated in the Mishnah in Tractate Tamid.6Tamid 3:1.