The Origin of the Second Temple Watches

1. Four watches ascended from the diaspora: Yediah, Ḥarim, Peshḥor, and Imar. The prophets in Jerusalem stood and made twenty-four watches for them. They mixed up [lots for the different watches] and put them in an urn for drawing lots. Yediah came and took five and one [of the lots, a total of] six. Ḥarim came and took five and one, [a total of] six. Peshḥor came and took five and one, [a total of] six. Imar came and took five and one, [a total of] six. Thus the prophets stipulated with them that even if Yehoyariv ascended from the diaspora, none of them would be pushed aside [for Yehoyariv], but rather, he would be secondary.

2. The heads of the watches stood and established themselves into ancestral houses. Each watch had [either] four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine [members]. In a watch with four [members], three would offer sacrifices for two days, and one would offer sacrifices for one day. In a watch with five [members], three would offer sacrifices for two days, and two would offer sacrifices for one day. In a watch with six [members], five would offer sacrifices for five days, and one would offer sacrifices for two days. In a watch with seven [members], each would offer sacrifices on his day. In a watch with eight [members], six would offer sacrifices on six days, and two would offer sacrifices on one day. In a watch with nine [members], five would offer sacrifices for five days, and four would offer sacrifices for two days.

3. Some of them established themselves for perpetuity: one who came on the Sabbath would always come on the Sabbath, [and one who came] after the Sabbath would always [come] after the Sabbath. Some of them joined [other watches] once a month, some of them joined [other watches] once a year, some of them joined [other watches] once a week, and some of them [joined] each and every watch. Anyone who recognized their watch and their ancestral house was [considered] part of an established ancestral house and was not forbidden [to drink wine] except for that day alone.¹ Anyone who recognized their watch but not their ancestral house belonged to the established ancestral houses, and he was forbidden [to drink wine] the entire week. Anyone who did not know his watch or his ancestral house belonged to the established ancestral houses and was forbidden [to drink wine] the entire month. Rabbi says: I would say that he is forbidden forever, but they established his lack [of knowledge regarding his watch and ancestral house]. Why were the men of the watch permitted to drink wine at night but not during the day? Because if the work became difficult for the men of the ancestral house, they would support them. The men of the ancestral house would [drink] neither during the day nor during the night, because they were always working. Men on watch or in the ma‘amad were forbidden to cut their hair or to do laundry whether the Temple was destroyed or prior to its destruction. R. Yosi says: Since the Temple was destroyed, they are permitted, because it is mourning for them.