1)

(a)The fifteen names that the Mishnah is about to list - are the names of the officers who were in charge of the important tasks that had to be performed in the Beis-ha'Mikdash.

(b)According to one explanation, they did not all live at the same time, and the Tana picked specifically these names from the various generations - because they were the most righteous in their respective tasks from all the generations.

(c)Other say - that they were the first one's to serve in the Beis-ha'Mikdash, and that all subsequent officers adopted the same name (in the same way as all the kings of Egypt became known as 'Par'oh' [See also Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(d)Yochanan ben Pinchas was in charge of the Chosamos (which will be explained later), Achiyah, of the Nesachim (and the flour-offerings [See Tos. Yom-Tov]) and ben Shmuel, of the 'P'yasos' - (the 'lots' that they used to draw to determine which Kohen received which Avodah).

2)

(a)P'sachyah - (alias Mord'chai) was in charge of the Kinin.

(b)He was called 'P'sachyah because he would 'open' Halachaic issues and Darshen them, and 'Mord'chai Balshan' - because he was conversant in many languages (and knew how to manipulate words [See Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(c)The 'Kinin' - were the bird-offerings (doves and pigeons) of Zavin, Zavos and Yoldos.

(d)P'sachyah's job was - to place the money that they brought into the boxes, which the Kohanim would subsequently empty in the course of the day, to provide the owners with the birds that they had paid for.

(e)We know that this task was difficult and importance - from the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos, which states 'Kinin u'Pischei Nidah, Hein hein Gufei Halachos' (placing Kinin on a par with Pischei Nidah).

3)

(a)ben Achiya was in charge of those who had stomach-aches - a common ailment due to the fact that the Kohanim served bare-footed and because they ate a lot of mean and then drank water (with the result that they frequently needed to consult a doctor as to which medicine to take to cure their stomach-pains.

(b)The task that was alloted to ...

1. ... Nechunyah Chofer Shichin was - that of digging water pits,t trenches and caves for the Olei Regalim.

2. ... G'vinei K'ruz was - to announce each morning 'in the beis-ha'Mikdash 'Uru (Wake up) Kohanim la'Avodaschem!'

(c)His voice could be heard as far away as - Yericho.

4)

(a)ben Gever, who was in charge of - shutting the gates of the Beis-ha'Mikdash every evening, and open them each morning.

(b)ben Beivai was in charge of the strap (Paki'a) ...

1. ... beating with a leather strap (See Tos. Yom-Tov) any Kohen or Levi whom he found asleep at his post (when he was supposed to be standing on guard) and burning his clothes. and ben Arza, of the cymbals ...

2. ... which entailed - playing the first note, which served as a signal for the Levi'im to begin the Shir.

(c)The Yerushalmi interprets 'Paki'a' as - making the wicks from the worn-out Bigdei Kehunah, for the Simchas Beis ha'Sho'eivah in the Beis ha'Mikdash that took place on most nights of Succos (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

(d)The cymbals are called 'Tzelatzal' - because they are exceedingly noisy (from the Lashon 'Titzalnah Oznay", which means 'My ears rang').

5)

(a)Hugras ben Levi's role in his capacity as leader of the singing - was to set the Levi'im's choir in motion. He sang the first note and the other levi'im took their cue from him.

(b)beis Garmu were responsible to prepare the Lechem ha'Panim, and beis Avtinas - the Ketores (See Tiferes Yisrael).

(c)El'azar was in charge of making new Parochos (See Tiferes Yisrael). Pinchas ha'Malbish's job was - to outfit every Kohen each day as he arrived to perform the Avodah in the Beis-ha'Mikdash (See also Tiferes Yisrael).

6)

(a)The minimum number of Gizbarin (treasurers) appointed by Beis-Din was three. The Gizbarin were responsible - for all the money of Hekdesh, such as the redemption of Erchin, Charamim and Hekdesh (See also Tiferes Yisrael), and all Hekdesh work were performed through their auspices.

(b)There were seven Amarkolin - who were senior in status to the Gizbarin.

(c)'Amarkolin' is the acronym of 'Amar Kol' (Everything was said by them).

(d)The root of the word is the word 'Amir' in Arabic, which is how one addresses an important person.

7)

(a)The Amarkolin held the seven keys of the Azarah. Should the Gizbarin require access to something that was locked in the Azarah - they had to approach the Amarkolin, who would jointly open all the doors.

(b)The two Katiluokin (mentioned in the Tosefta but not in the Mishnah) - were senior to the Amarkolin.

(c)There were five senior positions in the Beis-ha'Mikdash, beginning with that of Kohen Gadol - followed by the S'gan (deputy Kohen Gadol), the Katilokin, the Amarkolin and the Gizbarin, respectively (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

8)

(a)What is the minimum number of officers that handle the communal money matters is - two.

(b)We learn this from the Pasuk in Tetzaveh (in connection with the Bigdei Kehunah) "ve'Heim Yikchu es ha'Zahav" - since "Yikchu" is plural, the minimum of which is two.

(c)The Mishnah lists the two exceptions to the above rule as Achiyah she'al Cholei Me'ayim and Elazar she'al ha'Parochos (See Tifefres Yisrael) ...

(d)... who worked on their own (See Tos. Yom-Tov) because the people trusted them.

9)

(a)The Tana Kama lists four Chosamos (over which Yochanan was in charge) that were issued in the Beis-ha'Mikdash. The 'Chosamos' were - discs that people who had paid for their respective Nesachim, received, and which they would then redeem against the flour, oil and wine that they needed (as we shall see in the next Mishnah).

(b)The first three were marked 'Eigel, Zachar and G'di', the fourth - 'Chotei'.

(c)The first three literally mean - 'calf', 'male' (ram) and 'kid-goat', incorporating a 'lamb'.

(d)If Yochanan gave someone who had paid a disc containing the word ...

1. ... 'Eigel' - he would receive three tenths of an Eifah of fine flour, mingled with half a Hin of oil plus half a Hin of wine.

2. ... 'Zachar' - he would receive two tenths of an Eifah mingled with a third of Hin of oil plus a third of a Hin of wine.

3. ... 'G'di' - one tenth of an Eifah mingled with a quarter of a Hin of oil plus a quarter of a Him of wine.

10)

(a)'Chotei' refers to - te Nesachim of a Metzora Ashir ...

(b)... who is referred to as 'Chotei' - because, as the Gemata teaches us in Erchin, a person was stricken with Tzara'as due to one of seven sins.

(c)Even though the oil for the Nesachim of the three lambs that he had to bring totaled nine Lugin, he received ten - because of the extra Log which was used to smear on to the middle section of his right ear and on the right thumb and big toe.

11)

(a)According to ben Azai, there were five discs - including one for a Metzora Ani.

(b)According to the Tana Kama, they gavc a Metzora Ani - a disc marked 'G'di' (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)ben Azai also maintains that the discs were marked in Arama'ic - since that was the language that most people of that time spoke (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

(d)'Eigel'...

1. ... incorporated - any animal from the herd (big or small, male or female), wheres ...

2. ... 'G'di' incorporated - any animal from the flock (big or small, male or female), with the exception of ...

3. ... 'Zachar' - referred exclusively to a ram.

12)

(a)The Tana now describes the procedure they followed when someone came to purchase his Nesachim. After giving the money to - Yochanan, he received a disc ...

(b)... which he handed to Achiyah (See Tiferes Yisrael) ...

(c)... in exchange for the Nesachim that he had paid for.

(d)All this was necessary - to spare the people the trouble of finding Nesachim that were prepared al Taharas ha'Kodesh.

13)

(a)When Achiyah met Yochanan in the evening - he would produce the discs, whilst Yochanan would produce the money, which they would then exchange.

(b)If there was ...

1. ... more money than the discs indicated - that was Hekdesh's gain.

2. ... if Yochanan was short - he had to pay Hekdesh out of his own pocket.

(c)The principle that governs these Halachos is - 'Yad Hekdesh al ha'Elyonah'.

14)

(a)If someone lost his disc, he would wait until the evening. If Yochanan then discovered that he had a spare set of money (in excess of the discs) - he would present it to him.

(b)If not - then he (the loser) had to bear his loss.

(c)The Chachamim safeguarded Hekdesh against someone finding a lost disc and using it to purchase his Nesachim the next day - by stamping the date on the disc (See also Meleches Shomoh).

(d)He could not purchase them on the same day - in case the loser came looking for it (See Tiferes Yisrael).

(e)The other reason for this Takanah was - to prevent somebody from purchasing the disc when the prices were ow, and using it when the prices rose (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

15)

(a)The chamber discussed in the Mishnah called 'Lishkas ...

1. ... Chasha'im' was - a room in which G-d-fearing people would deposit money donations to sustain needy people.

2. ... ha'Keilim' was - room in which people would deposit their gifts of vessels to Bedek ha'Bayis.

(b)The first chamber was called by that name - because of the discreet manner in which this was done (the donors did not know the identity of the recipients, and the recipients did not the identity of the donors.

(c)The Gizbarin would sort out the contents of the second chamber - once every thirty days.

(d)Keilim that were of no use to Bedek ha'Bayis - they would sell, and use the proceeds for Bedek ha'Bayis.