(Mishnah): The following were mentioned for disgrace - Beis Garmo, who did not want to teach about Lechem ha'Panim; Beis Avtinas, who did not want to teach about making the Ketores; Hugras ben Levi knew a way of making a beautiful sound, and did not want to teach it; Ben Kamtzar did not want to teach about the act of writing (he was able to write the four letters of Hash-m's name at once, with quills in each gap between adjacent fingers).

About the first ones, it says Zecher Tzadik li'Vrachah. About these it says v'Shem Resha'im Yirkav.

(Gemara): Beis Garmo were experts about making Lechem ha'Panim and removing it from the oven. They did not want to teach. [Chachamim] sent and brought professionals from Alexandria, and they were experts about making Lechem ha'Panim, but not experts about removing it.

Beis Garmo would heat [the oven] from the inside and bake [the bread] inside, and it did not get moldy. These [professionals] would heat from the outside and bake outside, and it got moldy.

Once Chachamim found out the matter, they said "everything that Hash-m created, He created for His Honor - "Kol Pa'al Hash-m la'Ma'anehu.'' (It is not honorable that His bread get moldy.)

Chachamim sent for [Beis Garmo] to come [to make Lechem ha'Panim again]. They did not want to come until [Chachamim] doubled their wages. [In the past] they took 12 Manim [per year. Now] they gave to them 24;

Note: Bavli Yoma 38a connotes that they received this every day, but Rashash says that this cannot be. (According to R. Yehudah, they now received 48. If this was every day, this was almost 10,000 times a standard income! Rather, they always used to receive this each year, and so holds Rashi (Shevu'os 10b).

R. Yehudah says, [in the past] they took 24 Manim. [Now] they gave to them 48;

Chachamim: Why don't you want to teach [how to do so]?

Beis Garmo: We have a tradition from our fathers that this Bayis is destined to be destroyed. We do not want others to learn, and they will do so in front of their idolatry. (Bikurei Aryeh - this is a fine reason! However, their demand for double wages shows that their concern was for their own profit.)

For the following, they were praised - none of their children ever went out with clean bread in his hands (only coarse bread), lest people say that they eat from [the fine flour used for] making Lechem ha'Panim.

Beis Avtinas were experts about making the Ketores and Ma'aleh Ashan, and they did not want to teach. [Chachamim] sent and brought professionals from Alexandria, and they were experts about making Ketores, but not experts about Ma'aleh Ashan.

[The smoke of Ketores of] Beis Avtinas went straight up [to the ceiling of the Heichal], and spread and descended. [The smoke of] these (professionals) spread immediately. Once Chachamim found out the matter, they said "everything that Hash-m created, He created for His Honor - "Kol ha'Nikra bi'Shmi...'' (the smoke should go straight up).

Chachamim sent for [Beis Avtinas] to come [to make the Ketores again]. They did not want to come [until Chachamim doubled their wages from 12 Manim to 24, and according to R. Yehudah, from 24 to 48. Chachamim asked why they didn't want to teach, and they answered that they have a tradition that the Bayis will be destroyed, and lest others] will do so in front of their idolatry.

For the following, they were praised - none of their wives ever went out perfumed [lest people say that it is from the ingredients for the Ketores]. Further, when one of them married a woman from elsewhere, he stipulated with her not to scent herself.

R. Yosi: I found a child from Beis Avtinas. I said to him, "my son, from which family are you?'' He told me from family Ploni (Avtinas). I told him "my son - because your fathers intended to increase their honor and reduce honor of Shamayim, therefore, their honor was reduced (after the Churban, they are not needed) and Shamayim's honor increased (Hash-m's Midah of Emes - He was not partial even to His house.)

R. Akiva: Shimon ben Lagas told me "I was gathering herbs with a child of Beis Avtinas, and I saw him cry, and I saw him laugh'';

I said to him, my son, why did you cry? He told me, due to the honor of my father's house, which was reduced. Why did you cry? He told me, due to the honor prepared for Tzadikim in the world to come. Ma'aleh Ashan is in front of me (this reminded me of their honor - HA'GAON RAV C. KANIEVSKY, SHLITA).

I said to him, my son, show it (Ma'aleh Ashan) to me! He told me, I have a tradition from my father not to show it to anyone.

R. Yochanan ben Nuri: An elder from Beis Avtinas encountered me. He said to me Rebbi, in the past my father's house were modest, and they handed over this scroll [of how to recognize the ingredients of the Ketores and how to prepare it] to each other. Now they are not trustworthy - take the scroll, and be careful with it!

When I came and told R. Akiva, his tears flowed, and he said "from now, we need not mention them for disgrace!''

All of them (the families mentioned for disgrace in our Mishnah) found a reason [for not teaching others], except for Ben Kamtzar.

This is like the Mishnah there (Shekalim 5:1) "the following were the appointees in the Mikdash...'' - R. Chizkiyah said, R. Simon and Rabanan argued - one said that the Kesherim in each generation [were called so, like the first Tzadik who held the position], and the other says that [the Tana] in that generation listed who was in his generation. (ALEI TAMAR - that Mishnah lists three that our Mishnah listed for disgrace! Perhaps it is like a Mishnah Acharonah; after they gave reasons, they were considered Kesherim.)

The one who said that it lists the Kesherim in each generation, about all of them [listed in our Mishnah, except for Ben Kamtzar] it says Zecher Tzadik li'Vrachah. The one who says that [there, the Tana] in that generation listed who was in his generation, about all of them [in our Mishnah] it says v'Shem Resha'im Yirkav. [Who are the first ones,] to whom Zecher Tzadik li'Vrachah applies? It is Ben Katin and his colleagues [listed in Mishnah 8].

About all of them Ben Zoma said "from yours, they give to you'' (even though Chachamim sent to find replacements for Beis Garmo and Beis Avtinas, these families did not lose what was decreed for them), and in your name they will call you, and they will seat you in your honor (in the end, Chachamim admitted that they needed them and asked them to return and doubled their wages), and there is no forgetting in front of Hash-m (He always supervises over you) and no one can touch what is prepared for you. (We explained like PNEI MOSHE.)