Daf Yomi - Yoma 45 - The Additional Maaracha

There is a beraisa that lists three different opinions of the Tanaim in regards to the amount of מערכות there were on the מזבח on Yom Kippur. Each Tanna holds that there was one additional maaracha more than a regular day. They all agree that there were two for the regular korbonos and the ketores. Rebbe Yosi holds that there was always a third one for the fulfillment of the mitzva of having fire on the מזבח and on Yom Kippur there was an extra one added. Rebbe Yehudah holds that on a regular day there were only two and on Yom Kippur, one was added.

What was the purpose of this additional maaracha? Rashi states that it was used for the ketores which the kohen gadol would take into the kodesh hakodoshim. The Rambam disagrees and holds that this was purely to glorify the mizbeach and to give honor in the eyes of the people. It would seem from the Rambam that the fire from the second maaracha which was used daily for the ketores would be used for the special Yom Kippur ketores, as well.

Rav Moshe Mordechai Shulzinger explains that this argument is according to their own reasoning in regards to the third maaracha which was on the mizbeach every day. Rashi says that the purpose of this third maaracha was that if there was not enough fire on the maracha gedola, it would be replenished from this one. The Rambam does not mention this halacha and seems to hold that it was there just to fulfill the mitzva of retaining fire on the mizbeach at all times. (We mentioned this argument on daf 33 - check the archives on the sidebar.) Rashi is of the opinion that there always must be a substansiative reason for the fire to be there - either to replenish the maaracha gedola or to be used for the Yom Kippur ketores. Conversely, the Rambam differs and holds that there does not have to be any specific necessity for any korban to justify the existence of this third maaracha. It is its own independent mitzva during the year and likewise on Yom Kippur, there was an additional one for the sole purpose of giving honor to the Yom Tov.

There is a Tosefta, however, that does explicitly say like Rashi, that the extra maaracha was for the Yom Kippur ketores. This could be reconciled by saying that the Tosefta is in accordance with the opinion of Rebbe Yehudah (as it states there), who holds that there was never a third maaracha and when Yom Kippur mandated an additional one, it must be for the ketores of Yom Kippur.