Mishnayos Menachos Perek 11 Mishnah 7

There were two tables in the Entrance Hall, on the inside of the Entrance Hall, next to the entrance to the Temple, i.e., next to the entrance to the Sanctuary. One was of marble and one was of gold. On the table of marble, the priests place the new shewbread that has been baked, before its entrance into the Sanctuary, so that the loaves may cool a little from the heat of the oven and not spoil. And when the old shewbread is removed from the shewbread Table it is placed on the table of gold upon its exit from the Sanctuary, where it remains until the frankincense is burned on the altar. The reason the shewbread is placed on a gold table when it is removed, rather than on a marble or silver table, is that one elevates to a higher level in matters of sanctity and one does not downgrade. Since it is set on the gold shewbread Table all week, it cannot be downgraded to a marble or silver table upon its removal. And there was one Table of gold within the Sanctuary, upon which the shewbread is always found. The mishna describes the manner in which it is ensured that the shewbread is constantly on the Table: And four priests enter, two with the two arrangements of the new shewbread in their hands and two with the two bowls of frankincense in their hands. And four priests precede them, entering the Sanctuary before them, two to take the two arrangements of the old shewbread from the Table, and two to take the two bowls of frankincense. Those bringing the new shewbread into the Sanctuary stand in the north and their faces are to the south, and those removing the old shewbread stand in the south and their faces are to the north. These priests draw the old shewbread from the Table and those priests place the new shewbread on the Table, and for each handbreadth of this old shewbread that is removed from the Table a handbreadth of that new shewbread is placed upon the Table, so that the Table is never without loaves upon it, as it is stated: “And you shall set upon the Table shewbread before Me always” (Exodus 25:30). Rabbi Yosei says: Even if these priests were to remove the shewbread from the Table entirely, and only afterward those priests were to place the new shewbread upon the Table, this too would fulfill the requirement that the shewbread always be on the Table. It is unnecessary to ensure the uninterrupted presence of the shewbread upon the Table, as long as it does not remain a single night without shewbread upon it. The mishna describes the manner in which the shewbread is distributed: The priests who carried the old shewbread loaves came out of the Sanctuary and placed them on the table of gold that was in the Entrance Hall. The priests then burned on the altar the frankincense that was in the bowls. And the loaves were subsequently distributed to the priests. This occurred on Shabbat, the day that the priestly watch that served in the Temple during the preceding week was replaced by the priestly watch that would serve during the following week. The shewbread was distributed to the priests of both watches. If Yom Kippur occurs on Shabbat, the loaves are distributed at night, at the conclusion of the fast, since they may not be eaten during the day. If Yom Kippur occurs on Friday, i.e., when the holy day begins on Thursday evening, the goat sin offering of Yom Kippur is eaten by the priests at night, i.e., on Friday night, as it may be eaten only on the day that it is sacrificed or during the following night, until midnight. And since there is no possibility of cooking the meat, as one may not cook on Yom Kippur or Shabbat, the Babylonians, i.e., priests who had emigrated from Babylonia, eat it when it is raw, due to the fact that they are broad-minded with regard to their food, i.e., they are not particular and will eat meat even when it is not cooked.

שְׁנֵי שֻׁלְחָנוֹת הָיוּ בָאוּלָם מִבִּפְנִים עַל פֶּתַח הַבַּיִת, אֶחָד שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ וְאֶחָד שֶׁל זָהָב. עַל שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ נוֹתְנִים לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ, וְעַל שֶׁל זָהָב בִּיצִיאָתוֹ, שֶׁמַּעֲלִין בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין. וְאֶחָד שֶׁל זָהָב מִבִּפְנִים, שֶׁעָלָיו לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים תָּמִיד. אַרְבָּעָה כֹהֲנִים נִכְנָסִין, שְׁנַיִם בְּיָדָם שְׁנֵי סְדָרִים, וּשְׁנַיִם בְּיָדָם שְׁנֵי בְזִיכִים. וְאַרְבָּעָה מַקְדִּימִין לִפְנֵיהֶם, שְׁנַיִם לִטֹּל שְׁנֵי סְדָרִים, וּשְׁנַיִם לִטֹּל שְׁנֵי בְזִיכִים. הַמַּכְנִיסִים עוֹמְדִים בַּצָּפוֹן, וּפְנֵיהֶם לַדָּרוֹם. הַמּוֹצִיאִין עוֹמְדִים בַּדָּרוֹם, וּפְנֵיהֶם לַצָּפוֹן. אֵלּוּ מוֹשְׁכִין וְאֵלּוּ מַנִּיחִין, וְטִפְחוֹ שֶׁל זֶה כְנֶגֶד טִפְחוֹ שֶׁל זֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כה), לְפָנַי תָּמִיד. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אֲפִלּוּ אֵלּוּ נוֹטְלִין וְאֵלּוּ מַנִּיחִין, אַף זוֹ הָיְתָה תָּמִיד. יָצְאוּ וְנָתְנוּ עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן שֶׁל זָהָב שֶׁהָיָה בָאוּלָם. הִקְטִירוּ הַבְּזִיכִין, וְהַחַלּוֹת מִתְחַלְּקוֹת לַכֹּהֲנִים. חָל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, הַחַלּוֹת מִתְחַלְּקוֹת לָעָרֶב. חָל לִהְיוֹת עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת, שָׂעִיר שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים נֶאֱכָל לָעָרֶב, הַבַּבְלִיִּים אוֹכְלִין אוֹתוֹ כְּשֶׁהוּא חַי, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדַּעְתָּן יָפָה: