Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day

See Hilchot Temidim UMusafim, ch. 1.

See ibid. 10:1.

In the Temple Courtyard, as opposed to the sin-offering of the goat described below whose blood is sprinkled in the Temple Building.

I.e., after the conclusion of the fast.

See Chapter 3, Halachah 8; Hilchot Ma’aseh HaKorbanot 1:15.

See ibid.:6. On one hand, this is the High Priest’s personal sacrifice. On the other hand, it has certain dimensions of a communal offering. See also Chapter 5, Halachah 13.

Leviticus 16:5.

Numbers 29:8

To distinguish it from the ram brought by the High Priest.

Sefer HaMitzvot (positive commandment 49) and Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 185) count offering these sacrifices as one of the Torah’s 613 mitzvot. In Sefer HaMitzvot, loc. cit., the Rambam brings proof that the entire service is considered as only one mitzvah from the fact that if the sacrifices were not offered in the proper order, the entire service is disqualified.

As was the practice from the time of the construction of the Sanctuary until the entombment of the anointing oil several years before the destruction of the First Temple. See Hilchot K'lei HaMikdash 4:12.

As was the practice from the latter time onward, as explained in that source.

I.e., one the requirements for a High Priest to serve on Yom Kippur is that he must be married.

In his Commentary to the Mishnah (Yoma 1:1), the Rambam cites Yoma 2a which explains that this concept is derived from Leviticus 8:33-34: “You shall not leave the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days... As he did on this day, so too, God commanded that it be done to atone for you.” “To atone for you” refers to Yom Kippur.

See the description of that chamber in Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 5:17.

See Hilchot Metamei Mishkav UMoshav 3:1 which states that a man who engages in relations with a woman while she is in the niddah state becomes impure for seven days.

I.e., the first sacrifice offered that day.

The Chavitin offering, as stated in Hilchot Klei HaMikdash 5:16.

The prohibition to rend his garments or let his hair grow long in mourning and the obligation to marry a virgin (see ibid. 5:6).

When, however, a High Priest will offer a Red Heifer, ashes are sprinkled on him for all seven days (Hilchot Parah Adumah 2:4).

Numbers 19:19 states that the purification process requires sprinkling of the ashes on these two days.

As stated in Hilchot Kiddush HaChodesh 7:1,7, according to the fixed calendar we follow and even when the new months were consecrated through the testimony of witnesses our Sages tried to follow these guidelines the day before Yom Kippur never falls on the Sabbath.

For it is a Rabbinical decree not to sprinkle the ashes on the Sabbath (Hilchot Shabbat 23:8). Since we do not have any definite knowledge of his impurity, the Sages did not see the need to uproot their decree.

In the Second Temple era, this was necessary, because generally, the High Priests were unlearned people who had merely purchased the honor (Yoma 18a).

Seeing the animals will remind him of the service necessary to perform with each one of them.
Yoma, loc. cit., asks: Why aren’t goats also brought before him? It explains that the goats are brought as sin-offering and that will arouse unpleasant thoughts. It then asks: But a bull is also brought as a sin-offering? It answers that the bull is brought as a personal sin-offering for the High Priests and his priestly brethren and the sight of such an animal may lead to repentance. The goat, by contrast, is brought as an offering for the Jewish people as a whole and thus will not have such a direct influence.

Which would render him impure and thus unable to perform the Temple service.

Tzadok and Beitus were two of the foremost students of Antigonus of Socho. As the Rambam states in his Commentary to the Mishnah (Avot 1:3), after they heard Antigonus teach: “Do not be as servants who serve their master for the sake of receiving a reward,” they forsook Jewish practice, saying: “Is it just that we labor without receiving a reward?” They began splinter sects with the intent of swaying the people after them. At first, they sought to abandon Jewish practice entirely. They saw, however, the people would not accept this and so they focused their complaints on the Oral Law, arguing that although the Written Law was of Divine origin, the Oral Law was not. Their intent, however, was to deny the entire Torah. See also Hilchot Mamrim 3:3.

Although there were no Sadducees in the era of the Rambam, there were Karaites who followed similar deviant practices. See Hilchot Mamrim, op. cit.

The curtain dividing the Sanctuary from the Holy of Holies (Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 4:2).

The covering of the Holy Ark.

I.e., in the Holy of Holies.

For, as stated above, the High Priesthood was sold at that time even though the purchasers were not paradigms of righteous conduct.

In this context, Yoma 19b states that one who suspects the worthy of improper conduct will be stricken physically.

Yoma 1:6 states that they would read Job, Ezra, Chronicles, and Daniel. In his Commentary to the Mishnah, the Rambam explains that these books are filled with stories that arouse one’s interest. The Jerusalem Talmud adds that they would read Psalms and Proverbs.

This was also the version in the Rambam’s text of the Mishnah (ibid.). Most versions state “young priests.”

One opinion in the Mishnah (Yoma 3:1) states that they would say: “The entire eastern horizon is bright until Chebron.”

Which is unacceptable.