1It is impossible for the sacrifice of a person to be offered without him standing in attendance. Now, the communal offerings are the sacrifices of the entire Jewish people, but it is impossible for the entire Jewish people to stand in the Temple Courtyard at the time they are being offered.אאִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה קָרְבָּנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם קָרֵב וְהוּא אֵינוֹ עוֹמֵד עַל גַּבָּיו; וְקָרְבְּנוֹת הַצִּבּוּר הֵן קָרְבָּן שֶׁל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּן עוֹמְדִין בָּעֲזָרָה בִּשְׁעַת קָרְבָּן.
Therefore, the prophets of the first era1 ordained that there be selective upright and sin-fearing Jews who should serve as the agents of the entire Jewish people2 to stand and observe the offering of the sacrifices. They were called “the men of the maamad.”3לְפִיכָךְ תִּקְּנוּ נְבִיאִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁיִּבְרְרוּ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֵׁרִים וְיִרְאֵי חֵטְא, וְיִהְיוּ שְׁלוּחֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲמֹד עַל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְהֵם הַנִּקְרָאִים 'אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲמָד'.
They divided them into 24 ma’amadot, equaling the number of watches of the priests and Levites.וְחִלְּקוּ אוֹתָם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה מַעֲמָדוֹת, כְּמִנְיַן מִשְׁמְרוֹת כְּהֻנָּה וּלְוִיָּה.
Over each of the watches was one who was appointed as the supervisor of them all. He was called the head of the ma’amad.וְעַל כָּל מַעֲמָד וּמַעֲמָד, אֶחָד מֵהֶן מְמֻנֶּה עַל כֻּלָּם, וְהוּא הַנִּקְרָא 'רֹאשׁ הַמַעֲמָד'.
2Each week, the members of the ma’amad of that week would gather together.בבְּכָל שַׁבָּת וְשַׁבָּת מִתְקַבְּצִין אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲמָד שֶׁל אוֹתָהּ שַׁבָּת.

Mishneh Torah (Moznaim)

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Those living in Jerusalem or close to it would enter the Temple with the priestly and Levitical watch of that week. When the week of their ma’amad arrived, those members of the ma’amad who lived in distant places would gather in the synagogues of their locale.מִי שֶׁהָיָה מֵהֶן בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם אוֹ קָרוֹב לָהּ, נִכְנָסִין לַמִּקְדָּשׁ עִם מִשְׁמַר כְּהֻנָּה וּלְוִיָּה שֶׁל אוֹתָהּ שַׁבָּת; וְהָרְחוֹקִים שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ מַעֲמָד, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ מַעֲמָד שֶׁלָּהֶן, הֵן מִתְקַבְּצִין לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת שֶׁבִּמְקוֹמָן.
3What would those who gather together—both in Jerusalem and in the synagogues—do? They would fast on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of their week.גוּמַה הֵן עוֹשִׂין אֵלּוּ הַמִּתְקַבְּצִין בֵּין בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם בֵּין בְּבָתֵּי כְּנָסִיּוֹת? מִתְעַנִּין בְּשֵׁנִי בַּשַּׁבָּת שֶׁלָּהֶן וּבַשְּׁלִישִׁי וּבָרְבִיעִי וּבַחֲמִישִׁי.
They would not fast on Friday out of respect for the Sabbath4 and not on Sunday, so they would not make a transition from the pleasure of the Sabbath to a fast.5 אֲבָל בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לֹא הָיוּ מִתְעַנִּין, מִפְּנֵי כְּבוֹד הַשַּׁבָּת; וּבְאֶחָד בַּשַּׁבָּת, אֵינָם מִתְעַנִּין, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֵצְאוּ מֵעֹנֶג שַׁבָּת לְצוֹם.
4On every day of the week that was their ma’amad, they would recite four prayer services: the morning service, the afternoon service, the neilah service,6 and another prayer service between the morning service and the afternoon service which was additional and unique for them.7דוּבְכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם מִשַּׁבָּת שֶׁהִיא מַעֲמָדָן, מִתְפַּלְּלִין אַרְבַּע תְּפִלּוֹת: שַׁחְרִית וּמִנְחָה וּנְעִילָה, וְעוֹד מוֹסִיפִין תְּפִלָּה אַחֶרֶת בֵּין שַׁחְרִית וּמִנְחָה, וְהִיא יְתֵרָה לָהֶן.
In the ma’amad, the priests bless the people three times, in the morning service, in this additional service, and in the neilah service.8וְנוֹשְׂאִין כַּפֵּיהֶן הַכּוֹהֲנִים בַּמַּעֲמָד, שְׁלוֹשָׁה פְּעָמִים בְּכָל יוֹם: בְּשַּׁחְרִית, וּבִתְפִלָּה זוֹ הַיְּתֵרָה, וּבַנְּעִילָה.
They would have three men read from the Torah twice a day: in the morning service and in the second service that they would add.9 In the afternoon service, they would not read the Torah. Instead, they would recite the passages by heart as one recites the Shema.וְקוֹרְאִין בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שְׁלוֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים, פַּעֲמַיִם בְּכָל יוֹם: בְּשַּׁחְרִית וּבַתְּפִלָּה זוֹ הַיְּתֵרָה שֶׁמּוֹסִיפִין; אֲבָל בְּמִּנְחָה לֹא הָיוּ קוֹרְאִין בַּסֵּפֶר, אֶלָא עַל פֶּה, כְּקוֹרְאִין אֶת שְׁמַע.
They would not gather for the afternoon service on Friday, for they were busy with their preparations for the Sabbath.וְלֹא הָיוּ מִתְקַבְּצִין לִתְפִלַּת מִנְחָה בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן טְרוּדִין לַשַּׁבָּת.
5Their gathering together for each of these prayers of these four services and their standing in prayer, supplication, and petition and reading the Torah is called a ma’amad.הוְקִבּוּצָן לְכָל תְּפִלָּה מֵאַרְבַּע תְּפִלּוֹת אֵלּוּ, וַעֲמִידָתָן שָׁם לִתְפִלָּה וּלִתְחִנָּה וּלְבַקָּשָׁה וְלִקְרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה - נִקְרָא 'מַעֲמָד'.
6What would they read from the Torah? The narrative of creation.10 On the first day, they would read: “In the beginning,” “Let there be a firmament;”11 On the second day, “Let there be a firmament” and “Let the waters be gathered;” on the third day, “Let the waters be gathered” and “Let there be luminaries;” on the fourth day, “Let there be luminaries” and “Let the waters teem;” on the fifth day, “Let the waters teem” and “Let the earth produce;” on the sixth day, “Let the earth produce” and “The heavens and the earth were completed.”ווּבְמַה הָיוּ קוֹרְאִין? בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית. בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן, קוֹרְאִין "בְּרֵאשִׁית" (בראשית א, א) וְ"יְהִי רָקִיעַ" (בראשית א, ו); בַּשֵּׁנִי, "יְהִי רָקִיעַ" וְ"יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם" (בראשית א, ט); בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי, "יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם" וְ"יְהִי מְאֹרֹת" (בראשית א, יד); בָּרְבִיעִי, "יְהִי מְאֹרֹת" וְ"יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם" (בראשית א, כ); בַּחֲמִישִׁי, "יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם" וְ"תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ" (בראשית א, כד); בַּשִּׁשִּׁי, "תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ" וּ"וַיְכֻלּוּ" (בראשית ב, א).
7A large passage12 would be read by two men, a small passage, by one.זפָּרָשָׁה גְּדוֹלָה קוֹרְאִין אוֹתָהּ בִּשְׁנַיִם, וּקְטַנָּה קוֹרֵא אוֹתָהּ אֶחָד.
The two passages that were read in the morning would be read during this second service from a scroll. They would then be read again during the afternoon service by heart.וּשְׁתֵּי פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת שֶׁקּוֹרְאִין שַׁחְרִית - הֵם שֶׁחוֹזְרִין וְקוֹרְאִין אוֹתָן בַּתְּפִלָּה הַשְּׁנִיָּה בַּסֵּפֶר, וְחוֹזְרִין וְקוֹרְאִין אוֹתָן עַל פֶּה בַּמִּנְחָה.
8During the eight days of Chanukah, the men of the ma’amad would not carry out a ma’amad13 in the morning service.14חשְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה לֹא הָיוּ אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲמָד עוֹשִׂין מַעֲמָד בְּשַּׁחְרִית.
On any day when there was a Musaf sacrifice,15 there was not a ma’amad during their second service, nor in the afternoon service,16 only during the morning and neilah services.וְכָל יוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ קָרְבַּן מוּסָף לֹא הָיָה בּוֹ מַעֲמָד לֹא בִּתְפִלָּה שְׁנִיָּה שֶׁלָּהֶם וְלֹא בְְמִּנְחָה, אֶלָא בְּשַּׁחְרִית וּבִנְּעִילָה בִּלְבַד.
On any day when there was a sacrifice of wood,17 there was not a ma’amad during the neilah service, only during the morning, second, and afternoon services.וְכָל יוֹם שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹ קָרְבַּן הָעֵצִים לֹא הָיָה בּוֹ מַעֲמָד בִּנְּעִילָה, אֶלָא בְּשַּׁחְרִית וּבִתְפִלָּה שְׁנִיָּה וּבְמִּנְחָה.
9What was a sacrifice of wood? Certain families had a fixed time on which they would go out to the forests and bring wood for the arrangement on the altar.18 On the day designated for this family to bring their sacrifices, they would bring voluntary burnt offerings. This was called the sacrifice of the wood.טוּמַהוּ קָרְבַּן הָעֵצִים? זְמַן קָבוּעַ הָיָה לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹת מִשְׁפָּחוֹת לָצֵאת לַיְּעָרִים לְהָבִיא עֵצִים לַמַּעֲרָכָה, וְיוֹם שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לִבְנֵי מִשְׁפָּחָה זוֹ לְהָבִיא הָעֵצִים, מַקְרִיבִין עוֹלוֹת נְדָבָה, וְזֶהוּ 'קָרְבַּן הָעֵצִים'.
It was like a festival for these families and they were forbidden to have eulogies delivered, fast, and perform work on that day. This was a custom.וְהָיָה לָהֶם כְּמוֹ יוֹם טוֹב, וַאֲסוּרִין בּוֹ בְּהֶסְפֵּד וּבְתַעְנִית וּבַעֲשִׂיַּת מְלָאכָה. וְדָבָר זֶה מִנְהָג.
10Even a private individual who gave wood or logs for the arrangement of the altar19 is forbidden to have eulogies delivered, fast, and perform work on that day. This was a custom.יאַפִלּוּ יָחִיד שֶׁהִתְנַדֵּב עֵצִים אוֹ גְּזָרִים לַמַּעֲרָכָה - אָסוּר בְּאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם בְּהֶסְפֵּד וּבְתַעְנִית וּבַעֲשִׂיַּת מְלָאכָה. וְדָבָר זֶה מִנְהָג.
11The men of the ma’amad are forbidden to have their hair cut and to launder their clothes throughout the week they serve in the Temple.יאאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲמָד אֲסוּרִין מִלְּסַפֵּר וּמִלְּכַבֵּס כָּל הַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁלָּהֶן.
On Thursday,20 they were permitted in honor of the Sabbath.וּבַחֲמִישִׁי מֻתָּרִין, מִפְּנֵי כְּבוֹד הַשַּׁבָּת.
Why were they forbidden to have their hair cut and to launder their clothes? So that they would not enter their ma’amad while they were unkept. Instead, they would have their hair cut and launder their clothes beforehand.21 וּמִפְּנֵי מַה אָסְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לְסַפֵּר וּלְכַבֵּס? כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ לְמַעֲמָדָם כְּשֶׁהֵם מְנֻוָּלִין, אֶלָא יְסַפְּרוּ וִיכַבְּסוּ מִקֹּדֶם.