Why was a lottery established for the daily tasks in the Temple?
The Gemara describes an injury caused during a run, and therefore the sages established an orderly lottery instead of a dangerous competition.
Question 2
Why do we count fingers and not actual people?
The law emphasizes the prohibition of direct counting of Israelites, and therefore the counting is done through a means — the fingers.
Question 3
Who participates in the third lottery of the morning?
The announcement of the supervisor was that anyone who has never offered incense should come and draw lots, in order to distribute the right to offer incense fairly.
Question 4
What is the ruling regarding the daily offerings of the afternoon in relation to the morning lotteries?
Maimonides rules that there is no new lottery for all afternoon tasks; the exception is the incense which requires an additional lottery.
Question 5
How is the showbread treated on a regular Sabbath of the year?
On a regular Sabbath, the division is 6–6 between the incoming and outgoing watch; additionally, eating is only permitted after the offering of the incense.