Middos, Chapter 1, Mishnah 2. The first mishnah of the masechet listed the twenty-four posts of the kohanim and the Leviim who kept watch over the Beit Hamikdash through the night. Our mishnah now asks the obvious follow-up question: who watched the watchmen? The answer is that there was a designated officer, and the Mishnah describes both his nightly rounds and what he was empowered to do when he found a guard asleep at his post.
The Nightly Inspection
The mishnah begins by naming the man in charge: the "Ish Har Habayit," the officer entrusted with the Temple Mount. His practice, in the mishnah's language, was that he "haya mechazer," he circulated through the complex each night, coming "al kol mishmar umishmar," to one guard station after another, checking that every man assigned a post was actually standing at it.
"Va'avukot dolkin lefanav." Torches burned in their holders along his route, lighting the path in front of him. This was not merely practical illumination; it was an expression of honor for the officer as he made his inspection.
"Shalom Alecha"
"Vechol mishmar she'eino omed." A guard was permitted to sit down during his shift. But the moment the officer approached, he was expected to rise to his feet out of respect. If a guard remained seated as the officer drew near, the officer did not immediately assume the worst.
The mishnah records his words: "omer lo," he would address him, offering the greeting "shalom alecha," peace to you. Speaking to the seated man had a purpose. It roused him and gave him the opportunity to respond. Perhaps he was frail; perhaps his attention had wandered and he had never registered that the officer was upon him. Judge him favorably first, and wait to hear a reply.
When the Guard Was Asleep
"Nikkar shehu yashen." If no greeting came back and it became clear that the man was sleeping on duty, the officer acted. "Chovto bemaklo," he would strike him with his staff.
Beyond the blow, the mishnah grants a further option: "Ureshut hayah lo," the officer held the license, "lisrof et kesuto," to set the sleeping guard's garment on fire, if he judged that a stronger measure was warranted. The penalty fits the offense with a certain precision. That cloak was what shielded the man from the chill of the night watch, and the comfort it provided is exactly what drew him into sleep. What caused the lapse is what he lost.
The Sound in the Courtyard
"Vehem omrim, mah kol ba'azarah?" People living in the vicinity of the Beit Hamikdash would hear the commotion in the night and ask one another: what is that noise coming from the courtyard? What is all that shouting?
Their neighbors could supply the answer: "kol ben Levi lokeh," the cry of a Levi receiving blows, "uvegadav nisrafim, sheyashan lo al mishmaro," his clothes going up in flames because sleep had overtaken him at his post.
Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov's Testimony
The mishnah does not leave the matter as a rule on the books. It closes with the testimony of a witness. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov reports: "pa'am achat," there was an incident, "matz'u et achi imi," they came upon his mother's brother, his own uncle, "yashen," asleep at the very hour he was charged with keeping watch, "vesarfu et kesuto," and his garment was burned.
The rule was not a deterrent on paper. It was carried out in practice, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov's own family knew it firsthand.