Bamidbar 4:13 · unit 1 — and they shall remove the ashes from the altar

Parashas Bamidbar

The Complete Passuk

וְדִשְּׁנ֖וּ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וּפָרְשׂ֣וּ עָלָ֔יו בֶּ֖גֶד אַרְגָּמָֽן׃

They shall remove the ashes from the [copper] altar and spread a purple cloth over it.

Torah Temimah points to R’ Yehudah — TT (verified).

Core Text

ודשנו את המזבח — תניא, ר׳ יהודה אומר: מהו ודשנו את המזבח? זירוון.

English: “And they shall remove the ashes (dishnu)” — it was taught: R’ Yehudah says: What is “dishnu”? Clearing / removing the ash.

On the daf / in context: The verb is midrashically fixed in the sense of clearing the ash rather than a different root meaning.

Custom

Chazal clarify that “dishnu” means the clearing of the ashes from the altar.