וְהָאֵ֨שׁ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ תּֽוּקַד־בּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א תִכְבֶּ֔ה וּבִעֵ֨ר עָלֶ֧יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן עֵצִ֖ים בַּבֹּ֣קֶר בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וְעָרַ֤ךְ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ הָֽעֹלָ֔ה וְהִקְטִ֥יר עָלֶ֖יהָ חֶלְבֵ֥י הַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃
Api di atas mezbah harus tetap menyala di atasnya, tidak boleh padam. Setiap pagi imam harus menyalakan kayu di atasnya, menyusun korban bakaran di atasnya, dan membakar lemak korban keselamatan di atasnya hingga menjadi asap.
Tosefta Sotah
As long as Shimon the Righteous was alive, the western lamp was constant (i.e., continuously burning), [but] when he died, they went and found that it was extinguished. From then on, sometimes they found it extinguished, and sometimes they found it burning. As long as Shimon the Righteous was alive, the pile of wood [on the Altar] was constant. After they had arranged it in the morning, it kept going strongly the entire day, and they would offer up their daily offerings, and their additional offerings, and their libations, and they would not need to add [wood] to it except for the two logs of wood of the daily afternoon offering, in order to fulfill the mitzva of the wood, as it is said (Lev. 6:5), "And the Kohen shall kindle [logs on it every morning]." Once Shimon the Righteous died, the strength of the pile of wood grew weaker, such that after they had arranged it in the morning, they could not avoid replenishing wood on it the entire day. As long as Shimon the Righteous was alive, a blessing accompanied the two loaves [of the Omer] and the showbread. The two loaves were divided on Shavuot for the Kohanim, and the showbread on the Festival to all the men of the watch. And there were those of them who would eat and be satisfied, and there were those who would eat and leave some over, and only an olive's-bulk would come up into each of their hands. Once Shimon the Righteous died, a blessing no longer accompanied the two loaves or the showbread. The modest ones would withdraw their hands, and the gluttons would split it amongst themselves, yet only a bean's-bulk would come up into each of their hands. It so happened with one Kohen from Tzippori (Sepphoris) that he took his portion as well as his fellow's portion, and even though only a bean's bulk came up into his head, they would call him Ben Chamtzan ("Son of Violence"), until today.