Why the Ashes Are Set Beside the Altar to Be Hidden Away

"And he shall place it beside the altar" (Leviticus 6:3). You have nothing whose commandment has been fulfilled and yet one still incurs trespass against it. But behold, there is the removed ash, whose commandment has been fulfilled, and yet it is written "and he shall place it beside the altar," meaning that there shall be its place of hiding away. This is because the removed ash and the priestly garments are two verses that come as one, and two verses that come as one do not teach a general rule. The removed ash is as we said; the priestly garments, as it is written "and he shall leave them there" (Leviticus 16:23). This works well for the Rabbis who say "and he shall leave them there" teaches they require hiding away. But according to Rabbi Dosa, who says they are permitted to an ordinary priest, what is there to say? It is because the removed ash and the heifer whose neck is broken are two verses that come as one. This works well for the one who says two such verses do not teach, but for the one who says they do teach, what is there to say? Two limiting words are written: it is written here "and he shall place it," and it is written there "the one whose neck was broken" (Deuteronomy 21:6). As for the ashes of the inner altar and the menorah, one may not benefit from them, yet one does not incur trespass. Granted the outer altar, for it is written "and he shall place it beside the altar." The inner altar, from where do we learn it? Rabbi Elazar said, Scripture says "and he shall remove its crop with its feathers" (Leviticus 1:16); if it is not needed for the matter of the outer altar, apply it to the matter of the inner altar. And say that both refer to the outer altar, to fix a place for it? If so, let the verse say only "beside"; what does "the ashes" teach? Even the inner altar. The menorah, from where? From "the ashes of the ashes."