609. Fire in the Temple

Shabbos 3:20

The laws about lighting fires in the preceding halacha apply outside the Temple. In the Temple, it was permitted to light a fire in the hearth chamber immediately before Shabbos. We are not concerned that one will stoke the coals because the kohanim were careful.

Shabbos 3:21

If a fire was made from reeds or seeds, it is not necessary that the majority of it catch before Shabbos. Rather, as long as it was lit before Shabbos, it is permitted for use because fire spreads quickly when these things are used as fuel, obviating any need to stoke it. However, if the reeds were tied together or the seeds were put into baskets, the same laws would apply to them as to wood. In such a case, the fire must be strong enough to rise on its own before Shabbos begins.