ויקרא כד ט וְהָיְתָה לְאַהֲרֹּן וּלְבָנָיו וַאֲכָלֻהוּ בְמָקוֹם קָדשׁ כִי קֹּדֶּשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא לוֹ מֵאִשֵי יְהוָֹה חָק-עוֹלָם :
From this verse the Gemara (Bava Basra 143a) learns that the Cohen Gadol takes a portion equal to the others of the Lechem HaPanim. The Gemara demonstrates when an individual (in this case the Cohen Gadol) is mentioned along with a group (in this case, the other Cohanim), the intention is that the share of the individual equals the combined share of the group. In other words the individual receives half. Therefore, when a husband wills his belongings to “his wife and sons”, his wife receives half.
How Many of the 12 "Chalos" is the Cohen Gadol Entitled to Take?
Like many questions in Judaism, the correct answer is “it depends.” The answer is that sometimes the Cohen Gadol gets six, sometimes five, and sometimes four.
Six
According to Rebbi (Yoma 17b) the twelve “Chalos” were divided equally between the outgoing and the incoming Mishmar, with each receiving six. The Cohan Gadol receives half from each Mishmar’s portion, or a total of six “Chalos”.
Five
The Beraisa states that the Cohen Gadol is entitled to "four or five" of the twelve Chalos of the Lechem ha'Panim. Abaye explains that the Tana of the Beraisa follows the opinion of the Rabanan who maintain that the Cohen Gadol is entitled to less than half of the total of the products distributed to the Kohanim in the Beis ha'Mikdash. Since the twelve Chalos of Lechem ha'Panim are normally divided among the two Mishmaros (the incoming one and the outgoing one), the Cohen Gadol is entitled to five Chalos, since that is just less than half of the total number of Chalos.
Even according to Rebbi who says that the Cohen Gadol receives half, in the case of a Mishmar HaMis’akev, that receives two “Chalos”, prior to the distribution of the remaining ten to the outgoing and incoming Mishmarim. The Cohen Gadol only receives half of the distributed ten Chalos.
Four
Abaye explains that the Beraisa's statement that the Cohen Gadol may take four Chalos follows the opinion of Rebbi Yehudah. Rebbi Yehudah maintains that when the incoming and outgoing Mishmaros divide the Chalos, the new Mishmar receives seven and the old Mishmar receives five. Two Chalos are always reserved for the new Mishmar as a reward for closing the doors of the Azarah which were opened by the outgoing Mishmar. Since the two Mishmaros, according to Rebbi Yehudah, divide only ten of the Chalos, the Cohen Gadol takes just less than half, which are four. He does not share the Chalos that are given as a reward; he shares only those Chalos which are given as part of the Avodah in the Beis ha'Mikdash.
Lechem HaPanim (“the Show Bread”) were 12 loaves in a unique design that were placed on the Shulchan on Shabbos and were removed (still fresh) the next Shabbos, and eaten by the Cohanim in the Bais HaMikdash.
The Cohanim that served in the Bais HaMikdash were divided into 24 “watches” Mishmaros, each of which served for a week at a time. The outgoing Mishmar performed the morning service on Shabbos (the morning tamid and mussaf) and were replaced by the next Mishmar which offered the afternoon Tamid, spoons of frankincense, and the panim bread.
During the festivals, all the Mishmaros served in the Bais haMikdash, and if it occurred on Shabbos, all shared in the “Chalos”. If the festival ended on Friday or began on Sunday, the scheduled Mishmaros do the services, but since all are there for the Festival, then all share the “Chalos”. However, if the Festival begins on Monday or ends on Thursday, it is not necessary for the other Mishmaros to remain for that extra Shabbos. Nevertheless, the rabbis decreed that two of the Panim breads would be divided among the Mishmar HaMis’akev, the unscheduled watches that stayed the extra day.
The doors of the courtyard, the Cheil, the Heichal and the chambers were opened in the morning by the departing Mishmar, to be closed by the incoming Mishmar. The departing Mishmar compensated the incoming one with two Chalos, not shared by the Cohen Gadol.
