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יומא 19
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
GEMARA. A Tanna taught: To teach him the manipulation of hafinah. R. Papa said: The high priest had two cells. One, the Cell of the Counsellors, the other, the Cell of the House of Abtinas; one to the north, the other to the south. ‘One to the north’, as we have learnt: Six cells were in the Temple Court, three to the north, three to the south. Those to the north were the Cell of the Salt, the Cell of Parwah, the Rinsing Cell. Into the Cell of the Salt the salt for the sacrifice was put; ‘The Cell of Parwah’, there the hides of the animal-offerings were salted and on its roof was the place of immersion for the high priest on the Day of Atonement; ‘The Rinsing Cell’: there the inwards of the animal-offerings were rinsed and an incline led from it to the roof of the Parwah Cell. The three to the north were: The Wood-Cell, the Exile Cell, and the Cell of Hewn Stone. Concerning the Wood-Cell R. Eliezer b. Jacob said: I have forgotten what it was used for, but Abba Saul said: It was the Cell of the high priest and it lay behind the two and the roof of all the three was of the same height. ‘The Exile Cell’; there was the Exile cistern, and a wheel was placed above it and from there they drew water for the whole Temple Court. ‘The Cell of Hewn Stone’; there the Sanhedrin of Israel was sitting and judging the priests and whosoever was found unfit would put on a black dress and wrap himself in black, go out and go his way. And one in whom no blemish was found would put on a white garment, wrap himself in white, enter the Sanctuary and officiate with his brethren. ‘One cell was to the south’, as we have learnt: There were seven gates in the Temple Court, three to the north, three to the south and one to the east. To the south: The Gate of Kindling, next to it the Gate of the Firstlings, the third being the Gate of the Water. To the east the Nicanor Gate, beside which were two cells, one to the right and the other to the left; the former the Cell of Phinehas, the keeper of the garments and the latter the Cell of the Makers of the Griddle Cakes. To the north: The Gate of the Spark: it was a kind of portico with an upper chamber built on top of it, and the priests kept watch above and the Levites below. It had a doorway to the Hel; next to it was the Gate of the offering and the third was the Gate of the Cell of the Fireplace. And it was further taught: The high priest immersed himself five times and performed ten sanctifications on that day, all of them on holy ground on the roof of the Parwah house, with the exception of this one, which was on profane ground, on top of the Gate which latter was beside his own cell. But, [continues R. Papa], I do not know whether the Cell of the Counsellors was to the north and the Cell of the house of Abtinas to the south, or the Cell of the house of Abtinas to the north and the Cell of the Counsellors to the south. But it could be proven that the Counsellors’ Cell was to the south. How? He would get up, relieve nature, immerse himself, turn northward to learn his hafinah practice, enter the Sanctuary and officiate all day at the service; towards evening he would be sprinkled, return southward, immerse himself and rest. But if you were to say that the Counsellors’ Cell is to the north, he would then get up, relieve nature, turn to the south, immerse himself and learn the hafinah, enter the Sanctuary, perform the service all day, be sprinkled towards evening, return to the south and immerse himself, and then he would have to turn and go to the north to rest. Would we trouble him so much? Why should we not put him to much trouble so that if he be a Sadducee, he will give up; or in order that he become not too overbearing; for if you do not say so, let us place the two [cells] next to each other; or, let one be enough for him. THEY SAID TO HIM: SIR HIGH PRIEST etc. Shall we say that this will be a refutation of R. Huna, the son of R. Joshua, for R. Huna, the son of R. Joshua said: These priests are messengers of the All Merciful God. For if you were to say they are our own messengers,
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is there anything that we ourselves are unable to perform and our messengers can perform? — Rather this is what they said to him: We adjure you according to our mind and in the mind of the Beth din. HE TURNED ASIDE AND WEPT AND THEY TURNED ASIDE AND WEPT. He turned aside and wept because they suspected him of being a Sadducee, and they turned aside and wept, for R. Joshua b. Levi said: Whosoever suspects good folks will suffer [for it] on his own body. Why was all this [solemn adjuration] necessary? Lest he arrange the incense outside and thus bring it in, in the manner of the Sadducees. Our Rabbis taught: There was a Sadducee who had arranged the incense without, and then brought it inside. As he left he was exceedingly glad. On his coming out his father met him and said to him: My son, although we are Sadducees, we are afraid of the Pharisees. He replied: All my life was I aggrieved because of this scriptural verse: For I appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover. I would say: When shall the opportunity come to my hand so that I might fulfil it. Now that such opportunity has come to my hand, should I not have fulfilled it? It is reported that it took only a few days until he died and was thrown on the dungheap and worms came forth from his nose. Some say: He was smitten as he came out [of the Holy of Holies]. For R. Hiyya taught: Some sort of a noise was heard in the Temple Court, for an angel had come and struck him down on his face [to the ground] and his brethren the priests came in and they found the trace as of a calf's foot on his shoulder, as it is written: And their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot. R. ZECHARIAH, THE SON OF KEBUTAL, SAID etc.: R. Hanan, the son of Raba, repeated to Hiyya, the son of Rab in the presence of Rab: R. Zechariah the son of Kefutal, whereupon Rab indicated to him with [a gesture of] the hand: [that it should be] Kebutal. Why did he not speak to him? — He was reading the Shema’. But is such [interruption] permitted, has not R. Isaac b. Samuel b. Martha said: He who reads the Shema’ may neither blink with his eyes, nor gesticulate with his lips, nor point with his fingers; and it has also been taught: R. Eleazar Hisma said concerning him who whilst reading the Shema’ blinks with his eyes, gesticulates with his lips or points with his fingers, Scripture has said: Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob? — There is no difficulty; one view refers to the first portion of the Shema’, the other to the second portion. Our Rabbis have taught: And thou shalt speak of them, ‘of them’, but not during prayer; of them thou mayest speak, but not of other things. R. Aha said: ‘And thou shalt speak of them’, i.e. make them a regular programme, and not a casual topic. Raba said: One who engages in profane talk transgresses a positive command, for it is written: ‘And thou shalt speak of them’, ‘of them’, but not of other matters. R. Aha b. Jacob said: He transgresses against a prohibition, for it is said: All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it. MISHNAH. IF HE SOUGHT TO SLUMBER, YOUNG PRIESTS WOULD SNAP THEIR MIDDLE FINGER BEFORE HIM AND SAY: SIR HIGH PRIEST, ARISE AND DRIVE THE SLEEP AWAY THIS ONCE ON THE PAVEMENT. THEY WOULD KEEP HIM AMUSED UNTIL THE TIME FOR THE SLAUGHTERING [OF THE DAILY MORNING OFFERING] WOULD APPROACH. GEMARA. What is ‘zeredah?’ — Rab Judah said: The rival of this one, which is it? the thumb. R. Huna demonstrated it and its sound could be heard in the whole academy. AND THEY WOULD SAY: SIR HIGH PRIEST, ARISE AND DRIVE THE SLEEP AWAY THIS ONCE. R. Isaac said: [Show us] something new. What was that? — They said to him: Show us the kidah. AND THEY WOULD KEEP HIM AMUSED UNTIL THE TIME FOR THE SLAUGHTERING WOULD APPROACH. A Tanna taught: They kept him amused neither with the harp nor with the lyre, but with the mouth. What were they singing? Except the Lord build a house, they labour in vain that build it. Some of the worthiest of Jerusalem did not go to sleep all the night in order that the high priest might hear the reverberating noise, so that sleep should not overcome him suddenly. It has been taught: Abba Saul said: Also in the country they used to do so in memory of the Temple, but they used to commit sin. Abaye, or, as some say, R. Nahman b. Isaac, interpreted that to refer to Nehardea. For Elijah said to Rab Judah, the brother of R. Sila the Pious: You have said: Why has not Messiah come? Now to-day is the Day of Atonement and yet how many virgins were embraced in Nehardea! He answered: What did the Holy One, blessed be He, say? — He answered:
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