יומא 12 — Soncino English Talmud

¹, the first teaching referring to big cities, the second to villages. But are synagogues in big cities really not subject to uncleanness from house plagues? Has it not been taught: ‘In the house of the land of your possession,’ i.e., the house of the land of your possession could become defiled through leprosy, but Jerusalem could not become defiled through leprosy. R. Judah said: I have heard that only the place of the Sanctuary is unaffected by the law of leprosy? Now does not that imply that synagogues and houses of learning are subject to the law of leprosy even though they be in large cities? — Read R. Judah said: I have heard that only sacred places are not subject to the law of leprosy. What principle are they disputing? — The first Tanna holds Jerusalem was not divided amongst the tribes and R. Judah holds Jerusalem was divided among the tribes, the basis of their difference being the principle on which these Tannaim differ, for it has been taught: What lay in the lot of Judah? The Temple mount, the cells, the courts. And what lay in the lot of Benjamin? The Hall, the Temple and the Holy of Holies. And a strip of land went forth from Judah's lot and went into Benjamin's territory, and on this the Temple was built — Benjamin the Righteous was longing to swallow it every day as it is written: He coveteth him all day, therefore he obtained the privilege of becoming the host of the Omnipotent, as it is said: And He dwelleth between his shoulders . The following Tanna holds that Jerusalem was not divided amongst the tribes, for it has been taught: One does not rent houses in Jerusalem, because it [the city] does not belong to them, [the inhabitants]. R. Eleazar son of R. Zadok said: Nor any beds. Therefore the innkeepers take the skin of the sacrificial animals by force. Abaye said: We may learn from this that it is usual for a man to leave to his host the empty wine pitcher and the hide. But are the synagogues of the villages subject to the laws of leprosy? Has it not been taught: As a possession, i.e., until they conquer it. If they have conquered but not yet divided it among the tribes, or even divided it among the tribes but not divided it among the families, or even divided it among the families but before each man knows where his lot is, whence do we know [that the laws of leprosy do not apply yet]? To teach us that Scripture says: ‘Then he who has the house to him’ i.e., he to whom alone the house is belonging, excluding these [houses] which do not belong to him [the owner] alone. — It is more correct as we have answered at first. AND ANOTHER PRIEST IS PREPARED FOR HIM: It is obvious that if any disqualifying mishap occurred to the high priest before the morning [daily] offering, that one initiates the other priest with the morning burnt-offering. But if the mishap should have occurred after the morning sacrifice, how could he be initiated? — R. Adda b. Ahabah said: With the girdle. That will be in accord with him who holds that the girdle of the high priest is identical with that of the common priest, but according to the opinion that the girdle of the high priest was not the same as that of the common priest, what can be said? — Abaye said: He would put on the eight garments and turn with the hook, in accordance with what R. Huna said. For R. Huna said: If a non-priest turns with the hook, he incurs penalty of death. R. Papa said:^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ

^ᵃnote:In the metropolis people from many cities assemble in the synagogue, it therefore seems to belong to everybody, i.e., to nobody, whilst in the villages those who attend are known to all, being like partners in the synagogue (Rashi).
^ᵇnote:Lev. XIV, 34.
^ᶜnote:Jerusalem was not divided among the tribes, but was kept in trust for all Israel and could therefore not be subject to a law applying to privately owned houses only.
^ᵈnote:Meg. 26a.
^ᵉnote:Instead of ‘Sanctuary’. ‘Sacred places’ include synagogues and houses of learning.
^ᶠnote:V. supra p. 52, n. 6.
^ᵍnote:Ulam, leading to the interior of the Temple.
^ʰnote:The Hall containing the golden altar, Mid. IV, 1.
^ⁱnote:Deut. XXXIII, 12. The ad hoc translation, lit., ‘to bend over’, thus to be anxious, hence (Rashi): he scratched himself in despair, was anxious to conquer it.
^ʲnote:The Ark stood in his lot.
^ᵏnote:Ibid.
^ˡnote:I Tosef. Ma'as. Sh. I.
^ᵐnote:Of the animal which he slaughters and consumes in the house of his host (Rashi).
^ⁿnote:Lev. XIV, 34.
^ᵒnote:Obviously then the synagogues in the villages are not subject to levitical uncleanness, hence the alternate answer above, ‘One speaks of’ synagogues in metropoles, the other of synagogues in villages’, is unsatisfactory.
^ᵖnote:The distinction is rather between synagogues with a dwelling for the synagogue attendant and those without it.
^ᵠnote:He should officiate at the morning burnt-offering in the eight garments of the high priest.
^ʳnote:The rest of the service of the Day of Atonement is performed in four garments, how will his office of high priestly function be indicated?
^ˢnote:The high priest's girdle, which on the Day of Atonement is of fine linen (Lev. XVI, 4).
^ᵗnote:[I.e. the material for the girdle prescribed for the high priest in Ex. XXXIX, 29 was also intended to be used for the girdle of the common priests, so that the girding of a linen girdle by the priest on the Day of Atonement would serve to indicate his high priestly function.]
^ᵘnote:[I.e., the girdle of the common priest was of linen, the material of the girdle described in Ex. XXXIX, 29 being restricted to the high priest, so that the girding by the priest of a linen girdle on the Day of Atonement would indicate no particular high priestly function.]
^ᵛnote:How would it be recognizable that he is initiated into performing the high priest's service?
^ʷnote:Rashi: Before starting on the service of the day, he puts on the eight garments, and turns on the outer altar one of the limbs of the daily burnt-offering with an iron hook. By reason of such turning that limb is more speedily consumed. He has thus done the initiative work for the office of high priest which he is to assume anon.
^ˣnote:This is only preparatory work, but since a non-priest, performing it in accord with R. Huna's opinion incurs the penalty of death, it is obviously considered as of even importance with the service proper, hence serving to initiate the newcomer into the high priest's office.

²His service initiates him — Has it not been taught: All the vessels which Moses made became sanctified through being anointed. From then on they become sanctified through being used at a service. Similarly here his service initiates him. When R. Dimi came [from Palestine] he reported: Concerning the girdle of the common priest there is a dispute between Rabbi and R. Eleazar b. Simeon, one said it was of kil'ayim [wool and linen in the same web], the other said it was of fine linen. It may be ascertained that it was Rabbi who said the girdle was made of kil'ayim, for it has been taught: There is no difference between the high priest and the common priest except in the girdle, this is the opinion of Rabbi. R. Eleazar b. R. Simeon said: Not even in the girdle is there any distinction. Of what time [does this teaching speak]? If during the rest of the year, there are many points of difference, [as e.g.] the high priest [officiates] in eight garments, the common priest in four; you must say, then, that [the time discussed is] the Day of Atonement. We can tell you: In fact the discussion deals with the other days of the year, and it refers to such garments which both wear alike [the only difference being the girdle]. When Rabin came [from Palestine] he reported: Everybody agrees that the girdle of the high priest on the Day of Atonement was made of fine linen, and during the rest of the year of kil'ayim. The discussion concerned only the common priest's girdle, both on the Day of Atonement and during the rest of the year; concerning that Rabbi said it was made of kil'ayim and R. Eleazar b. Simeon of fine linen. R. Nahman b. Isaac said: We also have: Upon his flesh. Why the repetition of ‘he shall put on’? To include the mitre and the girdle for the removal of the ashes, this is the opinion of R. Judah. R. Dosa said: It is to include the provision that the [four] garments of the high priest on the Day of Atonement may be used by the common priest [during the rest of the year]. Rabbi says: There are two valid objections to this: First, that the girdle of the high priest on the Day of Atonement is different from that of the common priest; secondly, shall the garments worn for the service of most solemn sanctity be worn for ministration of lesser holiness? Rather ‘he shall put on’ [was repeated] to include worn-out garments. R. Dosa adheres to his principle, for it has been taught: And shall leave them there, that teaches that they must be hidden. R. Dosa said: [It means that] he [the high priest] shall not use them on another Day of Atonement. Our Rabbis have taught: If a disqualifying accident occurred to him, and another was appointed in his place then the former returns [afterwards] to his office, whilst the latter has upon himself all the obligations touching the high priesthood, this is the opinion of R. Meir. R. Jose says: The first returns to his office, the second becomes unfit for the office of either high priest or common priest. R. Jose said: It happened to Joseph b. Elam of Sepphoris that after a disqualifying accident had happened to the high priest, he was appointed in the former's place, and the Sages said: The former returns to his office, the latter is unfit to be either common priest or high priest. He cannot be high priest for the sake of preventing ill-feeling, nor can he any more be a common priest, for ‘we may promote in [a matter] of sanctity, but not degrade’. Rabbah b. Bar Hana said in the name of R. Johanan:^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ

^ʸnote:His officiating, without other initiation, in itself is initiating.
^ᶻnote:Sanh. 16b.
^ᵃᵃnote:V. Ex. XXXIX, 29, cf. supra p. 54, n. 6.
^ᵃᵇnote:Byssus.
^ᵃᶜnote:[When the high priest too has only four garments like a common priest, the difference between them being only as regards the girdle. Whereas the high priest's girdle was on that day of linen, that of the common priests was of kil'ayim, the same as during the whole year.]
^ᵃᵈnote:The tunic, the breeches, mitre and girdle, the only difference being in the girdle.
^ᵃᵉnote:Lev. VI, 3: And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his breeches shall he put upon his flesh.
^ᵃᶠnote:These may be used for the removal of the altar ashes. V. infra 23b.
^ᵃᵍnote:Lev. XVI, 23: And Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there.
^ᵃʰnote:To prevent their being used again, or their being used for any less sacred purpose.
^ᵃⁱnote:But they may be used by a common priest.
^ᵃʲnote:Rashi: He must not let his hair grow long nor rend the clothes, nor contract ritual impurity because of a near relative's death; nor marry a widow; but he must officiate in eight garments.
^ᵃᵏnote:V. infra.
^ᵃˡnote:Tosef. Yoma I, 4. The reading there is corrupt, and to be corrected in accord with the reading in Tosef. s.v. vf and in J.Yoma 38a: It happened to Joseph ben Ulam of Sepphoris (not ‘in Sepphoris’, for it could have happened only in Jerusalem) who served for an hour (or: little while) as high priest and as he went out he said to the King: My lord and King: Whose were the bullock and the goat which were offered up to-day, did they come from me or from the high priest? The King understood (the trend) of his question and he replied: What is this, ben Ulam? Are you not satisfied with having served in the high priest's place for one hour before Him Who spoke and the world was created, so that you seek to obtain the high priest's office for yourself? In that moment ben Ulam understood that he was deposed from the high priesthood. V. Hor., Sonc., ed. p. 89 notes, and Meg. p. 59, n. 2.
^ᵃᵐnote:Acc. to Tosef. ibid. the ill-feeling may also attack the King and the other priests.
^ᵃⁿnote:V. infra 20b.