Yoma

But that passage is required for its own information?1 — R. Shimi b. Ashi said: I found Abaye explaining it to his son: [It was taught]: ‘One shall kill,’2 hence we infer that even a non-priest may kill [the sacrificial animal]. But whence are you coming?3 — Because Scripture says: And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood, [in everything that pertaineth to the altar].4 I might have learned that even the killing [must be done by priests alone], therefore it is written: And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord,’ and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall present the blood,5 i.e., the work of the priesthood is commanded only from the receiving [‘presenting’] of the blood and so on.6 And he shall lay his hand . . . and he shall kill,7 hence we are taught that the killing [of the sacrificial animal] is permissible even to a non-priest. Now, [Abaye went on explaining to his son] since the work obligatory on the priests starts only with the receiving of the blood, what is the purpose of: And the sons of Aaron . . . shall put the fire?8 To exclude flaying and dismembering.9 But still that was necessary. For one might have thought since [the putting on of the fire] is not a kind of service, the omission of which prevents atonement, it did not require priesthood, hence we are taught [from this passage] that it requires priesthood? — Rather do we infer it from here: And Aaron's sons, the priests, shall lay it, order the pieces, and the head, and the suet.10 Now, since the work obligatory upon priests starts with the receiving of the blood, why was the passage: ‘And they shall lay in order’ [etc.] necessary? It meant to exclude the flaying and the dismemberment.11 But say perhaps that it means to exclude the arranging of the two logs of wood? — It seems logical that the passage excludes [a service relating to the sacrifice itself] which is of the type referred to. On the contrary: [it seems logical that] it excludes the ‘putting in order’ of [wood], which is analogous [to the ‘laying in order’ of the pieces referred to].12 This thought should not arise in your mind, for a Master taught: ‘And the priest shall offer the whole . . . upon the altar.’ This refers to the bringing up of the limbs to the ramp. Now only the bringing of the limbs to the ramp requires a priest, but not the bringing of the logs of wood, implying that the putting in order of the two logs of wood requires a priest.13 Why, then, is it necessary to state ‘And they [the priests] shall lay [the pieces] in order’? to exclude flaying and dismembering.14 But say, perhaps, that this text is necessary for its own meaning?15 --[In reality so.] What then is the purpose of [the passage], ‘And the priest shall make the whole smoke upon the altar’?16 To exclude flaying and dismembering. [So that] ‘And the priest shall offer the whole’ refers to the bringing up of the limbs to the ramp; only the bringing up of the limbs to the ramp requires a priest, but not the bringing of the two logs of wood to the ramp. Implying that the putting in order of the two logs of wood that does require the services of a priest and the words: ‘And they shall put’17 have immediate text meaning;18 the words ‘And they shall lay in order [the pieces]’19 indicate it must be two; the words: ‘The sons of Aaron’19 also indicate two; the words: ‘The priests’19 also indicate two, together we learn from them that the [offering up of the] lamb requires the services of six priests. R. Hamnuna said: To R. Eleazar it seems difficult, for this passage19 refers to the young bullock, the service in connection with which required twenty-four priests! But he found it right again , for Scripture says: Upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar19 ; now what thing is it in connection with which ‘wood’, ‘fire’ and ‘altar’ are mentioned? itself, or part of it, appears superfluous. ‘one’ being a term general enough to include a commoner. basis is there for the assumption that he may not do so? non-priest).] priestly function, why was it necessary to mention that the ‘Sons of Aaron’ perform it? order of the two logs requires a priest's service. interpretation attempted here involves no change in the text of cur. edd.] may perform it since it is not a service’ indispensable for effecting an atonement.]