Yoma

It was taught: R. Ishmael said: The morning [star] shines. R. Akiba said the morning [star] rose.1 Nahuma b. Afkashion said: The morning [star] is already in Hebron. Mathia b. Samuel, the officer in charge of the counts, said: The whole east even unto Hebron is alight. R. Judah b. Bathyra said: The whole east even unto Hebron is alight and all the people have gone forth, each to his work. If that were the case, it would be [too much of the day] too late! — Rather: each to hire working men.2 R. Safra said: The [afternoon] prayer of Abraham3 is due when the walls begin to grow dark.4 R. Joseph said: Shall we indeed learn [our laws] from Abraham?5 — Raba answered: A Tanna learned from Abraham and we should not learn from him! For it has been taught: And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised,6 this passage teaches that the whole of the [eighth] day is proper for the circumcision, but the zealots perform their religious duty as early as possible as it is said: And Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his ass.7 — Rather, said Raba, is it this that appeared difficult to R. Joseph: For we have learnt: If the eve of Passover falls on the eve of Sabbath, the paschal lamb is to be slaughtered at one half after the sixth hour,8 and offered up at one half after the seventh hour.9 — But let it be slaughtered when the walls begin to grow dark!10 — What is the difficulty? Perhaps the walls of the Sanctuary begin to grow dark half an hour after the sixth hour because they were not exactly straight.11 Or [one might say]: It was different with Abraham whose heart [mind] knew great astronomical speculation.12 Or: Because he was an elder [zaken] who had a seat at the scholar's council,12 for R. Hama b. Hanina said: Our ancestors were never left without the scholars’ council. In Egypt they had the scholars’ council, as it is said: Go and gather the elders of Israel together;13 in the wilderness they had the scholars’ council, as it is said: Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel;14 our father Abraham was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as it is said: And Abraham was [zaken] an elder well stricken in age;15 our father Isaac was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as it is said: And it came to pass when Isaac was an elder [zaken];16 our father Jacob was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as it is said: Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age [zoken];17 [even] Eliezer, the servant of Abraham was an elder and a member of the scholars’ council, as it is said: And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all he had,18 which R. Eleazar explained to mean that he ruled over [knew, controlled] the Torah of his master.19 Eliezer of Damascus’: R. Eleazar said, He was so called because he drew20 and gave drink to others of his master's teachings. Rab said: Our father Abraham kept the whole Torah, as it is said: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice [kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws].21 R. Shimi b. Hiyya said to Rab: Say, perhaps, that this refers to the seven laws?22 — Surely there was also that of circumcision!23 Then say that it refers to the seven laws and circumcision [and not to the whole Torah]? — If that were so, why does Scripture say: ‘My commandments and My laws’? Raba or R. Ashi said: Abraham, our father, kept even the law concerning the ‘erub of the dishes,’24 as it is said: ‘My Torahs’:25 one being the written Torah, the other the oral Torah. 26 MATHIA B. SAMUEL SAID etc. . . . AND HE ANSWERED ‘YES’. Who was it that said ‘yes’? the man standing on the roof! Is he the dreamer and the interpreter?27 Should it, then, be he who is standing on the ground, whence would he know?28 — If you like say it is he who stands on the roof, and if you like say it is he who stands on the ground. If you want to say it is he who stands on the roof; he says: THE WHOLE EAST IS ALIGHT, the one standing on the ground answering: EVEN UNTO HEBRON? whereupon the former says: ‘YES’. If you like say that it is he who stands on the ground: He says: THE WHOLE EAST IS ALIGHT? whereupon the other responds: EVEN UNTO HEBRON?29 and the former answers: ‘YES’.30 AND WHY WAS THAT CONSIDERED NECESSARY etc. But can it be confused?31 Has it not been taught: Rabbi says: The rising column of the moon is different from that of the sun. The light column of the moon rises straight like a stick, the light column of the sun [the dawn] irradiates in all directions? — The school of Ishmael taught: It was a cloudy day and the light was scattered in all directions.32 R. Papa said: We can infer therefrom that on a cloudy day the sun is felt all over. What is the practical difference?33 — In the spreading34 of skins, or, as Raba expounded: A woman should not knead35 either in the sun or in the heat of the sun. R. Nahman said: The sultry air of the sun36 is more intense than that of direct sunlight, your analogy37 being: a jar of vinegar;38 the dazzling sun-light39 is worse than the uncovered sun, your analogy being drippings [from the roof].40 to the contractors, who early in the morning hire their men for the day's work. the credit for it. Or, as Tosaf. Ber. 26b s.v. ejmh has it, after Isaac had instituted the prayer, Abraham fixed the time for it. and practised the Torah rather than that of Abraham who, whilst living in its spirit, could not have known all the laws thereof. There are, of course, also views according to which Abraham practised the oral and the written law, v. below. v. Tosaf. Moed Katon, 20a, s.v. dj vn. summer as long as ninety. vbea vz ize a zaken is he who has acquired wisdom (through study). drink). commandment to promote justice, and the prohibitions of idolatry, immorality, blasphemy, murder, cruelty to animals, and theft. immediately following it. But one may start on the eve of the holy day to prepare such food for the Sabbath, the cooking on the holy day being but a continuation of this weekday work. This provision is not Biblical. Joshua, the latter handing it down to the elders, the latter to the prophets, these to the Men of the Great Synod (Aboth I, 1). there. T. J. Yoma III, 1. V. Rashi. Var. lec.: He (who stands on the roof) says THE WHOLE EAST IS ALIGHT AS EAR AS HEBRON, and the other (who stands on the ground) says ‘YES?’ i.e., ‘Indeed? are you sure it is so?’ V. R. Hananel and D.S. a.l.] are somewhat scattered that it is visible, hence the confusion is possible.