Yoma

Unchaste imagination is more injurious1 than the sin itself, your analogy being the odour of meat.2 The end of the summer is more trying than the summer itself, your analogy being a hot oven.3 A fever in winter is severer than in summer, your analogy being a cold oven.4 It is harder to remember well something old than to commit to memory a fresh thing, your analogy being a cement made out of old cement.5 R. Abbahu said: What is the reason of Rabbi's opinion?6 — It is written:7 For the Leader, upon Aijeleth ha-Shahar8 — just as the antlers of the hind branch off this way and that way, so the light of the dawn is scattered in all directions. — R. Zera said: Why was Esther compared to a hind?9 To tell you that just as a hind has a narrow womb and is desirable to her mate at all times as at the first time, so was Esther precious to King Ahasuerus at all times as at the first time. R. Assi said: Why was Esther compared to the dawn?10 To tell you that just as the dawn is the end of the whole night, so is the story of Esther the end of all the miracles. But there is Hanukkah? — We refer to those included in Scripture. That will be right according to the opinion that Esther was meant to be written,11 but what can be said according to him who held that it was not meant to be written? — He could bring it in accord with what R. Benjamin b. Japheth said, for R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Benjamin b. Japheth: Why is the prayer of the righteous compared to a hind? To tell you that just as with the hind, as long as it grows, its antlers form additional branches every year, so with the righteous, the longer they abide in prayer, the more will their prayer be heard. THEY SLAUGHTERED THE CONTINUAL OFFERING: When?12 Would you say on one of the remaining days of the year? Had it then to be offered up? Hence [you will say that it happened] on the Day of Atonement, but is there any moon-light visible then?13 — This is what it means: On the Day of Atonement, when the observer said: It is daylight, they would take the high priest down to the place of immersion.14 The father of R. Abin learnt:15 Not only concerning this16 was it said,17 but also concerning the pinching of a bird's head and the taking of a fistful of the meal-offering, [was it said] that if it was done during the night, it had to be burnt. That is quite right with regard to the bird designated for a burnt-offering, since the fact can no more be undone, but touching the fistful of the meal offering, so that any additional hot weather makes it well nigh intolerable. very severe to afflict one on a cold day. sung, the direction being meant for the choir-leader. V. the comm. of Delitzsch, Cheyne and Koenig. one's hands. The question hence, as to whether any book defiled the hands, implies the question as to whether it was included in the Canon and has inspiration ascribed to its contents. About the Book of Esther there is a dispute in Meg. 7a, one of the Rabbis ascribing inspiration to it, whence it was to be written and included in the Canon, the other denying it inspiration, hence declaring its touch did not defile the hands. V. Yadaim III, 5. questioner takes the second incident reported in the Mishnah as a sequel to the first. second passage refers to the Day of Atonement and states that when the observer had said ‘It is daylight’, then, on a Day of Atonement, the high priest would be taken down, etc.