יומא 31:2 — Soncino English Talmud

But there is also one cubit of the ceiling and one cubit of the flooring? — Since the gates of the Sanctuary are made of marble these were made of a small [thickness]. But there is some [additional thickness] however small? — Since it is not even as much as a cubit, he does not count it. A LINEN SHEET WAS SPREAD BETWEEN HIM AND THE PEOPLE. Why of linen? — As R. Kahana said [elsewhere]: So that he may perceive that the service of the day is to be performed in garments of linen. Thus here too it is that he might perceive that the service of the day is to be performed in garments of linen. MISHNAH. HE STRIPPED OFF [HIS GARMENTS], WENT DOWN AND IMMERSED HIMSELF, CAME UP AND DRIED HIMSELF. THEY BROUGHT HIM THE GOLDEN GARMENTS, HE PUT THEM ON AND SANCTIFIED HIS HANDS AND FEET. THEY BROUGHT HIM THE CONTINUAL OFFERING, HE MADE THE REQUIRED CUT AND SOME ONE ELSE FINISHED IT FOR HIM. HE RECEIVED THE BLOOD AND SPRINKLED IT. HE WENT INSIDE TO SMOKE THE INCENSE OF THE MORNING AND TO TRIM THE LAMPS; [AFTERWARDS] TO OFFER UP THE HEAD AND THE LIMBS AND THE PANCAKES AND THE WINE-OFFERING. THE MORNING INCENSE WAS OFFERED UP BETWEEN THE BLOOD AND THE LIMBS, THE AFTERNOON [INCENSE] BETWEEN THE LIMBS AND THE DRINK-OFFERINGS. IF THE HIGH PRIEST WAS EITHER OLD OR OF DELICATE HEALTH WARM WATER WOULD BE PREPARED FOR HIM AND POURED INTO THE COLD, TO MITIGATE ITS COLDNESS. GEMARA. The scholars said in the presence of R. Papa: This [Mishnah] is not in accord with R. Meir, for if it were in accord with him, behold he said: There must be two sanctifications for the putting on of the garments, hence there ought to be here, too, two sanctifications for the putting on of the garments! R. Papa said unto then,: Whether on the view of the Sages or of R. Meir, one sanctification is for the stripping off of the holy garments, and one for the putting on and the reason of their dispute is [the interpretation of these words]: He shall put off, he shall bathe and he shall put on. R. Meir holds that Scripture compares the stripping to the putting on [of the garments], i.e., just as in the case of the putting on of the garments he first puts them on and only afterwards sanctifies himself, so also with the stripping off of the garments, he first strips off and then sanctifies himself; whereas the Rabbis hold that [Scripture] compares the stripping off to the putting on, i.e., just as with the putting on he sanctifies himself whilst dressed in the garments, so with the stripping off, he sanctifies himself whilst the garments are yet on him. Said the scholars to R. Papa: How can you say so, has it not been taught: A sheet of linen was spread between him and the people, he stripped off [his garments], went down, immersed himself, came up and dried himself. One brought the golden garments before him, he put them on, and sanctified his hands and his feet. R. Meir said: He stripped off [his garments] and sanctified his hands and his feet, went down and immersed himself, came up and dried himself. One brought the golden garments before him, he put them on and sanctified his hands and feet! — He answered them: If there is such teaching, it is a teaching [to be recognized]. According to R. Meir it is right, because we thus account for the^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ

^ᵃnote:[I.e.,there must have been an additional cubit for the ceiling of the doorway and one for the flooring of the pool on top?]
^ᵇnote:Infra 35a.
^ᶜnote:His non-holy garments.
^ᵈnote:Lit., ‘sponged himself’.
^ᵉnote:The eight garments, which the high priest puts on for service. They are: tunic, breeches, mitre, girdle, breast-plate, ephod, robe and plate. V. Ex. XXVIII, 2ff.
^ᶠnote:To enable the high priest to put the knife aside and to take hold of the holy bowl in which he receives the blood. On other days one priest would slaughter, and another receive the blood. Both functions were to be performed by the high priest on the Day of Atonement.
^ᵍnote:xbfb Lit., ‘entered’. The word ‘entered’, however, does not fit the whole of what follows, as Baneth remarks. For whereas’ he entered the Sanctuary (Hekal) to smoke the incense and trim the lamps, he cannot be said to have ‘entered’ to offer up the head etc. which took place outside. Baneth therefore suggests with considerable justification that, as elsewhere, ‘xbfb’ be translated ‘prepared to’, ‘went on to’. But this change is unnecessary as one could translate: He went in to . . . trim the lamps, (afterwards) to offer up the head . ‘ .
^ʰnote:Ex. XXX, 7.
^ⁱnote:I.e., clean them, provide them with wick and oil, according to Maimonides, also light them.
^ʲnote:V. Rashi.
^ᵏnote:[Which prescribes only one sanctification in connection with the first immersion when he changes from his non-holy garments into the garments of gold.]
^ˡnote:[Who teaches infra 34b that in connection with the second immersion, when he changes from the garments of gold into linen garments, he disrobes himself first and then sanctifies himself, in contradistinction to the Rabbis who place the sanctification before the disrobing.]
^ᵐnote:[It is assumed that the reason of R. Meir for prescribing the disrobing before the sanctification is that he holds that the two sanctifications required on the change of garments are for the putting on of holy vestments. Whereas the Rabbis ascribe one for the stripping of holy garments and the other for the putting on of holy garments.]
^ⁿnote:[On the other hand, in the view of’ the Rabbis, there would he no need for more than one sanctification, since the garments of which he strips himself at the first immersion are non-holy.]
^ᵒnote:So that our Mishnah can be also in accord with R. Meir.
^ᵖnote:Lev. XVI, 23, 24.
^ᵠnote:[This shows that R. Meir requires two sanctifications also in connection with the first immersion.]