Yoma

An objection was raised: And they shall put on other garments and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.1 Would you not say that ‘other’ implies better garments? — No, ‘other’ implies inferior ones. R. Huna b. Judah, or, as some say, R. Samuel b. Judah learnt: After the community service is over, a priest for whom his mother made a tunic, may put it on and perform therein private service,2 provided he hands it over to the community. Is that not self-evident?3 You might have said: Let us fear he may not hand it over properly,4 therefore he teaches us that we have no such fear. They told about R. Ishmael b. Phabi5 that his mother made him a tunic worth one hundred minas which he put on to officiate at a ‘private’ service and then handed it over to the community. They told about R. Eleazar b. Harsom6 that his mother made him a tunic worth twenty thousand minas and his brethren, the priests, would not suffer him to put it on because he looked like one naked. But how could it be transparent, did not a Master say the thread [of the priestly garments] was six times twisted? — Abaye said: [It was visible] even as wine shines through a [glass] cup. 7 Our Rabbis taught: The poor, the rich, the sensual8 come before the [heavenly] court — They say to the poor: Why have you not occupied yourself with the Torah? If he says: I was poor and worried about my sustenance, they would say to him: Were you poorer than Hillel? It was reported about Hillel the Elder that every day he used to work and earn one tropaik,9 half of which he would give to the guard at the House of Learning, the other half being spent for his food and for that of his family. One day he found nothing to earn and the guard at the House of Learning would not permit him to enter. He climbed up and sat upon the window,10 to hear the words of the living God from the mouth of Shemayah and Abtalion — They say, that day was the eve of Sabbath in the winter solstice and snow fell down upon him from heaven. When the dawn rose,11 Shemayah said to Abtalion: Brother Abtalion, on every day this house is light and to-day it is dark, is it perhaps a cloudy day. They looked up and saw the figure of a man in the window. They went up and found him covered by three cubits of snow. They removed him, bathed and anointed him and placed him opposite the fire and they said: This man deserves that the Sabbath be profaned on his behalf. To the rich man they said: Why have you not occupied yourself with the Torah? If he said: I was rich and occupied with my possessions, they would say to him: Were you perchance richer than R. Eleazar? It was reported about R. Eleazar b. Harsom that his father left him a thousand cities on the continent and over against that one thousand boats on the sea. Every day he would take a sack of flour on his shoulder and go from city to city and from province to province to study the Torah. One day his servants found him12 and seized him for public service. He said to them: I beg of you, let me go to study the Torah. They said: By the life of R. Eleazar b. Harsom, we shall not let you go. [He gave them much money so that they let him go].13 He had never seen them, for he was sitting all day and night, occupying himself with the Torah. To the sensual person they would say: Why have you not occupied yourself with the Torah? If he said: I was beautiful and upset by sensual passion, they would say to him: Were you perchance more beautiful than Joseph? It was told of Joseph the virtuous that the wife of Potiphar every day endeavoured to entice him with words — The garments she put on for him in the morning, she did not wear in the evening, those she had put on in the evening, she did not wear in the morning. She said to him: Yield to me! He said: No. She said: I shall have you imprisoned. He said: The Lord releases the bound.14 She said: I shall bend thy proud stature.15 He replied: The Lord raises those who are bowed down.16 She said: I shall blind your eyes. He replied: The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.16 She offered him a thousand talents of silver to make him yield to her, to lie with her, to be near her,17 but he would not listen to her; not to ‘lie with her’ in this world, not ‘to be with her’ in the world to come. — Thus [the example of] Hillel condemns the poor, [the example of] R. Eleazar b. Harsom condemns the rich, and Joseph the virtuous condemns the sensual. MISHNAH. HE CAME TO HIS18 BULLOCK AND HIS BULLOCK WAS STANDING BETWEEN THE HALL19 AND THE ALTAR,20 ITS HEAD TO THE SOUTH AND ITS FACE TO THE WEST.21 AND THE PRIEST STOOD IN THE EAST WITH HIS FACE TO THE WEST.22 AND HE PRESSED BOTH HIS HANDS UPON IT23 AND MADE Confession. AND THUS HE WOULD SAY: O LORD!24 I HAVE DONE WRONG, I HAVE TRANSGRESSED, I HAVE SINNED BEFORE THEE, I AND MY HOUSE. O LORD! FORGIVE THE WRONGDOINGS, THE TRANSGRESSIONS, THE SINS WHICH I HAVE COMMITTED AND TRANSGRESSED AND SINNED BEFORE THEE, I AND MY HOUSE, AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE TORAH OF MOSES THY SERVANT: FOR ON THIS DAY SHALL ATONEMENT BE MADE FOR YOU [TO CLEANSE YOU; FROM ALL YOUR SINS SHALL YE BE CLEAN BEFORE THE LORD].25 AND THEY26 ANSWERED AFTER HIM: BLESSED BE THE NAME OF HIS GLORIOUS KINGDOM FOR EVER AND EVER! Atonement, as on other days some of the priestly garments were made of wool; further, the words ‘and they shall put on other garments’ are taken as applying to their return in the afternoon into the inner court after they had gone forth into the outer court to put off their garments with which they ministered in the morning, and the words ‘they shall not sanctify the people with their garments’ are taken as a separate command forbidding the use by the priests of the garments of ministry when not in actual service (Rashi).] ‘individual or private service. the other from the high priest's means; the latter, here dealt with, is therefore called ‘his’ bullock. on its head, faced the Hekal, v. Gemara. of God, prostrated themselves.