יומא 37 — Soncino English Talmud

¹— Whence do we know that [the confession] starts with ‘O’? — Here the expression atonement’ is used and there, in connection with Mount Horeb, the expression ‘atonement’ is used, [hence the inference that] just as it started there with ‘O’’ so must it start here with ‘O’ Whence do we know that the Name is to be pronounced here?-Here the word ‘atonement’ is used and in connection with the heifer whose neck is to be broken the word ‘atonement’ is used, [hence the inference that] just as there the Name is pronounced, so is it to be pronounced here. Abaye said: It is quite right that we cannot make inference for Horeb from the heifer whose neck is to be broken, because that is a past affair, but why should one not infer for the heifer whose neck is to be broken from what happened at [Mount] Horeb? — And if you will say ‘indeed so’, but have we not learned: ‘The priests say: Forgive Thy people Israel’, but they mention nothing about ‘O!’- This is a difficulty. AND THEY ANSWERED AFTER HIM: It was taught: Rabbi said, [commenting on]: For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; Ascribe ye greatness unto our God: Moses said to Israel: When I mention the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, ascribe greatness [unto Him]; Hananyah, the son of the brother of R. Joshua said [commenting on]: The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing: The prophet said to Israel: When I make reference to the Righteous One of all the Worlds, say a blessing! MISHNAH. HE THEN WENT BACK TO THE EAST OF THE TEMPLE COURT, To THE NORTH OF THE ALTAR, THE DEPUTY HIGH PRIEST AT HIS RIGHT AND THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY [MINISTERING THAT WEEK] AT HIS LEFT. THERE WERE TWO HE-GOATS AND AN URN CONTAINING TWO LOTS. THEY WERE OF BOX-WOOD. BEN GAMALA MADE THEM OF GOLD AND THEREFORE HE WAS PRAISED. BEN KATIN MADE TWELVE SPIGOTS FOR THE LAVER, FOR THERE HAD BEEN BEFORE BUT TWO. HE ALSO MADE A MACHINE FOR THE LAVER, IN ORDER THAT ITS WATER SHOULD NOT BECOME UNFIT BY REMAINING OVERNIGHT. KING MONOBAZ HAD ALL THE HANDLES OF ALL THE VESSELS USED ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT MADE OF GOLD. HIS MOTHER HELENA HAD A GOLDEN CANDLESTICK MADE OVER THE DOOR OF THE HEKAL. SHE ALSO HAD A GOLDEN TABLET MADE, ON WHICH THE PORTION TOUCHING THE SUSPECTED ADULTERESS WAS INSCRIBED. NICANOR EXPERIENCED MIRACLES WITH HIS GATES AND HIS MONEY WAS PRAISED. GEMARA. Since [the Mishnah] reads: TO THE NORTH OF THE ALTAR, one infers that the altar was not standing in the north. Whose opinion represents our Mishnah? The opinion of R. Eliezer b. Jacob, for it was taught: Northward before the Lord, i.e., the north must be fully unoccupied — this is the opinion of R. Eliezer b. Jacob. But the first part of the Mishnah is in accord with R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon? — The whole of the Mishnah is in accord with R. Eliezer b. Jacob, but read there: In the space between Hall and altar. THE DEPUTY HIGH PRIEST AT HIS RIGHT AND THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY AT HIS LEFT: Rab Judah said: One who walks at his master's right hand is a boor. [But] we have learnt: THE DEPUTY HIGH PRIEST AT HIS RIGHT AND THE HEAD OF THE [MINISTERING] FAMILY AT HIS LEFT; and furthermore, it was taught: Of three walking along, the teacher should walk in the middle, the greater of his disciples to his right, the smaller one at his left, and thus do we find that of the three angels who came to visit Abraham, Michael went in the middle, Gabriel at his right, Raphael at his left? — R. Samuel b. Papa interpreted [the first saying] before R. Adda: [It is wrong only, if] he [the teacher] be hidden by him — But has it not been taught: One who walks in front of his teacher is a boor, one who walks behind him is arrogant? — [It is assumed here] that he turns sideways. AND THERE WAS A CASKET WHEREIN THERE WERE TWO LOTS: Our Rabbis taught: [with reference to] And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats — ‘lots’, i.e., made of any material. One might have assumed that he should cast two lots on the head of each, therefore [Scripture repeats]: One lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel, i.e., there is but one lot ‘for the Lord’, and there is but one lot ‘for Azazel’ — One might have assumed that he shall give upon the head of each a lot each ‘for the Lord’ and ‘for Azazel’, therefore Scripture says: ‘One lot for the Lord’, i.e., there is but one lot ‘for the Lord’ and but one lot ‘for Azazel’ — Why then does Scripture say: [he shall cast] ‘lots’? [That means to say] that they must be alike: he must not make one of gold and the other of silver, one large, the other small; ‘lots’ [means they may be made] of any material. But that is self-evident? — No, it is necessary [to state that], as it was taught: Since we find that the [high priest's] front-plate had the name of the Lord inscribed thereon and was made of gold, I might have assumed that this too must be made of gold, hence it says [twice] ‘lot’ . . . ‘lot’, to include [permission to make it of] olive-wood, nut-wood or box-wood. BEN KATIN MADE TWELVE SPIGOTS FOR THE LAVER: A Tanna taught: In order that his twelve brethren, the priests, who were occupied with the continual offering, may be able to sanctify their hands and feet simultaneously. A Tanna taught: In the morning, when the laver was full, he sanctified his hands and feet from the upper spigot; in the evening, when [the water] was low, he sanctified his hands and feet from the lower spigot. HE ALSO MADE A MACHINE FOR THE LAVER: What machine was that? — Abaye said: A wheel which let it go down [to the pit]. KING MONOBAZ MADE ALL THE HANDLES FOR THE VESSELS etc.: He should have made [the vessels] them[selves] of gold?^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ

^ᵃnote:Ex. XXXII, 30. The similarity of expression indicates some similarity of procedure, hence the inference is legitimate. Thus also below.
^ᵇnote:Ibid. v. 31.
^ᶜnote:The ineffable name of God. ‘c’ may be ‘B essentiae’.
^ᵈnote:Deut. XXI, 8.
^ᵉnote:To pronounce the Name also here.
^ᶠnote:To start with ‘O’.
^ᵍnote:Sot. 47b.
^ʰnote:Deut. XXI, 8.
^ⁱnote:Deut. XXXII, 3.
^ʲnote:Prov. X, 7.
^ᵏnote:Segan. V. Glos.
^ˡnote:Beth Ab. V. Glos.
^ᵐnote:Lev. XVI, 5,7.
^ⁿnote:The Greek **.
^ᵒnote:The priests washed (sanctified) their hands and feet with the water of that laver, before entering the Sanctuary or preparing a service. They turned the spigots and the water came over their hands and feet.
^ᵖnote:The sacred vessels sanctify everything that comes in contact with them (Zeb. 86a), and whatever has thus been sanctified becomes invalid by remaining overnight. Ben Katin's machine (**) connected the laver with the well, thus retaining for it the undisturbable freshness of the well, hence, when drawn up in the morning, by means of the wheel, it remained valid for sacred use. The heavy laver, until then, had to be filled every morning afresh, after being emptied of last night's water — a laborious, time-wasting effort.
^ᵠnote:He was king of Adiabene in the last years before the destruction of the second Temple.
^ʳnote:She was queen of Adiabene.
^ˢnote:Num. V, 11-31. V. Git. 60a.
^ᵗnote:V. Tosef. II, 4, and with slight modifications, the account infra 38a.
^ᵘnote:[I.e., that no part of the altar extended to the north half of the Temple court, so that on retracing his steps from the Temple proper to the Temple court, and reaching the altar, he was on the north of it.]
^ᵛnote:Lev. I, 11.
^ʷnote:Zeb. 59a.
^ˣnote:Who said: Part of the altar extended to the north, whence he permitted the bullock to be slaughtered between Hall and altar. V. supra 36a and note. (10) In the preceding Mishnah: The bullock was standing near the place between Hall and altar, about the northern corner of the latter, not in the north exactly’.
^ʸnote:Hul. 91a.
^ᶻnote:‘Er. 54b.
^ᵃᵃnote:To the right, somewhat behind him, not next to him, because in the latter case he would cover him and that is unseemly.
^ᵃᵇnote:Lev. XVI, 8.
^ᵃᶜnote:Since Scripture says ‘lots’ instead of ‘a lot each’.
^ᵃᵈnote:[Since the repetition of ‘lot’ intimates that they can be made of any material, the word ‘lots’ must likewise mean of any material, Tosef. s.v. kufh
^ᵃᵉnote:V. supra 25b.
^ᵃᶠnote:[What follows gives the reason why formerly there had been, as stated in the Mishnah, two spigots; v. D.S. a.l.]

²— Abaye said: [Reference here is made to] the handles of the knives. The following objection was raised: He also made of gold the base of the vessels, the rims of the vessels, the handles of the vessels and the handles of the knives [used on the Day of Atonement]? — Abaye explained: These are the helves of axes and adzes. HIS MOTHER HELENA MADE A CANDLESTICK OF GOLD etc.: A Tanna taught: When the sun was shining, sparkling rays proceeded from it and all knew then that the time had arrived for the reading of the [morning] Shema’. An objection was raised: One who reads the Shema’ in the morning together with the linen of the [priestly] Mishmars or the [laymen] Ma'amad, has not fulfilled his duty, because the men of the Mishmar read it early and the men of the Ma'amad read it too late. — Abaye said: It was for the rest of the people of Jerusalem. SHE ALSO MADE A TABLET: Do you not conclude from this that one may write a scroll for a child for practising purposes? — Resh Lakish said in the name of R. Jannai: Alphabetically. An objection was raised: Whilst writing he looks unto the tablet and copies what is written on the tablet? — Say: He looks and writes as it is written on the tablet. He raised this objection: When he writes he looks and copies what is written on the tablet, and what is written thereon? And if some man have lain with thee . . . if no man have lain with thee; if thou hast gone aside . . . and if thou hast not gone aside! — There it was written^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ

^ᵃᵍnote:Tosef. II, 3.
^ᵃʰnote:V. Ber. 26a.
^ᵃⁱnote:V. Glos.
^ᵃʲnote:They postponed the reading of the Shema’ until their service in connection with the continual offering had been completed. How then did the sparks inform them when this information for practical purposes was useless?
^ᵃᵏnote:In Git. 60a there is a discussion on this matter, one view permitting the writing of individual portions, the other holding only the whole Torah may be written out. Our Mishnah might settle the dispute there.
^ᵃˡnote:What is involved here is not the real copying of a chapter of the Torah, but a kind of mnemotechnic device, with the initial letters only written out, the complete text to be supplied by memory, with the guidance of these hints.
^ᵃᵐnote:The priest who writes the scroll which the suspected adulteress must drink up.
^ᵃⁿnote:Indicating that the complete text was contained thereon.
^ᵃᵒnote:I.e., the initial letters serve him as guide.
^ᵃᵖnote:Num. V, 19, 20.