Yoma

‘aseh leka1 [‘make thee’] mean ‘make from thy own means’, but what could be said [in the argument above] according to the opinion [that kah leka2 means ‘take for thyself] from the community funds’, for we have been taught:3 The expression ‘kah leka’ means ‘mi-sheleka [from thy own] and ‘aseh leka means mi-sheleka [taken from thy own funds], but we-yikehu eleka4 means [they shall take for them] from community funds; these are the words of R. Josiah; R. Jonathan said, Both ‘kah leka’ and ‘we-yikehu eleka’ mean from community funds, and what is intimated by saying ‘kah leka’ [take thee]? As it were,5 ‘I prefer your own [private means expended on this work] to the community's [expenditure]’. (Abba Hanan said in the name of R. Eleazar: One verse reads, Make thee an ark of wood,6 and another,7 And they shall make an ark of acacia-wood,8 how is that?9 Here it refers to a time when Israel act in accordance with His will,10 there it deals with a time when they do not act in accordance with His will) — They11 are disputing only as to the general meaning [of the word ‘leka’] in connection with the command to ‘take’ or to ‘do’, as e.g., Take thou also unto thee the chief spices,12 or Make thee two trumpets of silver,13 but in the above cases14 it is clearly indicated in the text that it is from thine own.15 For consider in [the portion of the Bible dealing with the] consecration of the priests, it is written: And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying: Take ye a he-goat for a sin-offering,16 why then the passage: And he said to Aaron: Take thee a bull-calf for a sin-offering?17 Conclude from this ‘kah leka’ means ‘mi-sheleka’, from your own. [Similarly] in connection with the Day of Atonement it reads: Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering,18 etc. Why then the passage, And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel19 and And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering which is lo [for himself]?20 Conclude from this that the word ‘lo’ implies it is to be brought from his own means. R. Ashi21 said: It is legitimate to infer a case in which an ox is offered up as sin-offering and a ram as burnt-offering22 from another case in which an ox is offered up as sin-offering and a ram as a burnt-offering;23 this excludes from analogy New Year24 and Pentecost,25 [as] in both cases both animals are offered up as burnt-offerings only. Rabina said: One may infer a service performed by the high priest26 from another service performed by the high priest27 that excludes [the occasions mentioned] in all the questions [raised], because the services mentioned therein are not performed by the high priest.28 Others have this version of Rabina's reply: One may infer [certain rules for] a service held for the first time from a service held for the first time. This excludes all the other cases [referred to above], because none of them took place for the first time. What does this ‘first time’ mean? — Does it mean that the high priest had first performed service there?29 That would be [the argument of Rabina's in] the first version. No, it means the first service of its kind held in its place, which may fitly be inferred from another service30 held for the first time in its place. When R. Dimi came31 [from Palestine], he said: R. Johanan taught one thing, R. Joshua b. Levi two. R. Johanan taught one thing the words ‘la'asoth’, ‘lekapper’32 refer to the service of the Day of Atonement. R. Joshua b. Levi taught two things: ‘la'asoth’ means the ceremony of the [red] heifer, ‘lekapper’ refers to the service of the Day of Atonement. How could [you say that] R. Johanan taught [only] one thing? Have we not learnt in our Mishnah: SEVEN DAYS BEFORE THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, and in another Seven days before the burning of the heifer?33 — That34 is only a special provision.35 But did not R. Minyumi b. Hilkiah in the name of R. Mahsiah b. Idi, [and the latter] in the name of R. Johanan report the [interpretation of the text], ‘As hath been done this day, so hath the Lord commanded la'asoth [to do] lekapper ‘alekem [to make atonement for you]’. ‘La'asoth’ refers to the ceremony of the heifer and ‘lekapper’ to the service of the Day of Atonement?36 This interpretation was that of his teacher.37 For when Rabina came [from Palestine]38 he said: R. Johanan reported in the name of R. Ishmael that ‘la'asoth’ referred to the ceremony of the heifer, and ‘lekapper’ to the work of the Day of Atonement. Said Resh Lakish to R. Johanan: Whence do you infer this interpretation? From the Consecration Service?39 Hence, just as with the Consecration Service, the omission of any prescribed form would render the service invalid [would you say that] here too40 the omission of anything prescribed [by inference from congruity of text] for that service, would render it invalid? And if you said: Yes, indeed, surely we learnt: ANOTHER PRIEST IS PREPARED TO TAKE HIS PLACE, not another priest is removed from his house!41 And if you would say MATHKININ [one prepares] and MAFRISHIN [one removes] mean the same thing, then the Mishnah ought to use in both passages either mathkinin or mafrishin!42 — [R. Johanan] said to him: And whence do you, Sir, infer it?43 — He answered: From [the account concerning] Sinai. For the Scriptural text reads, And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered him44 six days, and He called unto Moses on the seventh day.45 Now consider: Since it is written ‘and He called unto Moses on the seventh day’, what do the ‘six days’ mean? They establish a rule46 for anyone who enters the camp of the Shechinah47 that he must remove himself from his house for six days. But we have learnt SEVEN?48 — Our Mishnah conforms to the opinion of R. Judah b. Bathyra who considers the possibility of the high priest's credit is given to Moses. R. Jonathan who holds that ‘kah leka’ means ‘take for them from community funds’. of Atonement. burnt-offering. right to infer therefrom the service on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest for the first time offered up the community's sacrifice, on the first Day of Atonement. service on the first Day of Atonement, just as the Consecration Service included the first sacrifice on the outer altar, in priestly garments. stringent ordinances were decided upon, not, however as a matter of traditional law, but rather as an ad hoc regulation. necessary previous separation, which would render his service invalid and the ceremony unprovided with a priest. remains.