Yoma

R. Isaac the Smith raised the following objection to R. Ammi's view: ‘Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth’.1 — [It means]: he shall take it out in its completeness.2 And the bullock of the sin-offering and the he-goat of the sin-offering?3 — R. Papa answered: Nobody disputes with regard to skin, flesh, and excrement, the dispute applies only to the blood,4 one holding blood to be designated ‘bullock’, the other holding that blood is not designated ‘bullock’. R. Ashi said: It seems reasonable to hold with the view that blood is designated ‘bullock’, for it is written: Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place; with a young bullock.5 Now does he bring it in with its horns? [Is it not] rather, with its blood, and yet it is called ‘bullock’. And the other?6 [It means this:] ‘How7 is Aaron legally permitted to enter the Sanctuary? With a young bullock for a sin-offering’. — But derive it8 from the fact that it is a sin-offering whose owners have died and ‘a9 sin-offering whose owners have died is left to die’?10 -Said Rabin the son of R. Ada to Raba: Your own disciples said in the name of R. Amram: This11 is a community sin-offering and the sin-offering of the community is not left. For we learned:12 R. Meir said: ‘Are not the bullock of ‘the Day of Atonement and the pancakes of the high priest and the paschal lamb13 each offerings of an individual and yet they suspend the law of Sabbath and the laws touching levitical impurity?’ Would you not infer therefrom that there must be a view according to which these are considered offerings of the congregation?14 But according to your own arguments when it states:15 R. Jacob said to him:16 But are there not the bullock to be offered for an error of the congregation, and the he-goats to be offered up for idolatry and the festive offering,17 all of which are community-offerings, and yet they suspend neither the laws of the Sabbath, nor those of levitical impurity? Would you infer from this that there must be a view that they are sacrifices of an individual?18 Rather [what you must therefore say is] he answered the first Tanna whom he heard saying that a community-sacrifice suspends the laws both of the Sabbath and those touching levitical impurity, whilst the sacrifice of an individual suspends neither the laws of the Sabbath nor those affecting levitical uncleanness, whereupon R. Meir said: ‘Is [the law concerning] the offering of an individual a general rule, is there not the bullock of the Day of Atonement? Are there not the pancakes of the high priest and the paschal lamb, all of which are private offerings, and yet they suspend both the Sabbath and the impurity laws?’ And also R. Jacob said: ‘Is the law concerning the offering of the community a rule, are there not the bullock for an error of the community, and the he-goats for idolatry, and the festive offering, all of which are community-offerings yet suspend neither the laws of the Sabbath, nor those touching levitical impurity?’ Rather accept this principle: Whatsoever has a fixed time,19 suspends both the laws of the Sabbath and those touching levitical impurity, even [though the sacrifice concerned be that] of an individual; and whatsoever has no definite time fixed suspends neither the Sabbath laws nor those affecting levitical uncleanness even if a community-offering [were involved].20 Abaye raised the following objection:21 If the bullock and the he-goat of the Day of Atonement had been lost and other [animals] had been set aside in their stead,22 then they must all be left to die; similarly, if the he-goats [offered in expiation] for idolatry had been lost and others had been set aside in their stead,22 they must all be left to die; this is the view of R. Judah. R. Eleazar and R. Simeon hold: They should be left to go to pasture until they become unfit for sacrifice,23 whereupon they should be sold and the money realized should go to the fund for [providing] freewill-offerings. because ‘a community-sacrifice is not left to die’.24 Bullock here refers to the bullock offered up for an error of the community. — But the text reads ‘of the Day of Atonement’? — This refers to the he-goat. But it was stated: If the bullock of the Day of Atonement and the he-goat of the Day of Atonement had been lost and others were set aside in their stead,22 they must all be left to die, this is the view of R. Judah. R. Eleazar and R. Simeon hold: They should be left to go to pasture until they become unfit for sacrifice, whereupon they should be sold and the money realized for them should go to the fund for providing freewill-offerings. because a community-offering is not left to die’? — Do not read:25 ‘For a community-sacrifice is not left to die’, read rather, for ‘a sacrifice belonging to partners is not left to die’.26 What is the practical difference?27 — That the priests will not have to bring a sacrifice for an error in a legal decision. 28 — Come and hear: For R. Eleazar asked: bullock. these laws. brought for seven days following the festival, hence having no definite time. community-sacrifice. contradiction of the statement above. because all the priests share in the atonement effected by it. partners? community’, as when a whole tribe by mistake transgresses the law, but would be considered a sacrifice of partners, which is not left to die. Herein lies the practical difference, hence the justification of the distinction.