Yoma

all her splendour.1 What does ‘all her splendour’ mean? All that is enclosed within her.2 ) What do you say now? — He answered: l say that the Ark was hidden in its place, as it is said: ‘And the staves were so long, etc.’ Rabbah said to ‘Ulla: How does it follow from this?3 — Because it is written: ‘Unto this day’. But does the term ‘Unto this day’ mean everywhere ‘forever’? Is it not written: And they [the children of Benjamin] did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Israelites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem, unto this day.4 Would you say here too that they did not go into exile? Surely it was taught:5 R. Judah said: For fifty-two years no human being passed as it is said: For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation; because they are burned up, so that none passeth through, and they hear not the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled and gone,6 and the numerical7 value of Behemah is fifty-two. Furthermore, R. Jose said: For seven years sulphur and salt prevailed in the land of Israel, and R. Johanan said: What is the basis of R. Jose's view? He infers it from the analogy of the words ‘covenant’, ‘covenant’. Here Scripture reads: And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week;8 and in another place it is written: Then men shall say: Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers.9 — He answered: Here the word ‘there’ is used, there this expression10 is not used. — Would you say that wherever the word ‘there’ is used, it implies ‘forever’, but the following objection can be raised: And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. And they smote the remnants of the Amalekites that escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.11 But Sennacherib, King of Assyria, had come up already and confused all the lands as it is said: I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures?12 This is a refutation. R. Nahman said: It was taught that the Ark was hidden away in the Chamber of the wood-shed. R. Nahman b. Isaac said: Thus were we also taught:13 It happened to a certain priest who was whiling away his time that he saw a block of pavement that was different from the others. He came and informed his fellow, but before he could complete his account, his soul departed. Thus they knew definitely that the Ark was hidden there. What had he been doing?14 R. Helbo said: He was playing with his axe. The school of R. Ishmael taught: Two priests, afflicted with a blemish, were sorting the woods when the axe of one of them slipped from his hand and fell on that place, whereupon a flame burst forth and consumed him.15 R. Judah contrasted the following passages: And the ends of the staves were seen16 and it is written but they could not be seen without16 — how is that possible? — They could be observed, but not actually seen. Thus was it also taught: ‘And the ends of the staves were seen One might have assumed that they did not protrude from their place. To teach us [the fact] Scripture says: ‘And the staves were so long’. One might assume that they tore the curtain and showed forth; to teach us [the fact] Scripture says: ‘They could not be seen without’. How then? They pressed forth and protruded as the two breasts of a woman, as it is said: My beloved is unto me as a bag of myrrh, that lieth betwixt my breasts.17 R. Kattina said: Whenever Israel came up to the Festival, the curtain would be removed for them and the Cherubim were shown to them, whose bodies were intertwisted with one another, and they would be thus addressed: Look! You are beloved before God as the love between man and woman. R. Hisda raised the following objection: But they shall not go in to see the holy things as they are being covered,18 in connection with which Rab Judah in the name of Rab said: It means at the time when the vessels are being put into their cases?19 — R. Nahman answered: That may be compared to a bride: As long as she is in her father's house, she is reserved in regard to her husband, but when she comes to her father-in-law's house, she is no more so reserved in regard to him.20 R. Hana son of R. Kattina raised the following objection: It happened with a priest who was whiling away his time21 etc. — He was answered: You speak of a woman, who has been divorced. When she is divorced, she goes back to her earlier love.22 Of what circumstances are we treating here?23 If we were to say the reference is to the first Sanctuary — but there was no curtain!24 If, again, the reference be to the second Sanctuary, but there were no Cherubim? — In truth the reference is to the first Sanctuary and as to ‘curtain’ the reference here means the curtain at the entrances, for R. Zera said in the name of Rab: There were thirteen curtains in the Sanctuary, seven facing the seven gates, two [more], one of which was at the entrance to the Hekal,25 the other at the entrance to the Ulam;26 two to the debir; two, corresponding to them, in the loft.27 R. Aha b. Jacob said: In truth the reference here is to the second Sanctuary, but it had painted Cherubim, as it is written: And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of Cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, within and without,28 and he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work.29 And it is written also: According to the space of each, with loyoth [wreaths round about].30 What does ‘according to the space of each with loyoth’ mean? Rabbah son of R. Shilah said: account for the fifty-two years. brimstone and salt (v. 22). Thus the severe punishment for the forsaking of the covenant is that sulphur and salt cover the land. ‘One week’ in Dan. IX means a week of years. Judges I, 21, no such claim is made. ‘forever. playing around with his axe. to look at them before they were covered. How much less would the Holy of Holies be profaned by being shown to the masses who had come to celebrate the Festival; the Cherubim being above the mercy-seat in the Holy of Holies. Israel in the wilderness is comparable to the bride in her father's home; in the Temple to the bride in her husband's care.