Yoma 2a — the Talmud in English

The Temple service on Yom Kippur is performed only by the High Priest.

Therefore, he is separated from his house for seven days before Yom Kippur, and is seated in a special chamber in the place of the Temple, in order to prepare him toward his service on the holy day.

The source and reason for the separation of the High Priest are explained at length in the Gemara.

In our Mishna, in addition to the law of the separation of the High Priest, two further matters are explained:

The preparation of a replacement for the High Priest, and the preparation of another woman in case the wife of the High Priest should die. For the atonement of the High Priest on Yom Kippur must be for his “house,” and his house is—his wife.

Mishna:

1.

Seven days before Yom Kippur, they separate

they separate the

High

the

Priest from his house—

to the Chamber of the “Parhedrin”

in the Temple.

2.

And

also

they prepare

they prepare

for him a priest

High

another

who will serve

in his place, lest disqualification occur to him

of impurity, which will prevent him from performing the service of the day, which is valid only through him.

3.

Rabbi Judah says: They also prepare another woman

they prepare

for him, lest his wife die.

And if he has no wife, his atonement is lacking, because

it is stated

[Leviticus 16:6]

“And he shall make atonement for himself and for his house,”

and

“his house”—

this is his wife.

They said to him: If so,

for there is concern lest his wife die—

there is no end to the matter.

For one must always be concerned lest the woman whom they prepare for him in her place also die.

Gemara:

We learned there

in tractate Parah [3a]:

Seven days before the burning of the cow

the red one—

they would separate

the

priest

[the ordinary priest]

who burns the cow, from his house

to the Temple,

to the chamber that was before the “bira”

[as will be explained in the Gemara], which is situated in a corner that is

northeast.

And

this chamber

“the Chamber of the House of Stone”—

was called.

And why was its name called “the Chamber of the House of Stone”?

Because

all its acts

the acts performed with the red cow—

with vessels of cow dung

or

with stone vessels and earthenware vessels

alone were performed, for these vessels do not contract impurity and do not render the ashes of the cow impure.

And the Gemara explains:

What is the reason?

Why did they institute such stringency in guarding the purity of the water of the ashes of the cow?

Since,

because the Sages were lenient and said

that a “tevul yom”

[who is impure but became pure on that same day through immersion in a ritual bath. However, since the sun of that day has not yet set for him, he disqualifies sacrificial things through touching them. Nevertheless, he is]

valid for

performing the

cow

the red one.

And this matter the Sages derived from the words of the verse [below, 43b]. But the Sadducees disputed this exposition and required that one engaged with the ashes of the cow be completely pure, after his sun had already set.

And since the Sages wished to remove the error of the Sadducees from their hearts, they instituted that, initially, the person engaged with the ashes of the cow should be a “tevul yom.”

But this practice could, on the other hand, lead to contempt for guarding the purity of the ashes of the cow. Therefore, the Sages were stringent in guarding its purity, and thereby trained people not to be lenient concerning it.

For we learned: They would render impure

the

priest who burns the cow

with the impurity of a creeping creature,

and immerse him,

so that the cow would be performed by a “tevul yom”—

to remove [the error] from the hearts of the Sadducees.

For they

the Sadducees

would say:

Only

by those who have waited for sunset,

who are completely pure,

was

the red cow

performed,

and not by those who had immersed that day.

And since they instituted that it be performed by those who had immersed that day, the Sages were concerned that, because of this, they would be lenient in guarding its purity. Therefore,

the Sages instituted for it

that all its acts be performed in

vessels of cow dung, stone vessels, and earthenware vessels

which do not contract impurity at all.

And they were so stringent concerning it that they would not perform it in other pure vessels, but only in these vessels,

so that they would not receive impurity—

so that

in order

they would not treat it contemptuously.

And now the Gemara explains the reason that specifically the northeastern chamber was chosen for the separation of the priest before the performance of the red cow?

What is different about “northeast”?

Since

the red cow

is called a “sin-offering”

in the Torah [although it is not a sacrifice at all, it has certain laws of a sin-offering].

And a sin-offering—

requires

slaughter in the

north

of the Temple courtyard [although the red cow is not slaughtered in the courtyard].

And

also

it is written concerning it

[Numbers 19:9] that its blood must be sprinkled while the priest stands on the Mount of Olives—

“toward the front of the Tent of Meeting,”

that is, toward the entrance of the Sanctuary, which is on the eastern side of the Temple.

Therefore,

the Sages instituted for it

for the priest who burns the cow

a chamber

situated

northeast, so that it would be for him

for the priest

a recognition,

so that he would remember constantly, by virtue of his being on the northeastern side, that he was separated to this place in order to prepare him for the service of the red cow, which is called a sin-offering and is slaughtered in the north, and whose blood is sprinkled toward the entrance of the Sanctuary, which is in the east.

And since he would remember this, he would take care to be diligent in its acts and in the order of its service [Rashi].

And now the Gemara explains:

What is “bira”

mentioned in the Mishna in tractate Parah?

Rabba bar bar Hana said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: There was a place on the Temple Mount, and “bira” was its name.

And Resh Lakish said: The entire Temple was called “bira”.

As it is stated

[I Chronicles 29:19], that David prayed that his son Solomon should merit building the Temple,

“the bira that I have prepared”

to build, but I did not merit this.

And now the Gemara explains the source of the law of the separation of the High Priest before Yom Kippur, and the source for the separation of the priest who burns the cow.

From where are these matters [derived]?

Rav Minyomi bar Ḥalikia said in the name of Rabbi Maḥsya bar Idi in the name of Rabbi Yohanan:

They learn the law of separation from the separation of Aaron and his sons during the seven days of the inauguration.

The verse says

[Leviticus 8:34], in the passage of the inauguration:

“As he has done on this day”

[just as He commanded them to separate from their houses for seven days during the days of the inauguration, so

the Lord commanded

in additional matters

to do

so

to make atonement for you.”

And we expound:

“to do”—

these are the acts of the cow.

это действия с коровой.

“To make atonement”—

» —

these are the acts of Yom Kippur.

And we raised the matter:

Granted, the entire verse

of the passage [“to do, to make atonement”]

with the cow

the red one alone

cannot be established—

because

“to make atonement” is written

in it.

And a cow

the red one—

is not capable of atonement.

Rather,

this difficulty arises:

Say that the entire

this

verse—

with Yom Kippur

alone is that it

is written!

They say

to answer:

It is derived

by a gezera shava,

“commanded, commanded.”

Here it is written

concerning the separation during the days of the inauguration:

“The Lord commanded to do.”

And there it is written,

in the passage of the red cow [Numbers 19:2]:

“This is the statute of the Torah that the Lord commanded, saying.”

Just as there,

in the passage of the red cow, the verse is dealing with a

cow—

корове,

so here,

in the verse “the Lord commanded to do, to make atonement,” the verse is speaking about the matter of the priest engaged with a

cow

red.

And just as here,

during the days of the inauguration, it speaks of the command of

separation—

so below,

in the passage of the red cow, there is a mitzva of

separation.