Yoma 35a (לה.) — the Talmud in English

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: They brought him to the Parva Chamber.

And we explain:

What is Parva?

Rav Yosef said: Parva

that is

an amgusha

—a sorcerer. This sorcerer built this chamber, and it was named after him. We learned in the Mishna:

They spread a linen sheet

between him and the people.

And we inquire about this:

What is different

—what advantage is there in—a sheet

of linen

over other sheets?

Rav Kahana said: So that he will recognize

[so that he will have a distinguishing sign] and remember

that the service of the day is performed in linen garments,

and not in golden garments, which he is accustomed to wear every day.

We learned in the Mishna: And the Sages say:

In the morning he would wear

[linen garments from the province of]

Pelusium

worth eighteen

maneh. And in the afternoon, [those] worth twelve maneh. The total was thirty maneh.

And we challenge this:

But

when the

tanna

came to teach us a calculation?!

Did the tanna come to teach us that eighteen plus twelve equals thirty? Are we incapable of making this calculation ourselves?!

And we answer:

This teaches us

the following matter: The Sages were not particular that the morning garments be worth exactly eighteen maneh, nor that the afternoon garments be worth exactly twelve maneh. Rather, they were particular

that we should not make them for less than this,

meaning that they should not be made for less than a total of thirty maneh.

And it follows that

if they are less than this,

if the value of the morning garments is less than eighteen maneh,

and those are more than this,

and he added to the value of the afternoon garments more than twelve maneh—

we have no concern!

We are not particular about this, since the total value of the garments is thirty maneh [provided that the morning garments are worth more than the afternoon garments. Rosh; Meiri].

In any event, it is explicit in the Mishna that

everyone

[Rabbi Meir and the Sages] agrees with this matter

at least

to the extent

that

the

morning garments are superior

to those of the afternoon.

And we inquire about this:

From where do we know this,

where do we derive this matter?

Rav Huna, son of Rav Ilai, said: The verse says

[Leviticus 16:4], concerning the wearing of the white garments in the morning: “He shall wear a tunic of

linen

holy. And linen

trousers

shall be upon his flesh, and with a belt of

linen

he shall gird himself, and with a turban of

linen

he shall wrap himself.”

Why is the word “linen” mentioned four times in the verse? To teach you that the morning garments shall be made of

the finest

of

linen

[i.e., finer than those of the afternoon].