Yoma 38a — the Talmud in English

And we answer:

there

there, in the beraita, the intention of the

alternately

that is, the words at the beginning of each verse were written in full, and the continuation of the verse was written in abbreviations.

We learned in the Mishna:

“With regard to Nikanor, miracles were performed for his doors.”

The Sages taught:

What

were the

miracles

that

were performed for his doors?

They said: When Nikanor went to bring

two

doors

of copper

from Alexandria of Egypt

to the eastern gate of the Courtyard,

Upon his return,

when he returned,

a storm surge rose against him—

a storm

that threatened to sink it.

The sailors took

the

one of them,

of the two doors,

and cast it into the sea

to make it easier for the ship, so that it would not sink,

but the sea still did not rest from its raging

and there was still concern lest the ship sink.

They wished to cast its fellow

[the second door] into the sea.

He

[Nikanor]

stood and embraced it,

he hugged it,

and said to them: Cast me with it

into the sea, [in order to prevent them from throwing it]

Immediately the sea rested from its raging.

And

Nikanor

was distressed over its fellow

which had sunk.

When he reached the harbor of Acre,

a miracle was performed for him and

it was protruding and emerging from beneath the sides of the ship.

And some say: A creature that

lived

in the sea swallowed it, and vomited it onto the shore.

And concerning it

concerning this door,

Solomon said

in the Song of Songs [1:17]:

“The beams of our houses

[the Temple]

are cedars; our panels

[our doors]

are beroshim.” Do not read

[read]

“beroshim,” but brit-yam—“covenant of the sea.” “Covenant of the sea”—this is its meaning: According to the first view in the beraita, the two doors made a covenant in the sea not to separate from one another. And according to the second view [“some say”], this means a creature that lived in the sea, which caused our doors not to sink. [Maharsha based on Rashi].

The beraita adds:

Therefore

for this reason

all the gates that were in the Temple were changed

when Israel became wealthy

to be

covered with a covering

of

gold,

except for the gates of Nikanor, because miracles were performed in

them

, Ein Yaakov,

miracles.

And they wished to publicize the miracle.

And some say:

they did not plate the doors of Nikanor with gold

because their copper was yellow

polished and shining

was,

and resembled gold.

Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: It was kalonita copper—

refined

and it shone

[sparkled]

like gold.

Mishna:

In the preceding Mishna, people were incidentally mentioned whom the Sages praised for their contributions to the Temple. In our Mishna, people are mentioned whom the Sages condemned even though they performed good deeds, since they did not teach them to others.

[And it would have been proper for them to fear lest the honor of Heaven diminish when they died, and others would not know how to do as they did. Based on the Meiri].

And these

the Sages mentioned

in condemnation:

The family

of the House of Garmu

the Sages condemned them because they

did not wish to teach the procedure for the showbread

which was made like an open box on both sides, and great skill was needed in baking it and removing it so that it would not break [and would not become moldy, Meiri]. The House of Garmu knew this skill, but did not wish to teach it to others.

The family

of the House of Avtinas did not wish to teach the procedure for the incense

for they recognized a plant whose name was “raiser of smoke,” and when they mixed this plant with the ingredients of the incense, the smoke rose and ascended straight like a staff [and did not turn to the sides], but they did not wish to teach others which plant it was.

Hogras ben Levi

[from the tribe of Levi]

knew a chapter in song

a special method for beautifying the voice,

but did not wish to teach

this matter to others.

Ben Kamtsar did not wish to teach

others

the procedure of writing

for he knew how to hold between the fingers of one hand four quills, and write with them the Name of the Lord [which contains four letters] at once.

And the Mishna concludes:

Concerning the former

who were mentioned in the preceding Mishna for praise

it is stated

[in Proverbs 10]:

“The memory of the righteous is for a blessing,”

for they mention the righteous for praise and blessing.

And concerning these

who were mentioned in our Mishna for condemnation

it is stated

[there]:

“But the name of the wicked shall rot”

[their memory shall not endure. Meiri].

Gemara:

The Sages taught:

The family of

the House of Garmu were expert in the procedure of the showbread

so that it would not break or become moldy. The Sages wished to punish them;

the Sages sent

messengers

and brought craftsmen from Alexandria of Egypt

in place of the people of the House of Garmu.

And

the craftsmen who came from Alexandria

knew how to bake like them

the bread, even though it was thick.

But they did not know how to remove it

the bread without its breaking,

like them

[like the family of the House of Garmu],

for these

the craftsmen from Alexandria were afraid lest the bread adhere to the oven and break when removed, and therefore they

heated

the oven

from the outside, and baked

the bread on top of the oven

from the outside [so that they could remove it easily and it would not break],

and if

these

the family of the House of Garmu, who knew how to remove the bread without breaking it, they would

heat it from within and bake it from within.

members of the House of Garmu, who knew how to remove the bread without breaking it, they would

heat the oven from the inside and bake it from the inside.

Therefore,

these—

the craftsmen from Alexandria, since they baked the bread outside the oven, and there was not enough heat,

their bread became moldy

and if

these

the family of the House of Garmu, who baked the bread inside the oven,

the family of the House of Garmu, who baked the bread inside the oven,

their bread does not become moldy.

When the Sages heard of this matter

the matter,

they said: Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created, He created for His honor. As it is stated

[Isaiah 43:7]:

“Everyone who is called by My name and for My honor, I created him,”

and since the Holy One, blessed be He, created in the House of Garmu a special talent for baking the showbread, if so, He created this talent for His honor, for the purpose of baking the showbread,

and

therefore

the House of Garmu returned to their place.

The Sages sent to them

messengers to ask that they return to their place,

but they did not come. They doubled their wages for them, and they came,

for initially

every day they would take twelve maneh

from the shekels of the chamber contribution,

and today

[after they returned them] they took

twenty-four

maneh as their wages.

Rav Yehuda says:

Initially they would take

twenty-four

maneh as their wages.

And today, forty-eight.

The Sages said to them

to the people of the House of Garmu:

What did you see that made you not teach

others?

They said to them

the people of the House of Garmu to the Sages:

The family

of my father’s house

knew that this House was destined to be destroyed.

And they were concerned

lest an unworthy person learn

the procedure of the showbread

and go and serve idolatry with it.

And concerning this matter

which we have just explained, they

would mention them for praise: Never was fine bread found

[from thoroughly sifted flour]

in the hands of their descendants

at all, in order

that they would not

be suspected, and

they would say

that

from the procedure of the showbread

that

this

[which was made from thoroughly sifted flour] they

were nourished.

And the House of Garmu was careful in this matter, in order

to fulfill

the

that which was stated

[in Numbers 32]:

“And you shall be clean before the Lord and before Israel”

[that is, be free from transgressing the word of the Lord and from the suspicion of Israel].

We learned in the Mishna:

“The House of Avtinas did not wish to teach the procedure of the incense.”

The Sages taught:

The family of

the House of Avtinas were expert in the procedure of the incense, but did not

wish

to teach

others. The Sages wished to punish them;

the Sages sent

messengers.

And they brought craftsmen from Alexandria of Egypt

in place of the people of the House of Avtinas.

And

the craftsmen from Alexandria

knew how to compound—

to mix

like them

[like the people of the House of Avtinas]

but they did not know how to raise smoke like them,

for the smoke

of these

of the House of Avtinas

rose like a palm

[stood upright like a palm tree. Rashi 28b]

and ascended

straight

like a staff,

whereas the smoke

of these

of the craftsmen from Alexandria

burst forth

and dispersed

this way and that.

And when the Sages heard of the matter, they said: Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He,

created in the world,

He created for His honor. As it is stated

[Proverbs 16]:

“Everything

which

the Lord has made is for His purpose,”

and since the Holy One, blessed be He, created a plant that raises the smoke of the incense straight like a staff, if so, He created this plant for His purpose, for the procedure of the incense [based on Maharsha],

and

therefore

the House of Avtinas returned to their place.

The Sages sent them

messengers to ask that they come to make the incense,

but they did not come. They doubled for them

the

payment, and they came.

For at first

every day they would take

from the shekels of the chamber contribution

twelve maneh

as their payment,

and today, twenty-four.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

At first

every day

they would take

twenty-four

maneh as their payment,

and today, forty-eight.

The Sages said to

the members of the House of Avtinas:

What did you see that made you not teach

others?

The

members of the House of Avtinas

knew that

the family

of my ancestral house, that this house

the Second Temple

was destined to be destroyed,

and

they said:

if we teach the making of the incense to others, there is a concern

lest they teach an unworthy person, and he go and perform idolatrous worship with it

in the manner of burning the incense.

And on account of this matter

which we shall explain immediately,

they would mention them

the House of Avtinas

with praise:

Never did there go out

go out

a bride

when she was

perfumed from their houses

from their daughters.

And

likewise

when they married off a woman

to their sons

from another place, they stipulated with her

before the marriage

that she should not perfume herself,

so that

they should not

suspect them and

say, “From the making of the incense

they

are perfuming themselves.”

And the House of Avtinas was strict concerning this matter, in order

to fulfill

the

that which is stated

in Numbers 32

“And you shall be clean before the Lord and Israel.”

It was taught: Rabbi Yishmael said: Once I was walking on the road, and I found one of the descendants

of the House of Avtinas.

I said to him: Your ancestors sought to increase

the

honor of themselves

for only they knew the making of the incense.

And they sought to diminish the honor of the Place.

That is, they did not fear lest they die and the honor of the Place be diminished. Based on the words of the Meiri on the Mishna.

Now the honor of the Place

stands

in its place

for His honor still fills the entire earth [according to the Maharsha].

And the Place diminished

the

honor of them

through the destruction of the Temple.

Rabbi Akiva said: Rabbi Yishmael ben Luga related to me: Once I went out, I and one of the descendants

of the House of Avtinas

to a field to gather herbs, and I saw that he was crying and laughing.

I said to him: Why did you cry?

He said to me:

With

I remembered the honor of my ancestors

who would compound the incense.

And I asked him:

And why did you laugh?

He said to me:

Because

the Holy One, blessed is He, is destined to return it to us

when the Third Temple is built.

And I asked him further:

And why did you remember

the honor of your ancestors?

He said to me: I saw

an herb that is the

smoke-raiser

which my ancestors used in making the incense

opposite me.

I said to him:

Show it to me.

He said to me:

We have an oath

by which our ancestors made us swear

that we do not show it to every person.

Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri said: Once I found an old man and a scroll of ingredients

a scroll in which the names of the ingredients of the incense were written [and pictures of the ingredients were drawn beneath their names. Rashash].

I said to him: From where

are you?

He said to me: I am from the House of Avtinas.

I asked him:

And what is in your hand?

He said to me: A scroll of

ingredients.

I said to him: Show it to me.

He said to me: As long as my ancestral house existed, they would not give it over to every person. And

if

now

there is concern that this tradition will be lost from Israel

here it is for you, and take care with it.

And when I came and related my words before Rabbi Akiva, he said to me: From now on, it is forbidden to speak disparagingly of these.

since it is somewhat evident that indeed their intention was for the sake of Heaven [Maharsha].

From here

from the incident of the House of Garmo and the House of Avtinas, whom the Sages sought to remove from their positions but could not,

Ben Azzai said

that one should learn from this:

If your intention is for the sake of Heaven do not worry lest your employers dismiss you from your work.

For in the end,

they will call you by your name

to return to your position.

And in your place

which is fitting for your honor

they will seat you.