Yoma 3a (ג.) — the Talmud in English

Rather,

these matters apply

with regard to its being called a festival in its own right,

with regard to

PZR KShB,

which is an acronym for six matters in which Shemini Atzeret differs from the Festival of Sukkot:

P –

a lottery of its own: they would draw lots to determine which priests would serve on that day, as it was not associated with the priestly division that served during the Festival of Sukkot.

Z –

the blessing of time, “Who has given us life,” recited separately.

R –

a pilgrimage festival in its own right, in that the designation “the Festival of Sukkot” does not apply to it; it is mentioned separately in the prayer and in the Grace after Meals.

K –

a sacrifice of its own.

Sh –

the song of the Levites recited separately.

B –

a special blessing for the king, which they would customarily recite only on Shemini Atzeret.

But with regard to the compensation

for the Festival peace-offering, which one is obligated to bring on a pilgrimage festival, Shemini Atzeret is a day

of compensation for the

first day of the Festival of Sukkot; it

is the first day.

As we learned in the Mishna: One who did not celebrate,

who did not bring his Festival peace-offering

on the first day of the Festival

of Sukkot –

celebrates and continues throughout all

seven days of

the entire pilgrimage festival.

And

he may also complete his obligation on

the final Festival day.

And it is thus proven that Shemini Atzeret is subordinate to the Festival of Sukkot. Therefore, it is impossible that precisely it, which is subordinate to Sukkot, should require separation beforehand when the festival itself does not require separation.

And we challenge this:

Perhaps

the Festival of Shavuot, which is called

“Atzeret,”

for its separation of seven days for the sake of one day,

should also be included in the expression “to atone” stated in the passage concerning the days of the inauguration!?

Rabbi Abba said: We derive

Yom Kippur, whose additional offerings are

one bull and one ram –

from

the days of the inauguration, whose offering was

one bull and one ram.

To exclude

the Festival of Shavuot, which is called

“Atzeret,” for

its offerings

are two rams.

And we challenge this:

That works well

as an explanation that Yom Kippur should be derived from the days of the inauguration, rather than Shavuot, because Yom Kippur is similar in its offerings to the days of the inauguration, in that one ram is offered,

according to the one who says that on Yom Kippur

one ram

alone

is

brought.

But according to the one who says

that the offerings of Yom Kippur

are two rams –

what can be said?

The offerings of Yom Kippur are written in the Torah in the passage of Emor in Leviticus and in the passage of Pinhas in Numbers.

In the passage of Emor, the offerings unique to the order of the Yom Kippur service are written, and one ram is mentioned among them, taken from the children of Israel [together with the two goats unique to the service of the day].

And one ram is also mentioned in the passage of Pinhas, as an additional offering.

The tannaim disagreed: Is the ram taken from the children of Israel together with the two goats in the passage of Emor the same ram as the additional offering in the passage of Pinhas, or are they two distinct offerings?

There was another ram on Yom Kippur, the ram of the High Priest, with which the Gemara will deal subsequently.

The two rams of the Festival of Shavuot are brought as offerings required for the day, together with the two loaves, and are not part of the additional offerings [among which there was another ram].

The ram brought during the days of the inauguration is likewise considered an offering required for the day and is not an additional offering.

As it was taught in a beraita: Rabbi says: One ram

alone is stated.

It

is the ram

mentioned here

in the passage of Emor;

it

is the same ram

mentioned in the Book of the Numbered

[the Book of Numbers, in the passage of Pinhas].

Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says: They are two rams.

One is the one mentioned here

in the passage of Emor,

and one is the one mentioned in the Book of the Numbered.

If so, according to Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, who says that two rams are brought on Yom Kippur, and it follows that its offerings are not similar to the offerings of the days of the inauguration, the following difficulty arises: Why should we not derive that separation is required before the Festival of Shavuot? In what way is Yom Kippur preferable to it!?

And we answer:

Even if you say

as

Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon,

it is nevertheless possible to distinguish and say:

There,

on Yom Kippur,

one

ram

is brought as an offering required for the day,

the one unique to it,

and one

ram is brought

for the additional offerings,

the regular additional offerings, as with all the additional offerings of the festivals. Therefore, its offering is similar to that of the days of the inauguration, on which only one ram was brought as an offering required for the day.

To exclude Atzeret, for both

the rams brought on it

are offerings required for the day.

And the challenge still remains:

Perhaps

one should separate before

Rosh HaShana, for its separation of seven days for the sake of one day is!?

Rabbi Abbahu said:

The derivation requiring separation before Yom Kippur should be preferred to one requiring separation before Rosh HaShana, because

we derive

Yom Kippur, whose offerings are

its bull and its ram,

the priest’s, which he brings from his own funds,

from

the days of the inauguration, whose offerings are

its bull and its ram,

from the priest’s own funds.

To exclude Atzeret and Rosh HaShana, for

their offerings are from the funds of the

public.

And the Gemara raises an objection:

That works well according to the one who says

that the verse stated in the passage of the inauguration [Leviticus 9:2], “And he said to Aaron:

Take for yourself

a bull calf as a sin-offering and a ram as a burnt-offering” – means that Moses commanded Aaron: Take the ram for yourself,

from your own

funds.