Yoma 43b (מג:) — the Talmud in English

And Rabbi Yehuda does not disagree.

It was not mentioned in the Mishna that Rabbi Yehuda disagrees.

And it follows that he too concedes that a woman is unfit and a minor is fit [contrary to what we explained above regarding Rabbi Yehuda’s opinion]!

Abaye said:

He explained:

Since the Master said [Ulla] that the entire passage concerning the red heifer is expounded in two ways: 1.

“The implication excludes what the implication immediately preceding it included.”

“The implication excludes what the implication immediately preceding it included.” 2.

And 2.

“The implication includes by itself.”

But regarding the sprinkling, it is impossible to interpret “a pure man” in the sense of “the implication includes by itself” [that a woman is unfit and a minor is fit]. For if so, why did the verse need to state it?

Rather, it is self-evident that Rabbi Yehuda

disagrees—

he disagrees with the ruling of the Mishna there [and the tanna did not need to teach explicitly that Rabbi Yehuda disagrees].

11. Later in the passage, verse 19 states:

“And the pure man shall sprinkle

the pure one

upon the impure.”

The word “pure” is superfluous. For the red heifer is called a “sin-offering,” and it is understood that all its procedures must be performed in purity, just as a sin-offering is performed in purity.

And they expounded:

“Pure”—

this indicates that he was

[the one who sprinkled]

impure

until now, and only now immersed in a ritual bath and became pure, while the sun has not yet set. Thus, he is one who immersed that day, a tevul yom.

The verse taught

that

one who immersed that day is

fit

for the

procedures of the

red heifer.

Rabbi Asi said: When

Rabbi Yoḥanan

and Reish Lakish

were discussing the

passage concerning the

red

heifer,

they did not derive anything from it—

they were unable to derive a novel teaching from it when they attempted to interpret all its verses according to a single principle—

except for what a fox extracts from a plowed field.

This is like the small amount of earth that a fox raises with its feet as it walks through a plowed field.

Rather, they said:

There are verses in the passage that follow the principle of

“the implication excludes what the implication immediately preceding it included.” And

there are verses that follow the principle of

“the implication includes by itself.”

A tanna taught a beraita before Rabbi Yoḥanan.

The tanna who recited a beraita before Rabbi Yoḥanan taught:

“All slaughterings are fit when performed by a non-priest—

except for

the slaughtering

of the red heifer.”

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Go teach this outside—

leave and teach your statement outside the beit-midrash. That is, your words are incorrect. For

we have never found a slaughtering that is unfit when performed by a non-priest.

And as for Rabbi Yoḥanan, not only did he not heed the tanna—

not only did he reject the words of the tanna who held that slaughtering the red heifer is unfit when performed by a non-priest—

but he did not even heed his teacher—

he did not even listen to his master!

For Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak

his teacher:

Slaughtering the red heifer when performed by a non-priest—

is unfit.

But I

[Rabbi Yoḥanan]

say

that it is

fit.

For

we have never found a slaughtering that is unfit when performed by a non-priest.

We learned in the Mishna:

He came

the High Priest

to his bull

a

second

time and confessed [the second confession]. And this is what he would say: “Please, O Name,

I have sinned

I, my household, and the children of Aaron, Your holy people.”

And we raised a question concerning this:

What is different—

what is the difference between what we learned

in the first confession, when he did not say, ‘and the children of Aaron, Your holy people,’ and what is different in the second confession, when he said, ‘and the children of Aaron, Your holy people’?

That is, why does he not confess in the first confession also on behalf of all the priests, just as he confessed in the second confession? After all, all the priests attain atonement through the bull of the High Priest! Meiri.

And we answer:

The tanna of the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: This is what the attribute of justice dictates—

this is what is proper to say:

It is better

that he first confess his sins and become deserving, and then

he should come

[the High Priest]

deserving, and make atonement for the liable

[the priestly tribe].

And he should not come

the High Priest when he is

liable, and make atonement for the liable.

Mishna:

In the preceding Mishna we learned that the High Priest confessed over his bull a second time. Our Mishna continues to arrange the order of the service.

He slaughtered it,

the High Priest slaughtered his bull,

and received its blood in a bowl.

And he gave it

the bowl

to someone who was

a priest who stood and

stirred

[mixed]

it on the fourth tier in the Sanctuary.

On the fourth row of paving stones in the Sanctuary.

In simple terms, the intention of the Mishna is the fourth row from the entrance of the Sanctuary inward. The Gemara will discuss this.

And the priest stirred the blood there

so that it would not coagulate,

because the High Priest turned to the incense service before sprinkling the blood, and the blood would remain for a long time. If he did not stir it, it might coagulate, and the mitzva of sprinkling the blood would be nullified.

He took

the High Priest

a coal pan

for taking coals for the incense,

and ascended to the top of the altar. And he spread the coals this way and that,

to the sides,

and took

from the

inner embers

within [at the center] of the arrangement, which had already been thoroughly consumed, so that they would not produce smoke [Tiferet Yisrael].

And he descended

from the altar.

And he placed it

[the coal pan]

on the fourth tier in the Temple courtyard.

The coal pan remained there until he took handfuls of the incense and placed it into the pan. Only afterward did he bring the pan and the coal pan into the Holy of Holies.

Now the Mishna explains how the procedure of taking the coals and burning the incense on Yom Kippur differed from the incense service on every day:

Every day, the

priest who had been chosen to burn the incense

took

coals

with a

pan made of

silver,

and poured

the coals from the silver pan

into

a pan

of gold,

and brought the gold pan into the Sanctuary.

But

if

today,

on Yom Kippur, he

took coals with a

pan

of gold, and with it

itself he

would bring

the coals inside, in order to ease the burden on the High Priest, who was weakened by the fast, so that he would not need to pour the coals from one vessel into another.

Every day, the

priest

took

coals from the altar

with a

pan

of four kav

a silver pan with a capacity of four kav.

And he poured

the coals from it

into

a gold pan

of three kav and some of the coals spilled onto the ground during the pouring].

[and some of the coals spilled onto the ground while he poured them].

But

if

today,

on Yom Kippur, he

would take coals with a

pan

of gold

containing

three kav.

And with it

itself

he would bring them inside,

so as not to burden the High Priest, who was weakened by the fast.

Rabbi Yosei says: Every day, the

priest

would take coals in a se’a-sized pan

[six kav],

and pour

from it

into

a pan

of three kav.

But

if

today he would take coals in a three-kav pan, and with it he would bring them inside.

Every day, the

pan

was heavy

because its walls were thick.

But today

it was

light

because its walls were thin [Gemara], to ease the High Priest’s burden in his weakened state.

Every day, its handle

the pan’s

was short, but today

its handle was

long,

so that he could place it beneath his arm, allowing his arm to assist his hand and ease the burden in his weakened state.

Every day, its

[the pan’s]

gold

resembled the hue of

green.

But today

it resembled

red; these are the words of Rabbi Menaḥem.

Every day, he offered half a portion

half a maneh [a weight of fifty silver dinars],

in the morning, and half a portion between the evenings. But today

in addition to the morning portion and the portion between the evenings that he burned in the Sanctuary, he

added a full handful

which he brought into the Holy of Holies.

Every day, the

incense was

finely ground,

thoroughly pulverized. As it is stated [Exodus 30:36]: “And you shall grind some of it very finely.”

But

the special incense of

today,

which he brought into the Holy of Holies, was

finer than fine.

It was ground a second time on the eve of Yom Kippur, until it became finer than fine.

Since we learned that there was a difference between the incense service throughout the year and the incense service on Yom Kippur, the Mishna brings additional differences between the services of Yom Kippur and those of the other days.

Every day, priests would ascend

to the altar

on the eastern side of the ramp

of the altar.

The ramp was on the southern side of the altar, and when the priests reached the top of the altar, they had to turn toward the east of the altar, which was on the right of one ascending. For so the Sages said: “All the turns you make should be only toward the right.” Therefore, when they ascended the ramp, they would ascend at its eastern edge.

But

when they completed circling the altar on its western side, after completing their service, they would

descend on its western side

of the ramp.

The priests were not permitted to walk in the middle of the ramp, because if they walked in the middle, they would have to lengthen their route on the altar [until they turned east as they walked. Likewise, on their return from the west, they would have to lengthen their route until they reached the middle of the ramp], and it is not dignified to walk a longer route on the altar without necessity.

But today,

on Yom Kippur,

the High Priest ascends in the middle and descends in the middle

in order to display his honor and the affection of Israel, whose emissary he is: he is like a member of the household and walks wherever he wishes.

Rabbi Yehuda says: The High Priest always ascends in the middle and descends in the middle,

even throughout the year.

Every day the High Priest sanctifies his hands and feet from the laver

before he begins the service,

but on this day, from the pitcher

[the jug]

of gold.

[For the sake of his honor, so that he would not sanctify them from the place where the other priests sanctify them].

Rabbi Yehuda says: The High Priest always sanctifies his hands and feet from the golden pitcher,

even throughout the year.

Every day there were,

on the outer altar,

four piles

of burning wood.

But on this day, five

[and the Gemara will explain the reason for this] —

the statement of Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Yose says: Every day

there were on the outer altar

three

piles.

But on this day, four.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Every day

there were

two —

two piles,

but on this day, three.

Gemara:

We learned at the beginning of the Mishna: He slaughtered it and received its blood in a bowl, and gave it to one who stirred it on the fourth row in the Sanctuary [so that he would stir it until the High Priest completed the service of the incense].

And we raise an objection:

But is it not written

[Leviticus 16:17]:

“And no person shall be in the Tent of Meeting

when he enters to effect atonement in the Sanctuary, until he exits.” The Gemara below explains that the verse is speaking of the time of the burning of the incense. If so, how could the one stirring the blood be standing in the Sanctuary?

Rav Yehuda said

as a resolution:

Teach

that the Mishna should be phrased as follows: And he gives it to one who stirs it on the fourth row

of the Sanctuary.

That is, the one stirring the blood stood on the fourth row of the courtyard. For when one exits from the Sanctuary into the courtyard, the rows are counted in this manner, and there the one stirring the blood stood. This row is the fourth row from the Sanctuary.

And the Gemara cites a beraita that explains the verse [which was brought in the Gemara’s objection]: “And no person shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to effect atonement in the Sanctuary, until he exits.”

The Sages taught:

“And no person shall be in the Tent of Meeting.”