Yoma 44a — the Talmud in English

One might have thought

it is forbidden to stand

even in the Temple courtyard

at the time of burning the incense in the Holy of Holies?

The verse therefore says: “In the Tent of Meeting”.

I have only

to prohibit

in the Tent of Meeting that was in the wilderness.

In the Temple of

Shiloh and

in the Temple of

the everlasting House

in Jerusalem—

from where

do we know that this law likewise applies in them?

The verse therefore says

in the continuation of the verse: “When he comes to atone

in the Sanctuary.” This teaches that in every place called “holy,” no person may be present at the time of burning the incense [Rabbeinu Elyakim].

I have only at the time of burning,

about which the verse speaks [and as the Gemara will explain below].

At the time of the placing of the blood

from where

do we know that this prohibition applies?

The verse therefore says: “When he comes to atone”.

And atonement means the placing of the blood.

I have only upon his entering,

as long as he is occupied with the service.

Upon his leaving, from where

do we know that this prohibition applies?

The verse therefore says: “Until he leaves.”

And in the continuation of the verse it says:

“And he shall atone for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.”

And the Sages expounded:

His atonement—

precedes the atonement of his household.

In the first confession, which he confesses over his bull, he mentions his sins first, and only afterward mentions the sins of the members of his household. For it is first stated, “for himself,” and only afterward is it stated, “and for his household.”

The atonement of his household—

precedes the atonement of his fellow kohanim.

In the second confession, which he confessed over his bull, he mentions the sins of his household first, and afterward mentions the sins of his fellow kohanim.

And the atonement of his fellow kohanim—

precedes the atonement of all the congregation of Israel

with the scapegoat.

The Master said

in the beraita:

I have only at the time of burning

the incense.

What does it indicate!?

How does it indicate that the verse is speaking about burning the incense rather than about the placing of the blood? [Rabbeinu Elyakim].

Rava said, and likewise Rabbi Yitzchak bar Avdimi said, and likewise Rabbi Elazar said: The verse says: “And he shall atone for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.”

Which is

the offering that has

an atonement that is equal for him and his household,

and for his fellow kohanim, and for all the congregation of Israel?

You must say: This is the burning of the incense!

For in the placing of the blood, the atonement is not equal for all of them, because the bull atones for the sins of the High Priest, the sins of his household, and the kohanim, whereas the goat atones for the sins of Israel.

And we raise an objection:

But

does the

incense atone?!

And we answer:

Yes.

Indeed!

For Rabbi Hanania taught

a teaching of

Rabbi Hanania

in a beraita:

“We have learned concerning the incense [

about the incense]

that it atones.

As it is stated [

Numbers 17:12]:

“And he placed the incense—

“and he atoned for the people.”

And the school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: For what—

for which sin

does the incense atone?

For slander.

Let something that is performed secretly [

in secret], namely the incense, for while it is being performed it is forbidden for anyone to stand in the Sanctuary,

come and atone for an act performed secretly,

for slander, which is generally spoken in secret.

We learned there

in tractate Kelim [1:9]:

All the kohanim

withdraw from

the area

between the Hall and the Altar

at the time of burning

the incense.

Rabbi Elazar said: They taught

that they withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar

only

only

at the time of burning in the Sanctuary.

When they offered the incense of all the days of the year [in the morning and evening] in the Sanctuary, which was adjacent to the area between the Hall and the Altar.

But at the time of burning that is inside and further inside,

the incense performed on Yom Kippur in the Holy of Holies—in this case, only

from the Sanctuary do they withdraw.

They withdraw only from the Sanctuary adjacent to the Holy of Holies, but

from between the Hall and the Altar,

which is far from the Holy of Holies,

they do not withdraw.

Rav Adda bar Ahava raised an objection

from a beraita against Rabbi Elazar’s words.

And some say

that the refutation was stated

without

mentioning the name of the questioner. [Rabbeinu Elyakim]:

For we learned in a beraita:

Rabbi Yosei says: Just as they withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar at the time of burning

the incense [as we learned in that Mishna],

so they withdraw

from between the Hall and the Altar

at the time of placing

the blood of

the bull of the anointed kohen,

and the bull for the unwitting decision of the community,

and the goats for idolatry

[the worship of stars].

For the blood of these offerings was placed in the Sanctuary.

And since we have said that they withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar both during the burning of the incense and during the placing of the blood that takes place in the Sanctuary, then,

what superiority is there between the Sanctuary and the Hall and the Altar!

In what way is the Sanctuary more stringent than the area between the Hall and the Altar with regard to the law of withdrawal?!

There is no difference between them

except

for this difference alone:

In the Sanctuary they withdraw both at the time of burning

the incense

and when it is not the time of burning,

but rather the time of placing the blood.

But

if

from between the Hall and the Altar they withdraw only at the time of burning

alone, but not at the time of placing the blood.

Apparently, the beraita contradicts itself. For at the beginning of the beraita we learned that they withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar at the time of placing the blood in the Sanctuary, whereas in the latter clause we learned: “And from between the Hall and the Altar they withdraw only at the time of burning.” And not at the time of placing the blood!

Therefore, the Gemara understands that the first clause is speaking of services in the Sanctuary [during which they withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar both during burning and during the placing of the blood in the Sanctuary]. But the latter clause is speaking of services in the Holy of Holies [during which they withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar only during burning in the Holy of Holies, but not during the placing of the blood] [Ritva in the name of Tosafot].

And it is explained in the latter clause that

at the time of burning, at any rate,

in any event,

they withdraw.

Is it not at the time of burning that is inside and further inside,

in the Holy of Holies?!

We have learned from the words of the beraita that at the time of burning in the Holy of Holies, they withdraw even from between the Hall and the Altar, and this is contrary to Rabbi Elazar’s words! And we reject this: No! The beraita that said that they withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar at the time of burning is speaking

only at the time of burning in the Sanctuary.

And this is what the beraita said: “

And this is how the beraita stated: “

The what [is the] superiority between the Sanctuary and the Hall and the Altar? Rather, in the Sanctuary they withdraw both at the time of burning [both in the Sanctuary and in the Holy of Holies], and when it is not the time of burning [but rather the time of placing the blood—in the Sanctuary and in the Holy of Holies].

But from between the Hall and the Altar they withdraw only at the time of burning [in the Sanctuary alone. But they do not withdraw at the time of placing the blood in the Holy of Holies].”

That is, the superiority that the Sanctuary has over the area between the Hall and the Altar is at the time of placing the blood in the Holy of Holies: From the Sanctuary they withdraw, whereas from between the Hall and the Altar they do not withdraw.

And immediately the Gemara asks:

If so—

if they withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar only at the time of burning in the Sanctuary, why did the beraita say

“What superiority,” and imply that there is only one superiority between the Sanctuary and the Hall and the Altar [with regard to the placing of the blood, as explained in the Gemara’s answer above]

implying that there is only one distinction between the Sanctuary and the area between the Hall and the Altar, with regard to the sprinkling of the blood, as explained in the Gemara’s answer above—

and no more,

and not any additional superiority?

But this is not correct, for

there is this superiority.

There is an additional superiority with regard to burning:

For if they withdraw from the Sanctuary, both at the time of its burning,

both at the time when they burn the incense in the Sanctuary itself,

and at the time of burning that is inside and further inside,

in the Holy of Holies.

Whereas from between the Hall and the Altar they withdraw only at the time of burning in the Sanctuary [

but when they burn in the Holy of Holies, they do not withdraw from between the Hall and the Altar, in accordance with Rabbi Elazar’s words above]!

The Gemara’s question was based on the assumption that the beraita’s phrase “when it is not the time of burning” means at the time of placing the blood. In the answer before us, the Gemara changes the explanation of the beraita. According to this, it answers the question:

And we resolve it:

For it teaches:

what you said, that there is a difference in the law of withdrawal between the Heikhal and the Holy of Holies with regard to the burning of incense, is indeed written in the beraita itself. And thus the beraita is to be explained:

What superiority, then, is there between the Heikhal and the hall and the altar?

But that in the Heikhal, they withdraw both during the burning of incense

in it [in the Heikhal] itself,

and also when it is not during the burning of incense

in it itself, but during the burning of incense that is in the Holy of Holies.