Yoma 45a (מה.) — the Talmud in English

“refined gold”

is called this because of the

shin

that

resembles fine gold [yellow and shining like a pearl].

yellow and shining like a pearl].

“drawn gold” -

it is called this because

it is spun like a thread,

since it is soft.

“closed gold”

is called this because

when it is opened [when it is offered for sale],

when it is offered for sale],

all the shops close,

since they cannot compete with gold of such high quality.

“parvayim gold”

is called this because

it

is red,

resembling the blood of bulls.

This concludes the words of Rav Ḥisda, who holds that there are seven types of gold.

Rav Ashi said: There are five

types of gold בלבד

only,

and “gold” and “good gold” [which Rav Ḥisda counted as separate types] are not to be counted among them. Rather,

each and every one,

in each of the five types of gold,

has in it,

there is within it some gold that is not of such high quality, called

“gold,”

and there is within it some gold that is of high quality

and

is called

good gold.

It was taught likewise,

we learned in a beraita in accordance with the words of Rav Ḥisda above, that “parvayim gold” is called this because it resembles the blood of bulls:

As it was taught:

Every day its gold was

of the fire pan

green, but today it was red. And this was

the gold called

“parvayim gold,”

because

it resembled

in its red color

the blood of bulls.

We learned in the Mishna:

Every day he offered half a maneh in the morning

and half a maneh between the evenings, etc.

Every day the

incense was

finely ground [

ground thoroughly],

but

the special incense of

the day,

which he brought into the Holy of Holies, was

ground finer than fine.

The Gemara brings a beraita that explains from where we learned that the incense in the Holy of Holies was ground finer than fine.

The Sages taught:

It is stated [Leviticus 16:12], concerning the incense of Yom Kippur burned in the Holy of Holies: “And he shall fill his handful with finely ground incense of spices.”

“Finely ground” -

what does the verse teach by this?

What does the word “finely ground” come to teach us?

But surely

it is already stated [Exodus 30], concerning the incense of all the days of the year,

“And you shall grind some of it very fine,”

from which it follows that the incense was finely ground [and we know that on Yom Kippur as well the incense was finely ground].

Rather,

the verse

comes to add [to augment] that on Yom Kippur the incense was

to add] that on Yom Kippur the incense was

ground finer than fine [

it was ground a second time, on the eve of Yom Kippur].

We learned in the Mishna:

Every day the priests ascended on the eastern side of the ramp

of the altar.

The Gemara explains the reason for this:

For the master said [Rami bar Yeḥezkel, below 59b]:

Rami bar Yeḥezkel, below, on 59b]:

All turns [

turnings]

that you make should be only toward the right!

The ramp stood south of the altar, and when the priest ascended it, his right side was toward the east. When he reached the top, he had to turn

toward the east

of the altar. Therefore, the priest ascended on the eastern side of the ramp, so that he would be near the eastern side of the altar and would not have to walk an unnecessarily long path on the altar.

We learned in the Mishna:

But today

the High Priest

ascends in the middle

of the ramp

and descends in the middle.

And we explain:

What is the reason -

because of the honor of the High Priest.

To demonstrate his importance, that he is like a member of the household before the Omnipresent, and walks wherever he wishes.

We learned in the Mishna:

Every day the High Priest sanctifies his hands and feet from the basin,

but today, from a golden pitcher.

And we explain:

What is the reason -

what is the reason that on Yom Kippur the High Priest sanctified himself from a golden pitcher?

Because of the honor of the High Priest

on Yom Kippur.

We learned in the Mishna:

Every day there were

on the altar

four arrangements [

piles of wood to kindle with fire ], but today, five; these are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yosei says: Every day [there were] three [arrangements], and today, four. Rabbi Yehuda says: Every day [there were] two, and today, three.

The Gemara brings a beraita explaining what the arrangements placed on the altar were every day and on Yom Kippur:

The Sages taught: Every day there were

on the altar

two arrangements, and today, three.

And these are they:

One -

the large arrangement,

on which all the offerings were burned every day [Rashi above, 33a].

And one -

the second arrangement for incense,

from which they brought coals to the inner altar in the Sanctuary, to burn upon them the incense of every day [in the morning and between the evenings].

And one -

that they add on that day [

on Yom Kippur] - for the incense in the Holy of Holies.

These are

the words of Rabbi Yehuda.

Rabbi Yosei says: Every day

there were on the altar

three

arrangements,

and today, four.

And these are they:

One -

for the large arrangement. And one -

for the second arrangement for incense. And one -

for maintaining the fire.

If the fire of the large arrangement was insufficient, they added wood to it from this arrangement.

And one that they add on that day -

on Yom Kippur, for the incense in the Holy of Holies.

Rabbi Meir says: Every day

there were on the altar

four

arrangements,

and today, five.

And these are they:

Every day:

one -

for the large arrangement. And one -

for the second arrangement for incense. And one -

for

maintaining the fire. And one -

for

burning

the limbs and fats [

the fats] from the offerings of the previous day

that had not been consumed by the evening,

because they had not been placed on the fire of the large arrangement, or had been placed there but had not been consumed completely .

And one -

that they add on that day [

on Yom Kippur] for the incense in the Holy of Holies.

The Gemara proceeds to explain from where they learned all these arrangements:

In any event, everyone agrees that they have two.

Everyone agrees that there were at least two arrangements every day -

from where do we know

that we learned this?

The verse states: “It [

the daily burnt offering]

that ascends on its fire-place upon the altar all night.” [Leviticus 6:2].

Leviticus 6:2].

“Its fire-place” - this means a wood fire, and

this is the large arrangement,

on which they burned the daily burnt offering [mentioned at the beginning of the verse] and the other offerings.

“And the fire of the altar shall burn upon it” [“burn” is an expression referring to the burning of a fire] -

“shall burn” refers to the burning of a wood fire] -

this is the second arrangement for incense.

The Gemara asks:

And Rabbi Yosei,

who added another arrangement every day for maintaining the fire -

maintaining

the fire, from where does he derive it?

From where does he know that there was an arrangement for maintaining the fire?

And we answer:

He derives it;

he derived this law

from

the word “burn” later in the passage [in verse 5]:

“And the fire upon the altar shall burn upon it.”

We learn from here that there was an additional arrangement on the altar, namely, the arrangement for maintaining the fire.

This presents a difficulty for Rabbi Yehuda, who holds that there were only two arrangements [for the word “burn” in verse 5 mentions a third fire [wood pile]].

And Rabbi Yehuda

will answer:

That “burn” -

in the verse

comes for the kindling of the thin wood!

It comes to teach about kindling thin splinters, with which they kindled the fire of the large arrangement. The verse teaches that this kindling must be performed on the altar.

As it was taught: Rabbi Yehuda would say: From where is it derived that the kindling of the thin wood [

thin splinters]

must be only at the top of the altar,

and not that one should kindle it below, on the floor of the courtyard, and raise it to the altar while it is burning?

The verse states: “And the fire -

upon the altar shall burn upon it.”

Rabbi Yosei said: From where is it derived that he makes

on the altar

an arrangement for maintaining the fire?

The verse states: “And the fire upon the altar shall burn upon it.”

The Gemara challenges Rabbi Yosei:

And Rabbi Yosei -

from where does he derive the kindling of the thin wood?

From where does he know that it is performed at the top of the altar?

And we answer:

He derives it,

he derived this law

from the source from which Rabbi Shimon derives it.

From the same place from which Rabbi Shimon derived this law, as follows:

As it was taught:

It is stated [Leviticus 1:7]:

“And the sons of Aaron the priest shall place fire upon the altar” -

the verse taught

that

the kindling of the thin wood must be performed only by a qualified priest.

And

the priest must at that time be wearing

the sacred vestments,

the priestly garments,

these are the words of Rabbi Yehuda.

Rabbi Shimon said

to Rabbi Yehuda:

Would it enter your mind that a non-priest could approach the altar

to kindle the thin wood? Surely it is self-evident that only priests are qualified to kindle the thin wood, since you have already learned [from the verse “and the fire ... shall burn”] that the kindling of the thin wood takes place at the top of the altar, and non-priests are forbidden to ascend the altar!

If so, why did the verse need to say that the sons of Aaron were the ones who kindled the thin wood?

Rather,

necessarily, the verse

taught

here

concerning the kindling of

the

thin wood

itself,

that it must be only at the top of the altar.

And not as you say [Rabbi Yehuda], that you already learned this law from the verse: “And the fire upon the altar shall burn upon it.”

Rather, I [Rabbi Shimon] hold in accordance with Rabbi Yosei, who derived from that verse that there was an additional arrangement on the altar for maintaining the fire. One cannot derive from there that the kindling of the thin wood took place at the top of the altar; rather, this is derived from “And the sons of Aaron the priest shall place fire upon the altar.”

And Rabbi Yehuda

will answer:

If it were from there,

if you sought to learn that a non-priest is disqualified from kindling the thin wood from the verse “And the fire upon the altar shall burn upon it,” from which we learned that the kindling of the thin wood took place at the top of the altar,

I might have thought

that although the kindling of the thin wood took place on the altar, nevertheless a non-priest could kindle it while he

stands on the ground and operates a bellows.

When he stands on the ground and kindles the thin wood on the altar with the aid of a bellows.

It comes to teach us

and therefore the verse “And the sons of Aaron the priest shall place fire upon the altar” teaches us that a non-priest is disqualified from kindling the fire with the thin wood.

The Gemara asks:

And Rabbi Meir,

who added another arrangement each day for burning limbs and fats that had not been consumed by the evening -

limbs and fats that had not been consumed

by the evening, from where does he derive them?

From where does he know that there was a separate arrangement for limbs and fats that had not been consumed by the evening?

The Gemara answers:

He derives it from the “and”.

Rabbi Meir derived from the superfluous letter vav in the verse “And the fire of the altar shall burn upon it” [in verse 2] that there was an additional arrangement. He explained that it was made for burning fats and limbs that had not been consumed by the evening].

And the Sages,

that is, Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosei, who disagree with Rabbi Meir -

do not expound the vav!

They derive nothing from the letter vav, because it is the way of the verse to write in this manner.

The Gemara asks:

And

according to

the Sages, what should be done with the limbs and fats that were not consumed by the evening -

what should one do with them?

What should be done with them? The Gemara answers:

He returns them -

he returns them

to the large arrangement.

As it was taught: From where is it derived concerning limbs and fats

of offerings from the previous day

that were not consumed by the evening,