Yoma 7b — the Talmud in English

Is it not bearing only the sin of impurity,

and we interpret in a beraita that the reason the Torah was lenient concerning the sin of impurity of an individual offering, so that the tzitz should effect acceptance for it, is because we find another leniency concerning impurity,

which was permitted in its specific instance for the community.

And this is difficult for Rav Sheshet

from this beraita, in which it is explicitly stated that it was permitted for the community.

And we conclude: it is a dispute

of tannaim.

As it was taught: The tzitz—

whether it is on his forehead

of the High Priest at the time when the impurity occurred.

whether

at the time

it is not on his forehead—

it effects acceptance

and the offering is valid—

the words of Rabbi Shimon.

Rabbi Judah says: As long as it is

the tzitz

on his forehead, it effects acceptance.

But if he performs the service with impurity that occurred at a time when

it is no longer

the tzitz

on his forehead, it does not effect acceptance.

Rabbi Shimon said to him: The High Priest on Yom Kippur will prove it!

For it is explicit in the Mishna that every offering whose appointed time is fixed overrides impurity, and included among these are also the offerings that the High Priest offers on Yom Kippur, when he is not wearing the eight garments, for in the service of the offerings with which he enters the innermost place he serves only in four white garments, and the golden tzitz is not among them; nevertheless, even though

the

tzitz

is not on his forehead,

it overrides impurity

and effects acceptance.

Rabbi Judah said to him: Set aside the High Priest on Yom Kippur,

for the overriding of impurity in his service does not require the acceptance of the tzitz,

since impurity was entirely permitted for him in the community,

and what required the acceptance of the tzitz applies only to individual offerings, which do not override impurity.

And

from

their words it follows that

Rabbi Shimon,

who proved from the High Priest on Yom Kippur, in accordance with his position, that it is not necessary for the tzitz to be on his forehead in order to effect acceptance for impurity,

held

that service in

impurity is merely deferred in the community.

And therefore it requires the acceptance of the tzitz in order to validate it, and he properly proved that it effects acceptance even when it is no longer on his forehead.

Thus, the dispute between Rav Naḥman and Rav Sheshet is a dispute of tannaim.

Abaye said

to explain in what manner Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Shimon disputed:

In

a situation in which

the tzitz broke—

everyone agrees that it does not effect acceptance

for impurity that occurred during this time.

When they disagree

is at a time

when it hangs

the tzitz

on a peg,

when it was hanging whole on a peg, and the High Priest is not wearing it now.

Rabbi Judah held

that we derive from the verse, “And it shall be

on the forehead

of Aaron

and he shall bear

the sin of the sacred things,” that only when it is on his forehead does he bear the sin of the sacred things.

And Rabbi Shimon held:

Since it is stated, “And it shall be on his forehead

always for acceptance

for them

before the Lord,”

we must inquire:

What

is the meaning of

“always”?

If you say

that the tzitz should be placed

always on his forehead,

but

how can this be found?

For

does he not need

the High Priest

to enter the lavatory,

at which time he must remove the tzitz?

And

likewise

does he not need

at times

to sleep,

to doze and sleep?

Rather,

we interpret

“always”—

it effects acceptance,

even when it is not on his forehead.

And we raise an objection:

And for Rabbi Judah too—

behold, “always” is written,

which implies that it always effects acceptance.

And we answer:

That “always”

comes to teach us

that he should not divert

the High Priest

his attention from it

when it is on his forehead.

And this is

in accordance with Rabbah bar Rav Huna.

For Rabbah bar Rav Huna said: A person is obligated to feel his phylacteries at every hour and every hour

when the phylacteries are upon him.

And we derive this similarly from

a kal va-chomer from the tzitz: