Yoma 82a — the Talmud in English

Mishna:

Young children -

one does not afflict them on the Day of Atonement.

But one trains them to fast

for several hours of the Day of Atonement, when they have reached the age that is

“before

the

year

adjacent to the time of their coming of age.

The fourteenth year in a boy is called the time of his pirko, since from the time he becomes thirteen years and one day old, and throughout that year, it is his way to produce the signs of adolescence; and then he becomes liable for punishments like an adult.

The girl, however, normally produces the signs of adolescence in her thirteenth year, beginning when she reaches the age of twelve years and one day. Therefore, the time of her pirko is the thirteenth year.

The thirteenth year in the case of a boy [before he completes thirteen years and one day], and the twelfth year in the case of a girl, are the years adjacent to their pirko.

And since they are obligated to fast in the year that is “before it,” it follows that the boy is obligated to fast for several hours beginning from his twelfth year, that is, two years before his coming of age, and the girl beginning from her eleventh year, two years before her coming of age.

When do these words apply? To weak and exhausted children. But if they were healthy and strong, they fast three years before their coming of age:

And

they should begin fasting on the Day of Atonement

two years before,

in the eleventh year for a boy and in the tenth year for a girl.

And all this -

so that they become accustomed to the mitzvot.

Gemara:

The Gemara explains the matter of the year and the two years in which the young children begin fasting for several hours:

And we raised a difficulty concerning it:

Now, before two,

in the two years before the year adjacent to their pirko, already

one trains them

to fast.

Before one year,

that is, in the year after it -

is it necessary to say so?!

Is it necessary to say that they fast in it?

Rav Hisda said: It is not difficult.

This -

in the case of a sick child,

who is thin and exhausted, and because of his weakness fasts only one year before the year adjacent to his pirko.

This,

who fasts two years before it -

in the case of a healthy child.

Rav Huna said:

A young child [and, as will be explained shortly, the reference is to a girl] who is

eight years old,

healthy,

and

likewise

nine years old,

thin -

one trains him for

fasting

for several hours.

Ten years old,

healthy,

and eleven years old,

thin -

they complete

the entire fast,

by rabbinic ordinance.

Twelve years old

and one day -

they complete it by Torah law.

And all these ages are stated

with regard to a girl!

And Rav Naḥman

adds the ages for a boy and

said:

Nine years old,

healthy,

ten years old,

thin -

one trains them for several hours.

Eleven years old, twelve years old -

they complete it by rabbinic ordinance.

Thirteen years old -

they complete it by Torah law.

And all these ages are stated

with regard to a boy.

And Rabbi Yoḥanan

disagrees with both of them, and

said: Completion

of the fast by young children

by rabbinic ordinance -

does not exist!

Rather,

ten years old, eleven years old [

in the case of a girl] -

one trains him for several hours.

Twelve years old -

they complete it by Torah law.

We learn from this that there are three opinions concerning the fast of young children: at what age they fast, and how much they fast:

A. The opinion of Rav Hisda: The first part of the Mishna, which says that they fast for two years [beginning from the year before the year adjacent to their pirko], speaks of a sick child. And the latter part of the Mishna, which says that they fast for three years, speaks of a healthy child.

B. According to Rav Huna and Rav Naḥman, healthy children fast for four years before their coming of age, and sick children for three years, a fast of several hours.

And when they are two years or one year adjacent to their coming of age, they complete the fast.

C. The opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan is that there is training for several hours only two years or one year before coming of age, and they do not complete the fast at all before coming of age.

And the Gemara raises an objection to Rabbi Yoḥanan from our Mishna:

We learned: Young children, one does not afflict them on the Day of Atonement, but one trains them one year before and two years before.

Granted, according to Rav Huna and Rav Naḥman,

who hold that young children have both a fast of several hours and an obligation of completion, there is no difficulty for them from the words of the Mishna, despite the fact that according to their view the training begins already four or three years before their coming of age.

For it is possible to establish the words of the Mishna as referring only to a sick child, and this is the meaning of the Mishna:

Sick young children are trained for several hours

one year before and two years before.

That is, they begin fasting a fast of several hours by rabbinic ordinance three years before their coming of age.

In the year that is

before

the

year

adjacent to the time at which they complete the fast

according to their

words, that is, according to the Sages. And this means that they fast for two years as a fast of several hours, and in the year after it they complete the fast.

And

this year, in which they begin fasting for several hours, is the year

before two

years adjacent to the time at which they are obligated to complete the fast

according to Torah law [the version of the Bach].

But according to Rabbi Yoḥanan,

who holds that there is no completion of the fast by young children -

it is difficult

what does he say by “one year before and two years before”? For according to his words there is only training one or two years before coming of age, whereas the Mishna speaks of one year before and two years before, which are two and three years before their coming of age.

Rabbi Yoḥanan could say to you:

Do not read in the Mishna “one year before and two years before,” but rather

say: One year or two -

adjacent to their pirko

[their coming of age].

Come and hear

a proof for Rabbi Yoḥanan from that

which Rabbah bar Shemuel taught:

Young children -

never

does one afflict them

to complete the fast

on the Day of Atonement.

But one trains them for one or two years

for several hours,

adjacent to their pirko.

Granted, according to Rabbi Yoḥanan -

it is satisfactory.

But according to Rav Huna and Rav Naḥman -

it is difficult!

The Sages can say to you: What is the “training” as well that it teaches

in the beraita? This -

is completion.

And we are astonished:

Does one call completion “training

”?

But it was taught: What is training?

If he was accustomed

the young child

to eat at two hours

of the morning hours,

they feed him at three.

If he was accustomed to eat

at three -

they feed him at four.

And it is proven that the expression “training” is used only for a fast of several hours!

Rava bar Ulla said: There are two

types of

trainings:

training for several hours and training for completion.

Mishna:

A pregnant woman

who is pregnant

and smelled

the smell of food, and she and her fetus are endangered if she does not eat it -

they feed her until her soul is restored.

A sick person -

they feed him on the basis of

two

expert

physicians, who say that he is endangered if he does not eat.

And if there are no experts there -

they feed him on the basis of his own word, until he says, “Enough.”

Gemara:

The Sages taught: A pregnant woman who smelled the flesh of a sacred offering or the flesh of a pig -

they insert a spindle for her

a distaff

in gravy

forbidden to eat,

and place it upon her mouth

so that she may suck from it.

If her mind became settled -

it is better; and if not -

they feed her the gravy itself.

And if her mind became settled -

it is better; and if not -

they feed her the fat itself.

Because

there is no matter that overrides saving of life, except for idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed.

Idolatry -

from where do we know it?

For it was taught, Rabbi Eliezer says: If it is stated [Deuteronomy 6] “And you shall love the Lord your God

with all your soul” -

why is it stated

that one must love Him also

“with all your might”

[with your money]?

And if it is stated “with all your might”

why is it stated “with all your soul”?

For he should have written only that which is more precious to a person of the two, and we would know, by a kal va-chomer, that a person must surrender both his soul and his money for the sanctification of the Name!

Rather,

if you have a person whose body is more precious to him than his money -

for this reason it is stated “with all your soul.”

And if you have a person whose money is more precious to him than his body -

for this reason it is stated “and with all your might.”

Forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed -

from where do we know

that a person must be killed and not transgress?

For it was taught, Rabbi says:

It is stated concerning the betrothed girl who was raped: [Deuteronomy 22]

“For just as a man rises against his fellow and murders him -

so is this matter.”

And what matter have we learned from a murderer concerning the betrothed girl?

Rather, this

the law of the murderer stated in the passage concerning the betrothed girl

comes to teach

about her, as will be explained below,

and it follows

that it also

learns

from her:

The beraita first explains how the murderer learns from the betrothed girl:

Just as permission was given in the case of a betrothed girl

to a rescuer

to rescue her

from the man pursuing her to have intercourse with her, even

at the

price of killing

his soul,

the pursuer [and this law is explained in this passage, as it is stated: “The betrothed girl cried out, and there was no one to rescue her”; this implies that if she has a rescuer, he may rescue her in every manner, even by killing the pursuer] -

so too a murderer,

who pursues a person in order to kill him,

may be rescued

for the pursued person

at the

price of killing

his soul,

the pursuer.

The beraita now explains how the law of the murderer teaches the law of the betrothed girl:

Just as in the case of a murderer,

when a person is faced with the choice of murdering his fellow in order to save his own soul -

the person shall be killed

the person,

and he shall not transgress

the prohibition of murder in order to save himself.

So too in the case of a betrothed girl,

if they say to a person that he should have intercourse with a betrothed girl or they will kill him -

he shall be killed, and he shall not transgress!