Yoma 87b (פז:) — the Talmud in English

He entered

and went up and

came

and entered

Rabbi Hiyya,

and wished to recite the passage together with him from the beginning.

He returned

Rav went back

to the beginning,

to the start of the passage.

He entered

afterward

Bar Kappara—

and again

returned

Rav

to the beginning.

Rabbi Shimon bar Rabbi came—

Rav returned

Rav

to the beginning.

Rabbi Hanina bar Hama came.

He said

Rav then: And is it the case that

all this

so many times

we should return and proceed?!

Rav did not return

but continued reading the passage, and did not allow Rabbi Hanina to read with him from the beginning of the passage.

Rabbi Hanina was displeased

with Rav, because he had not agreed to return to the beginning of the passage for him.

Rav went to him

Rav went to him

for thirteen eves of Yom Kippur,

on thirteen Yom Kippur eves,

but he was not appeased.

And we question this:

How did

Rav

do this,

going to him to seek his forgiveness more than three times?

But Rabbi Yosei bar Hanina said: Anyone who seeks forgiveness

a request or pardon

from his fellow—

should not seek it from him more than three times!

And we answer:

Rav,

who was stringent with himself,

is different.

And we further question this:

And Rabbi Hanina,

who did not agree to be appeased—

how did he do this?

But Rava said: Whoever overlooks

is forgiven

by Heaven

for all his transgressions!

It would have been appropriate for Rabbi Hanina to act in this manner as well!

And we answer:

Rather, Rabbi Hanina saw a dream concerning Rav,

he dreamed a dream about Rav

that he was hoisted onto a palm tree,

that he was hung on a palm tree.

And they had a tradition

and they had this indication,

that any

person

who was hoisted onto a palm tree

who was hung on a palm tree [in a dream]—

would become a leader.

He would become a leader, because being hoisted onto a palm tree indicates raising one’s head and greatness.

Rabbi Hanina said

Rabbi Hanina:

This proves

from this dream that I dreamed, that

they wish to make him the leader.

Heaven wishes to make Rav the leader.

At that time Rabbi Hanina was the head of the academy in Eretz Yisrael, and he feared his imminent death, since one sovereignty does not encroach upon another.

And

therefore

he was not appeased, so that

in order

Rav would go

from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia,

and study

and learn

Torah in Babylonia,

where they would appoint him head of the academy.

The Sages taught:

A person is obligated to repent on Yom Kippur and to confess on it.

The time of

the mitzva of confession

is

on the eve of Yom Kippur,

after eating, once he has accepted upon himself the sanctity of Yom Kippur,

along with

before

nightfall.

However, the Sages said:

A person should advance his confession and

confess before he eats and drinks, lest his mind become confused

if he drinks wine and becomes intoxicated

at the

concluding meal.

And even though he confessed before he ate and drank,

during the afternoon prayer—he again

confesses after he eats and drinks, lest something untoward occur

to him

a corrupting matter

a sin

at the meal.

And even though he confessed

during the prayer of

the evening prayer—

he confesses in the morning.

And even though he again confessed

in the morning—

he should again

confess in the additional prayer.

In the additional prayer—

he confesses in the afternoon prayer; in the afternoon prayer—

he confesses in Ne'ila.

And where does he recite it

the confession?

An individual—

after his prayer.

And the prayer leader—

recites it in the middle,

in the middle blessing of the repetition of the prayer leader.

What does he say

with his confession?

Rav said:

The prayer

“You know the secrets of the universe.”

And Shmuel said:

The prayer

“From the depths of the heart”

[it is not known to us].

And Levi said: He recites

he recites

“And in Your Torah it is written, saying:

for on this day He shall atone for you.

Rabbi Yohanan said:

The prayer

“Master of the universe.”

“For not on account of our righteousness,” and so on.

Rabbi Yehuda said:

The prayer

“For our iniquities are too numerous to count, and our sins are too great to number.”

Rav Hamnuna said:

He says the following, thereby fulfilling the elements of repentance: remorse, shame, and acceptance for the future:

My God, before I was formed, I was unworthy

of being formed. And

now that I have been formed—

it is as though I had not been formed. I am dust in my lifetime; all the more so in my death.

Behold, I am before You like a vessel filled with shame and disgrace.

May it be Your will that I not sin; and as for what I have sinned, cleanse me through Your mercy, but not through suffering.

And this is

that is

Rava’s confession

Rava’s confession throughout

the entire year.

And

this is also his confession

of Rav Hamnuna the Younger on Yom Kippur.

Mar Zutra said: We said

that it is necessary to recite these prayers

only when he did not say, “But we have sinned.”

However,

if

he said, “But we have sinned,”

then

again

he does not need

to recite additional prayers.

For bar Hamdudi said: I was standing

I was standing

before Shmuel, and he was sitting.

And he was sitting.

And when

when he reached

the prayer leader and he said, “But we have sinned,”

Shmuel stood up

Shmuel and recited the confession standing.

He said,

bar Hamdudi:

This proves

from the fact that Shmuel stood when this was recited, that

the essential confession—

this is it

[this is it].

We learned there

in tractate Ta'anit, concerning the Ne'ila prayer:

Throughout the year, the priests lift their hands only during the morning prayer or the additional prayer, but not during the afternoon prayer, since it is the “time of drunkenness,” when people eat and drink wine, and a priest may not lift his hands when he is “intoxicated by wine.”

However,

on three occasions during the year the priests lift their hands

even during the afternoon prayer and the Ne'ila prayer.

And on Yom Kippur, on which there is also an additional prayer, they lift their hands

four times a day:

In the morning prayer, in the additional prayer, in the afternoon prayer, and at the closing of the gates

[the Ne'ila prayer].

And these are the three

the

occasions

on which the priests lift their hands also during the afternoon prayer and Ne'ila: 1.

On fasts

of the community for lack of rain.

2.

And at the ma'amadot,

when each city had “men of the watch,” who would gather for four days each week, fast, and read from the book of Genesis.

3.

And on Yom Kippur.

And the Gemara explains:

What is the closing of the gates?

Rav said: An additional prayer,

an Amidah prayer containing seven blessings, as we practice in the Ne'ila prayer.

And Shmuel said: They recite the prayer

they recite the prayer

“What are we, and what is our life?”

The Gemara raises an objection

to Shmuel from that which was taught in a baraita:

On the eve of Yom Kippur, one prays seven and confesses; in the morning prayer, one prays seven and confesses; in the additional prayer, one prays seven and confesses; in the afternoon prayer, one prays seven and confesses; in Ne'ila—

one prays seven and confesses!

[According to the version of the Gra]

and

he does not conclude the Ne'ila prayer with “Who sanctifies Israel and Yom Kippur,” but rather

concludes with the confession,

saying, “God who forgives,”

the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say: One prays seven,

and may conclude with “Who sanctifies Israel and Yom Kippur,”

but if he wishes to conclude with the confession—

he concludes.

Since the baraita explicitly states that the Ne'ila prayer is a seven-blessing prayer,

this is a refutation of Shmuel—

a conclusive refutation!

Ulla bar Rav descended

passed before the ark during the Ne'ila prayer

before Rava.

He began with “You have chosen us” and concluded with “What are we, and what is our life?”

And he praised him,

and Rava praised him for including Shmuel’s prayer in his prayer as well.

Rav Huna son of Rav Natan said: And an individual recites it

the prayer “What are we, and what is our life?”

after his prayer,

and not in the middle of it.

Rav said: The Ne'ila prayer exempts one from

the

evening prayer.

And the Gemara explains:

Rav follows his own reasoning, as he said:

Ne'ila

is an additional prayer,

since it is an additional Amidah prayer [whereas according to Shmuel it is the prayer “What are we,” and it does not exempt one from the evening prayer],

and once he has prayed it

having recited it—

then

again

he does not need

to recite the evening prayer.

And we challenge this:

Did Rav really say this

that Ne'ila exempts one from the evening prayer?

But Rav said: The halakha is in accordance with the one who says that the evening prayer is optional!

And if so, there is no need for the Ne'ila prayer to exempt one from it.

And we answer: Rav—

according to the view of the one who says

the evening prayer is

obligatory, he spoke.

The Gemara raises an objection

to Rav from that which was taught in a baraita:

On the eve

[the night]

of Yom Kippur, one prays seven and confesses.

In the morning, seven and confesses; in the additional prayer, seven and confesses; in Ne'ila, one prays seven and confesses.

The evening prayer

on the conclusion of Yom Kippur

one prays

a brief prayer that is

seven

blessings,

resembling the Eighteen,

called Havinenu, in which he includes all the blessings in the middle blessing, except for the first three and last three blessings, which he recites in full.

Rabbi Hanina ben Gamliel in the name of his forefathers

says:

He prays

on the conclusion of Yom Kippur

the Eighteen

blessings

in full!

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because he must recite Havdala in

the blessing of

“Who grants knowledge.”