Commentary for Yoma 154:17

אמר ר' פנחס משום רב הונא צפוראה מעין היוצא מבית קדשי הקדשים בתחילה דומה לקרני חגבים כיון שהגיע לפתח היכל נעשה כחוט של שתי כיון שהגיע לאולם נעשה כחוט של ערב כיון שהגיע אל פתח עזרה נעשה כפי פך קטן והיינו דתנן ראב"י אומר מים

R'Joseph demurred: But, even on a weekday is such action permitted?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To walk through water up to one's neck.');">¹⁶</span> Does not Scripture say: He measured a thousand cubits and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XLVII, 3.');">¹⁷</span> hence we infer that it is permitted to pass through water up to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were up to the knees;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 4.');">¹⁸</span> hence we learn that it is permitted to pass through waters up to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through waters that were to the loins;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 4.');">¹⁸</span> hence we know that it is permissible to pass through water up to the loins. Henceforth: Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I would not pass through.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 5.');">¹⁹</span> Abaye said: It is different with a river whose waters run rapidly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As with the river, coming from the Holy of Holies; but this is no precedent.');">²⁰</span> One might have assumed that it is permissible to swim across such a river, therefore the text reads: For the waters were risen, waters to swim in.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 5.');">¹⁹</span> What does 'sahu' mean? - 'Swim', for a swimmer is called 'sayaha'. One might have assumed that it is permissible to pass through such [river] in a small Liburnian boat, therefore the text reads: Wherein, shall go no galley with oars.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXXIII, 21.');">²¹</span> One might have assumed that one may cross it in a big Liburnian ship, therefore Scripture says: Neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As with the river, coming from the Holy of Holies; but this is no precedent.');">²⁰</span> How does that follow from the text? - As R'Joseph interprets it: No fisher's boat goes thereon, no big boat traverses it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Targum on Prophets a.l.');">²²</span> R'Judah B'Pazzi said: Even the Angel of Death has no permission to cross it, for here it is said: 'Wherein shall go no galley with oars [shayit].'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job I, 7. The argument is based on the analogy of expression. The conditions attaching to the 'shayit' in Isaiah inferred from Ezekiel apply also to shut in Job. Hence, just as there it is forbidden, by inference, to cross the river, so may the Angel of Death, as another shayit not do so either.');">²³</span> and there it reads: From going [shut] to and fro in the earth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job I, 7. The argument is based on the analogy of expression. The conditions attaching to the 'shayit' in Isaiah inferred from Ezekiel apply also to shut in Job. Hence, just as there it is forbidden, by inference, to cross the river, so may the Angel of Death, as another shayit not do so either.');">²³</span> R'Phinehas in the name of R'Huna of Sepphoris said: The spring that issues from the Holy of Holies in its beginning resembles the antennae of locusts; as it reaches the entrance to the Sanctuary it becomes as the thread of the warp; as it reaches the Ulam,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Main Hall leading into the interior of the Sanctuary.');">²⁴</span> it becomes as the thread of the woof; as it reaches the entrance to the [Temple] court, it becomes as large as the mouth of a small flask, that is meant by what we learned: R'Eliezer B'Jacob said: [Hence] go forth the waters

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