Yoma 105

שלא תתחיל מפניך שמא תכוה

not to start in front of thee lest thou be burnt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The incense which he had heaped up towards his end and which burns continually may touch his arm and burn it whilst he is working it towards the other side.');">¹</span> Our Rabbis taught: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVI, 13.');">²</span>

ת"ר (ויקרא טז, יג) ונתן את הקטורת על האש לפני ה' שלא יתקן מבחוץ ויכניס להוציא מלבן של צדוקין שאומרים יתקן מבחוץ ויכניס

i.e., he must not put it i order outside and thus bring it in. [This is] to remove the error from the minds of the Sadducees who said: He must prepare it without, and bring it in.

מאי דרוש (ויקרא טז, ב) כי בענן אראה על הכפורת מלמד שיתקן מבחוץ ויכניס

What is their interpretation? - For I appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sadduceans in literal translation have this interpretation: 'I, the Lord, am to be visited', i.e., seen, in the Holy of Holies, in the cloud of the smoke of incense, which must be a cloud, i.e., prepared outside, so that when, in the Holy of Holies I am seen, it is in the cloud of incense, all ready and rising up, as the high priest enters.');">³</span> 'that teaches us that he prepares it outside and brings it in'.

אמרו להם חכמים והלא כבר נאמר ונתן את הקטורת על האש לפני ה' אם כן מה ת"ל כי בענן אראה על הכפורת

The Sages said to them: But it i said already 'And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which clearly shows that the incense is put in the fire inside.');">⁴</span> If so for what purpose then is it stated 'For I appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover'?

מלמד שנותן בה מעלה עשן ומניין שנותן בה מעלה עשן שנאמר (ויקרא טז, יג) וכסה ענן הקטורת את הכפורת הא לא נתן בה מעלה עשן או שחיסר אחת מכל סמניה חייב מיתה

It comes to teach us that he puts into it a smoke-raiser.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The name of a plant used as an ingredient of the incense and whose effect lay in achieving a straight rising smoke.');">⁵</span> - Whence do we know that he must put a smoke-raiser into it? - Because it is said: So that the cloud of the incense may cover the ark-cover.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVI, 13.');">⁶</span>

ותיפוק ליה דקא מעייל ביאה ריקנית

But if he did not put a smoke-raiser into it, or that he omitted one of its spices he is liable to death. But [why not] infer this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That he is culpable if he omitted one of its ingredients.');">⁷</span>

אמר רב ששת הכא במאי עסקינן כגון ששגג בביאה והזיד בהקטרה

from the fact that he effected an entrance for no purpose.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That is indicated already by the passage in Lev. XVI,2: That he come not at all times ... lest he die, which indicates that a fruitless entrance incurs such penalty, hence no additional source of that law is necessary.');">⁸</span> R'Shesheth said: We speak here of the case that he was in error about the entrance,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To which no penalty of death is attached.');">⁹</span>

רב אשי אמר אפילו תימא הזיד בזו ובזו כגון דעייל שתי הקטרות אחת שלימה ואחת חסירה אביאה לא מיחייב דהא עייל ליה שלימה אהקטרה מיחייב דקא מקטר קטורת חסירה

but deliberate in omitting the spice. R'Ashi said: You might even set the case when he was deliberate with regard to both but [here we deal with the case] where he brought in two incenses, one incomplete, the other defective, so that he is not guilty because of the purposeless entrance because he had offered up a perfect incense, but he is guilty in regard to the incense because he had offered up one defective incense.

אמר מר ומניין שנותן בה מעלה עשן ת"ל וכסה קרא לקרא

The Master had said: 'Whence is it known that he must place a smoke-raiser into it? To teach us that, it is said: "So that [the cloud] may cover etc. "<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The incense without the smoke-raiser could not possibly effect such 'covering'.');">¹⁰</span>

אמר רב יוסף הכי קאמר אין לי אלא עלה מעלה עשן עיקר מעלה עשן מניין ת"ל וכסה

[What need of] one scriptural verse added to another?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the passage 'For in the cloud, etc.' we inferred the necessity of the smokeraiser, why then an additional verse?');">¹¹</span> - Said R'Joseph: This is what is meant: From here I know only about the leaf of the smoke-raiser, whence do I know about the root?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whether the roots or the leaf achieved the straight smoke. R. Joseph holds that the leaves had such property, Abaye attributed that quality to the root.');">¹²</span>

א"ל אביי והא איפכא תניא דתניא נתן בה עיקר מעלה עשן היה מתמר ועולה כמקל עד שמגיע לשמי קורה כיון שהגיע לשמי קורה ממשמש ויורד בכותלים עד שנתמלא הבית עשן. שנאמר (ישעיהו ו, ד) והבית ימלא עשן

To teach us that Scripture said: 'So that it may cover [etc.]'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Cover' may refer to the capacity to just cover the ark-cover, but not to rise above it.');">¹³</span> Said Abaye to him: But the opposite has been taught; for it was taught: If when he put in the root of the smoke-raiser, it would rise up straight like a stick until it reached the ceiling beams; as soon as it reached the beams of the ceiling it would come slowly down the walls until the house became full of smoke, as it is said: And the house was filled with smoke?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. VI, 4. This proves that the root is more effective for producing the straight smoke.');">¹⁴</span>

אלא אמר אביי הכי קאמר אין לי אלא עיקר מעלה עשן עלה מעלה עשן מניין ת"ל וכסה

- Rather, said Abaye, this is what it means: Now I know only about the root of the smoke-raiser, whence do I know also about its leaf? To teach us that Scripture said: 'So that it may cover [etc.]'.

רב ששת אמר אין לי אלא אהל מועד שבמדבר שילה ובית עולמים מניין ת"ל וכסה

R'Shesheth said: I know only about the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness; whence do I know about Shiloh and the eternal Sanctuary? To teach us that Scripture said: 'So that it may cover [etc.]' But that we infer from And so shall he do for the Tent of Meeting, that dwelleth with them?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVI, 16, i.e., wherever he shall dwell with them, shall they do this.');">¹⁵</span>

האי (ויקרא טז, טז) מוכן יעשה לאהל מועד השוכן אתם נפקא

- Rather is this meant: Now I know about the Day of Atonement,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The portion of the Torah refers to the Day of Atonement.');">¹⁶</span> whence do I know about the other days of the year?

אלא הכי קאמר אין לי אלא ביום הכפורים בשאר ימות השנה מניין ת"ל וכסה

To teach us that, Scripture said: 'So that it may cover [etc.]'. R'Ashi said: One [passage] refers to the commandment, the other to its indispensableness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'So that it may cover' is the command. He shall not come at all times ... for in a cloud shall I appear - and not otherwise is the prohibition that the incense is indispensable.');">¹⁷</span>

רב אשי אמר חד למצוה וחד לעכב רבא אמר חד לעונש וחד לאזהרה

Raba said: One refers to the penalty incurred, the other to the prohibition.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'warning'.');">¹⁸</span> It was taught: R'Eliezer said: That he die not,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVI, 13.');">¹⁹</span>

תניא ר"א אומר ולא ימות עונש כי בענן אראה אזהרה

i.e., the penalty, For I appear in the cloud, i.e., the prohibit I might have assumed that both were stated before the death of the sons of Aaron,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who died in expiation of their sin; and thus assumed it was their neglect to put the smoke-raiser into the incense.');">²⁰</span> to teach us [the true fact it is written: After the death of the two sons of Aaron.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVI, 1.');">²¹</span>

יכול יהיו שניהם אמורין קודם מיתת בני אהרן ת"ל (ויקרא טז, א) אחרי מות שני בני אהרן יכול יהיו שניהם אמורים אחר מיתת שני בני אהרן ת"ל כי בענן אראה על הכפורת הא כיצד אזהרה קודם מיתה ועונש אחר מיתה

One might assume that both were said after the death of the two sons of Aaron; to teach us [the true fact] it is written: 'For I will appear in the cloud upon ark-cover.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is the literal rendering.');">²²</span> How is that [to be explained]?

מאי תלמודא אמר רבא אמר קרא כי בענן אראה ועדיין לא נראה ואלא מ"ט איענוש

The prohibition [was stated] before the death, the penalty after the death. - How is this inference made?

כדתניא ר"א אומר לא מתו בני אהרן אלא על שהורו הלכה בפני משה רבן מאי דרוש ( ויקרא א, ז) ונתנו בני אהרן הכהן אש על המזבח אע"פ שהאש יורדת מן השמים מצוה להביא מן ההדיוט

Raba said: 'For I will appear in the cloud' - but He had not appeared<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., when this scriptural verse was uttered the Lord had not appeared yet. But if the reference were to a time after the death of the two sons of Aaron, He would have appeared already, namely on exactly that day, as it is said: And the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. (Lev. IX, 23) .');">²³</span> yet.

יצא ובא לו דרך כניסתו מנא הני מילי א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן אמר קרא (דברי הימים ב א, יג) ויבא שלמה לבמה אשר בגבעון ירושלם וכי מה ענין גבעון אצל ירושלים

Then why were they punished? - As it was taught: R'Eliezer said: The sons of Aaron died only because they decided a question of law in the presence of Moses their Master. What was it they decided? - And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 7.');">²⁴</span>

אלא מקיש יציאתו מגבעון לירושלים לביאתו מירושלים לגבעון מה ביאתו מירושלים לגבעון פניו כלפי במה כדרך ביאתו אף יציאתו מגבעון לירושלים פניו כלפי במה כדרך ביאתו

[means] although the fire was coming down from heaven<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 21b.');">²⁵</span> yet was it obligatory to bring private<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although their decision was correct, they incurred penalty for their presumptuousness in rendering a decision before their master, instead of requesting him to render it for them.');">²⁶</span>

וכן כהנים בעבודתן ולוים בדוכנן וישראל במעמדן כשהן נפטרין לא היו מחזירין פניהן והולכין אלא מצדדין פניהן והולכין

fire. HE CAME OUT BY THE WAY HE ENTERED: Whence is this known? - Said R'Samuel B'Nahmani in the name of R'Jonathan: Scripture said: So Solomon came to the high place that was at Gibeon, [unto] Jerusalem.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Chron. I, 13.');">²⁷</span>

וכן תלמיד הנפטר מרבו לא יחזיר פניו וילך אלא מצדד פניו והולך כי הא דר' אלעזר כד הוה מיפטר מיניה דר' יוחנן כד הוה בעי ר' יוחנן לסגויי הוה גחין קאי ר' אלעזר אדוכתיה עד דהוה מיכסי ר' יוחנן מיניה

What has Gibeon to do with Jerusalem?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The indeterminate 'Jerusalem' in the text is ambiguous and therefore invites ad hoc interpretation.');">²⁸</span> Rather, [Scripture] compares his departure from Gibeon towards Jerusalem with his entrance from Jerusalem into Gibeon, i.e., just as when he entered Gibeon from Jerusalem his face was directed towards the high place, in the same way as he had come in; in the same manner as he left Gibeon for Jerusalem his face was turned toward the high place even in the same way as when he had come in.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the text means: In the same manner as Solomon journeyed to Gibeon, so did he proceed on his return journey from Gibeon to Jerusalem.');">²⁹</span>

וכד הוה בעי ר' אלעזר לסגויי הוה קא אזיל לאחוריה עד דמכסי מיניה דרבי יוחנן רבא כד הוה מיפטר מיניה דרב יוסף הוה אזיל לאחוריה עד דמנגפן כרעיה ומתווסן אסקופתא דבי רב יוסף דמא

In similar manner the priests as they ministered, the Levites on their service, the Israelites on their posts<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ta'an. 24a.');">³⁰</span> - as they left they would not turn their face back, to go out, but would turn their face sideways to leave. Thus also a disciple taking leave of his master, must not turn his face back to go away, but must turn sideways to depart. As was the case with R'Eleazar, whenever he took leave of R'Johanan: if R'Johanan wanted to leave, R'Eleazar would stand on his place, the head bowed, until R'Johanan disappeared from his sight but when R'Eleazar wished to take leave he would walk backwards until he disappeared from the sight of R'Johanan. When Raba was about to take leave of R'Joseph he would go backwards, so that his feet were bruised and the threshold of the house of R'Joseph was stained with blood.