Yoma 107

כל הדרה מאי כל הדרה חדרה אתה מאי אתה אומר אמר לו שאני אומר ארון במקומו נגנז שנאמר ויאריכו הבדים וגו'

all her splendour.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lam. I , 6.');">¹</span> What does 'all her splendour' mean? All that is enclosed within her.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hadarah (her inner chamber) ; i.e., all that is enclosed within Zion, in its Sanctuary, the Ark, etc.');">²</span>

אמר ליה רבה לעולא מאי משמע דכתיב (מלכים א ח, ח) ויהיו שם עד היום הזה וכל היכא דכתיב עד היום הזה לעולם הוא והכתיב (שופטים א, כא) ואת היבוסי יושב ירושלם לא הורישו בני בנימין וישב היבוסי את בני בנימין בירושלם עד היום הזה הכי נמי דלא גלו

) What do you say now? - He answered: l say that the Ark was hidden in its place, as it is said: 'And the staves were so long, etc.' Rabbah said to 'Ulla: How does it follow from this?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The inference that the Ark etc. was hidden in its place.');">³</span> - Because it is written: 'Unto this day'.

והתניא ר' יהודה אומר חמשים ושתים שנה לא עבר איש ביהודה שנאמר (ירמיהו ט, ט) על ההרים אשא בכי ונהי ועל נאות מדבר קינה כי נצתו מבלי איש עובר ולא שמעו קול מקנה מעוף השמים ועד בהמה נדדו הלכו בהמה בגימטריא חמשין ושתים הוו

But does the term 'Unto this day' mean everywhere 'forever'? Is it not written: And they [the children of Benjamin] did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Israelites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem, unto this day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judg. I, 21.');">⁴</span> Would you say here too that they did not go into exile?

ותניא ר' יוסי אומר שבע שנים נתקיימה גפרית ומלח בארץ ישראל ואמר רבי יוחנן מאי טעמא דרבי יוסי אתיא ברית ברית כתיב הכא (דניאל ט, כז) והגביר ברית לרבים שבוע אחד וכתיב התם (דברים כט, כד) ואמרו על אשר עזבו את ברית ה' אלהי אבותם

Surely it was taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shab. 145b.');">⁵</span> R'Judah said: For fifty-two years no human being passed as it is said: For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lamentation; because they are burned up, so that none passeth through, and they hear not the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled and gone,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. IX, 9.');">⁶</span> and the numerical<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The numerical value serves only as 'asmakta' or intimation. Rashi goes through a closely reasoned argument to account for the fifty-two years.');">⁷</span>

אמר ליה הכא כתיב שם התם לא כתיב שם וכל היכא דכתיב שם לעולם הוא מיתיבי (דברי הימים א ד, מב) ומהם מן בני שמעון הלכו להר שעיר אנשים חמש מאות ופלטיה ונעריה ורפיה ועוזיאל בני ישעי בראשם ויכו את שארית הפליטה לעמלק וישבו שם עד היום הזה

value of Behemah is fifty-two. Furthermore, R'Jose said: For seven years sulphur and salt prevailed in the land of Israel, and R'Johanan said: What is the basis of R'Jose's view? He infers it from the analogy of the words 'covenant', 'covenant'.

וכבר עלה סנחריב מלך אשור ובלבל כל הארצות שנאמר (ישעיהו י, יג) ואסיר גבולות עמים ועתודותיהם שושתי תיובתא

Here Scripture reads: And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. IX, 27.');">⁸</span> and in another place it is written: Then men shall say: Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXIX, 24; before that statement there is the reference to brimstone and salt: And that the whole land is brimstone and salt (v. 22) . Thus the severe punishment for the forsaking of the covenant is that sulphur and salt cover the land. 'One week' in Dan. IX means a week of years.');">⁹</span> - He answered: Here the word 'there' is used, there this expression<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of the Ark Scripture reads: ' There unto this day',implying for ever, whilst in the absence of 'there' in Judges I, 21, no such claim is made.');">¹⁰</span>

אמר רב נחמן תנא וחכמים אומרים ארון בלשכת דיר העצים היה גנוז אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק אף אנן נמי תנינא מעשה בכהן אחד שהיה מתעסק וראה רצפה משונה מחברותיה ובא והודיע את חבירו ולא הספיק לגמור את הדבר עד שיצתה נשמתו וידעו ביחוד ששם ארון גנוז

is not used. - Would you say that wherever the word 'there' is used, it implies 'forever', but the following objection can be raised: And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. And they smote the remnants of the Amalekites that escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Chron. IV, 42-3.');">¹¹</span>

מאי הוה עביד אמר רבי חלבו מתעסק בקרדומו היה תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל שני כהנים בעלי מומין היו מתליעין בעצים ונשמטה קרדומו של אחד מהם ונפלה שם ויצתה אש ואכלתו

But Sennacherib, King of Assyria, had come up already and confused all the lands as it is said: I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. X, 13. The King of Babylon boasts of his achievements. Hence the sons of Simeon could not have dwelt there 'forever.');">¹²</span> This is a refutation. R'Nahman said: It was taught that the Ark was hidden away in the Chamber of the wood-shed.

רב יהודה רמי כתיב (מלכים א ח, ח) ויראו ראשי הבדים וכתיב (מלכים א ח, ח) ולא יראו החוצה הא כיצד נראין ואין נראין תניא נמי הכי ויראו ראשי הבדים יכול לא יהו זזין ממקומן ת"ל ויאריכו הבדים יכול יהו מקרעין בפרוכת ויוצאין ת"ל ולא יראו החוצה

R'Nahman B'Isaac said: Thus were we also taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mish. Shek. VI, 2.');">¹³</span> It happened to a certain priest who was whiling away his time that he saw a block of pavement that was different from the others. He came and informed his fellow, but before he could complete his account, his soul departed.

הא כיצד דוחקין ובולטין ויוצאין בפרוכת ונראין כשני דדי אשה שנא' (שיר השירים א, יג) צרור המור דודי לי בין שדי ילין

Thus they knew definitely that the Ark was hidden there. What had he been doing?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To incur such punishment. The answer being that, unmindful of the reverence due to the Sanctuary, he had been playing around with his axe.');">¹⁴</span> R'Helbo said: He was playing with his axe.

אמר רב קטינא בשעה שהיו ישראל עולין לרגל מגללין להם את הפרוכת ומראין להם את הכרובים שהיו מעורים זה בזה ואומרים להן ראו חבתכם לפני המקום כחבת זכר ונקבה

The school of R'Ishmael taught: Two priests, afflicted with a blemish, were sorting the woods when the axe of one of them slipped from his hand and fell on that place, whereupon a flame burst forth and consumed him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' or 'it.'');">¹⁵</span> R'Judah contrasted the following passages: And the ends of the staves were seen<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings VIII, 8.');">¹⁶</span> and it is written but they could not be seen without<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings VIII, 8.');">¹⁶</span>

מתיב רב חסדא (במדבר ד, כ) ולא יבואו לראות כבלע את הקדש ואמר רב יהודה אמר רב בשעת הכנסת כלים לנרתק שלהם

- how is that possible? - They could be observed, but not actually seen. Thus was it also taught: 'And the ends of the staves were seen One might have assumed that they did not protrude from their place. To teach us [the fact] Scripture says: 'And the staves were so long'.

אמר רב נחמן משל לכלה כל זמן שהיא בבית אביה צנועה מבעלה כיון שבאתה לבית חמיה אינה צנועה מבעלה

One might assume that they tore the curtain and showed forth; to teach us [the fact] Scripture says: 'They could not be seen without'. How then? They pressed forth and protruded as the two breasts of a woman, as it is said: My beloved is unto me as a bag of myrrh, that lieth betwixt my breasts.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cant. I, 13.');">¹⁷</span>

מתיב רב חנא בר רב קטינא מעשה בכהן אחד שהיה מתעסק וכו' אמר ליה נתגרשה קא אמרת נתגרשה חזרו לחיבתה הראשונה

R'Kattina said: Whenever Israel came up to the Festival, the curtain would be removed for them and the Cherubim were shown to them, whose bodies were intertwisted with one another, and they would be thus addressed: Look! You are beloved before God as the love between man and woman. R'Hisda raised the following objection: But they shall not go in to see the holy things as they are being covered,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. IV, 20.');">¹⁸</span> in connection with which Rab Judah in the name of Rab said: It means at the time when the vessels are being put into their cases?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is said of the Levites in the wilderness, who, whilst carrying the vessels on their shoulders, were not permitted to look at them before they were covered. How much less would the Holy of Holies be profaned by being shown to the masses who had come to celebrate the Festival; the Cherubim being above the mercy-seat in the Holy of Holies.');">¹⁹</span>

במאי עסקינן אי נימא במקדש ראשון מי הואי פרוכת אלא במקדש שני מי הוו כרובים לעולם במקדש ראשון ומאי פרוכת פרוכת דבבי

- R'Nahman answered: That may be compared to a bride: As long as she is in her father's house, she is reserved in regard to her husband, but when she comes to her father-in-law's house, she is no more so reserved in regard to him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before marriage there is reserve, which is given up in marriage, to be assumed again when divorce has taken place. Israel in the wilderness is comparable to the bride in her father's home; in the Temple to the bride in her husband's care.');">²⁰</span> R'Hana son of R'Kattina raised the following objection: It happened with a priest who was whiling away his time<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which shews that the same reserve still obtains in the Temple.');">²¹</span> etc. - He was answered: You speak of a woman, who has been divorced.

דאמר רבי זירא אמר רב שלשה עשר פרוכות היו במקדש שבעה כנגד שבעה שערים שתים אחת לפתחו של היכל ואחת לפתחו של אולם שתים בדביר ושתים כנגדן בעליה

When she is divorced, she goes back to her earlier love.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to the reserve of original prenuptial state.');">²²</span> Of what circumstances are we treating here?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of what time speaks this account of the curtain being unrolled and the Cherubim shown to the pilgrims.');">²³</span> If we were to say the reference is to the first Sanctuary - but there was no curtain!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., between the Holy and the Holy of Holies, but a partition; v. supra 52b.');">²⁴</span>

רב אחא בר יעקב אמר לעולם במקדש שני וכרובים דצורתא הוו קיימי דכתיב (מלכים א ו, כט) ואת כל קירות הבית מסב קלע (מלכים א ו, לה) כרובים ותמרות ופטורי ציצים וצפה זהב מישר על המחוקה

If, again, the reference be to the second Sanctuary, but there were no Cherubim? - In truth the reference is to the first Sanctuary and as to 'curtain' the reference here means the curtain at t entrances, for R'Zera said in the name of Rab: There were thirteen curtains in the Sanctuary, seven facing the seven gates, two [more], one of which was at the entrance to the Hekal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">²⁵</span> the other at the entrance to the Ulam;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in the cubit space of partition between the Holy and the Holy of Holies.');">²⁶</span> two to the debir; two, corresponding to them, in the loft.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Just above the entrance to the Holy of Holies.');">²⁷</span>

וכתיב (מלכים א ז, לו) כמער איש ולויות מאי כמער איש ולויות אמר רבה בר רב שילא

R'Aha B'Jacob said: In truth the reference here is to the second Sanctuary, but it had painted Cherubim, as it is written: And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of Cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, within and without,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings VI, 29.');">²⁸</span> and he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 35.');">²⁹</span> And it is written also: According to the space of each, with loyoth [wreaths round about].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VII, 36.');">³⁰</span> What does 'according to the space of each with loyoth' mean? Rabbah son of R'Shilah said: