Yoma 146

שלא כסדר והחזירו לו כסדר וכיון שידע ששאל שלא כסדר חזר ושאל כסדר שנאמר (שמואל א כג, יב) היסגירו בעלי קעילה אותי ואת אנשי ביד שאול ויאמר ה' יסגירו

in wrong order and received his answer in right order.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He should have asked first: Will Saul come down? Then, Will they deliver me up?');">¹</span> And as soon as he knew that he had asked in wrong order, he asked again in right order, as it is said: Will the men of Keilah deliver up me and my men in to the hand of Saul?

ואם הוצרך הדבר לשנים מחזירין לו שנים שנאמר (שמואל א ל, ח) וישאל דוד בה' לאמר הארדוף אחרי הגדוד הזה האשיגנו ויאמר (ה') לו רדוף כי השג תשיג והצל תציל

And the Lord said.' They will deliver thee up.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. XXIII, 12.');">²</span>

ואף על פי שגזירת נביא חוזרת גזירת אורים ותומים אינה חוזרת שנאמר (במדבר כז, כא) במשפט האורים

But if the occasion required both questions, both were answered, as it is said: And David inquired of the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?

למה נקרא שמן אורים ותומים אורים שמאירין את דבריהן תומים שמשלימין את דבריהן

And He answered him: pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them and shalt without fail recover all.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXX, 8.');">³</span> And although the decree of a prophet could be revoked, the decree of the 'Urim and Thummim' could not be revoked, as it is said: By the judgment of the Urim.

וא"ת בגבעת בנימין מפני מה לא השלימו

Why were they called 'Urim and Thummim'? 'Urim' because they made their words enlightening.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Etym. 'Urim'- lights. 'Thummim'-tam-to be complete, perfect; here true, fulfilled.');">⁴</span> 'Thummim' because they fulfil their words.

הם שלא ביחנו אם לנצח אם להנצח ובאחרונה שביחנו הסכימו שנאמר (שופטים כ, כח) ופנחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן עומד לפניו בימים ההם לאמר האוסיף עוד לצאת למלחמה עם בני בנימין אחי אם אחדל ויאמר ה' עלו כי מחר אתננו בידך

And if you should ask: Why did they not fulfil their words in Gibeah Benjamin?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judg. XX.');">⁵</span> It is because they did not inquire<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The text of cur. edd. is not clear and the rendering follows the reading of MS.M. Rashi, on the basis of the present text, explains: They (the Urim and Thummim) did not state clearly, etc.].');">⁶</span>

כיצד נעשית רבי יוחנן אומר בולטות ריש לקיש אומר מצטרפות

[whether the result would be] victory or defeat.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The single question was who should lead them.');">⁷</span> But at last, when conquered, they [the Urim and Thummim] approved their action, as it is said: And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days, saying: 'Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? ' and the Lord said: Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver him into thy hand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judg. XX, 28.');">⁸</span>

והא לא כתיב בהו צד"י אמר רב שמואל בר יצחק אברהם יצחק ויעקב כתיב שם והא לא כתיב טי"ת אמר רב אחא בר יעקב שבטי ישורון כתיב שם

How was it effected? - R'Johanan said: [The letters] stood forth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The names of the twelve sons of Jacob were inscribed on the Urim and Thummim. The answer always came through the letters which stood in relief.');">⁹</span> Resh Lakish said: They joined each other.

מיתיבי כל כהן שאינו מדבר ברוח הקודש ושכינה שורה עליו אין שואלין בו שהרי שאל צדוק ועלתה לו אביתר ולא עלתה לו שנאמר (שמואל ב טו, כד) ויעל אביתר עד תום כל העם וגו'

But the 'Zade' was missing?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The names of the twelve sons did not include that letter.');">¹⁰</span> R'Samuel B'Isaac said: They contained also the names of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

סיועי הוה מסייע בהדייהו

But the 'Teth', too, was missing? - R'Aha B'Jacob said: They contained also the words: The 'tribes'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Hebrew of which includes a teth.');">¹¹</span> of Jeshurun.

ואין שואלין אלא למלך מנא הני מילי אמר רבי אבהו דאמר קרא (במדבר כז, כא) ולפני אלעזר הכהן יעמד ושאל לו במשפט האורים וגו' הוא זה מלך וכל [בני] ישראל אתו זה משוח מלחמה וכל העדה זו סנהדרין

An objection was raised: No priest was inquired of who does not speak by means of the Holy Spirit and upon whom the Divine Presence does not rest, for Zadok inquired and succeeded, whilst Abiathar inquired and failed, as it is said: But Abiathar went up until all the people had done passing out of the city?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XV, 24. [This is explained, that he retired from the priesthood because he received no reply from the Urim and Thummim. This in turn would indicate that it is the Holy Spirit resting on the priest that gives that reply and not the letters of the Oracle].');">¹²</span> - He helped along.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By the priests' merit the oracle came forth.');">¹³</span>

<br><br><big><strong>הדרן עלך בא לו כהן גדול</strong></big><br><br>

AND ONE INQUIRED ONLY FOR A KING. Whence do we know these things? - R'Abbahu said: Scripture said, And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXVII, 21.');">¹⁴</span>

מתני׳ <big><strong>יום</strong></big> הכפורים אסור באכילה ובשתיה וברחיצה ובסיכה ובנעילת הסנדל ובתשמיש המטה והמלך והכלה ירחצו את פניהם והחיה תנעול את הסנדל דברי רבי אליעזר וחכמים אוסרין

'he' i.e., the king, 'and all the children of Israel with him', i.e., the [priest] Anointed for Battle, all the congregation', that is the Sanhedrin. <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT IT IS FORBIDDEN TO EAT, TO DRINK, TO WASH, TO ANOINT ONESELF, TO PUT ON SANDALS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or any shoes of leather. Tosef. Yoma IV: 'Even cloth-shoes'.');">¹⁵</span>

האוכל ככותבת הגסה כמוה וכגרעינתה והשותה מלא לוגמיו חייב כל האוכלים מצטרפין לככותבת וכל המשקין מצטרפין למלא לוגמיו האוכל ושותה אין מצטרפין

OR TO HAVE MARITAL INTERCOURSE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The term literally means 'use of the bed'.');">¹⁶</span> A KING OR BRIDE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Within the first month after the wedding.');">¹⁷</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אסור ענוש כרת הוא אמר רבי אילא ואיתימא רבי ירמיה לא נצרכה אלא לחצי שיעור

MAY WASH THE FACE, AND A WOMAN AFTER CHILDBIRTH<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'one reconvalescing', whose health is still delicate and to whom a cold may prove dangerous. Leather shoes will protect her against such contingency.');">¹⁸</span> MAY PUT ON SANDALS.

הניחא למאן דאמר חצי שיעור אסור מן התורה אלא למאן דאמר חצי שיעור מותר מן התורה מאי איכא למימר דאיתמר חצי שיעור

THIS IS THE VIEW OF R'ELIEZER'THE SAGES, HOWEVER, FORBID IT. IF ONE EATS THE BULK OF A LARGE DATE, THE LIKE THEREOF, WITH ITS STONE INCLUDED, OR IF HE DRANK A MOUTHFUL, HE IS CULPABLE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. XXIII, 29.');">¹⁹</span>

רבי יוחנן אמר אסור מן התורה ריש לקיש אמר מותר מן התורה הניחא לרבי יוחנן אלא לריש לקיש מאי איכא למימר מודה ריש לקיש שאסור מדרבנן

ANY FOODS COMPLEMENT ONE ANOTHER IN MAKING UP THE BULK OF A DATE, AND ALL THE LIQUIDS COMPLEMENT ONE ANOTHER IN MAKING UP A MOUTHFUL, BUT WHAT A MAN EATS AND DRINKS DOES NOT GO TOGETHER.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To make up the culpable quantity.');">²⁰</span> <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>[Merely] FORBIDDEN?

אי הכי לא ניחייב עליה קרבן שבועה אלמא תנן שבועה שלא אוכל ואכל נבילות וטריפות שקצים ורמשים חייב ורבי שמעון פוטר

But surely punished with extirpation?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The term forbidden may mean: either unlawful but, de facto, unpunished; or normally: punished with lashes. But transgression by eating would be punished with extirpation, kareth (v. Glos.) .');">²¹</span> - R'Ela, or as some say, R'Jeremiah, said: This refers only to less than the legal quantity.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'half the standard'. The usual legal quantity of forbidden foods is the bulk of an olive; on the Day of Atonement, the bulk of a big date. Any less than that, though the eating thereof does not involve one in the prescribed punishment, nevertheless constitutes a transgression. That is what the Mishnah indicates by the term 'forbidden' i.e., in any quantity.');">²²</span>

והוינן בה אמאי חייב מושבע ועומד מהר סיני הוא רב ושמואל ורבי יוחנן דאמרי בכולל דברים המותרים עם דברים האסורין

That will be right according to the view that even less than legal quantity is for - bidden by the law of the Torah, but what can be said according to the view that less than the legal quantity is permitted by the law of the Torah? For it was said: As for less than the legal quantity, R'Johanan holds it forbidden by the law of the Torah, but Resh Lakish considers it permitted by the law of the Torah.

וריש לקיש אמר אי אתה מוצא אלא במפרש חצי שיעור ואליבא דרבנן או בסתם

Now [the above answer] would be right according to R'Johanan, but what can be said according to Resh Lakish? - Resh Lakish would agree that [less than the legal quantity] is forbidden by [decree of] the Rabbis.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even though less than the legal minimum does not involve punishment according to Biblical law, or indeed, may not be forbidden at all, Rabbinical law, as a fence around the laws of the Torah, may declare less than a minimum forbidden, or punishable, too. The dispute between R. Johanan and Resh Lakish would hinge on the question as to whether forbidden foods are so considered in any quantity, however small, or whether the term 'eating' etc. implies a definite minimum below which no transgression at all can be said to have taken place.');">²³</span> If that be the case, one should not be liable on account thereof to offe a sacrifice for an oath,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e.,if someone has sworn that he would not eat less than the legal quantity of a forbidden food. Since that food is forbidden, he has, as it were, already sworn on Mount Sinai, not to eat it; the present oath, therefore, has no force, for the transgression of which no sin-offering is necessary (v. Shebu. 27a) .');">²⁴</span> why then did we learn:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shebu. 21a.');">²⁵</span> [If one had sworn] an oath not to eat carrion, trefah things,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word trefah. lit., 'torn', means any kind of abnormal, irregular, ritually inadmissible food. Nebelah 'carrion' refers to the flesh of animals which had died a natural death, or in connection with the ritual slaughtering of which a basic mistake or irregularity had been committed.');">²⁶</span> abominable<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XI, 11, 31, 42, 46.');">²⁷</span> or creeping things, and then had eaten thereof, he is culpable? R'Simeon holds him not culpable. And we raised the point in connection therewith: Why should he be culpable? Surely he stands committed to the oath<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Israel swore their allegiance to the Torah, and that oath binds every Israelite.');">²⁸</span> from Mount Sinai on! [And] Rab, Samuel and R'Johanan [in reply] said [it is a case] when he includes things permitted in the oath touching foods forbidden,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Had he sworn not to eat forbidden things, such oaths would imply his non-culpability in case of transgression, i.e., as far as the oath is concerned. But, by including things permitted, he swears an oath, the effect of which is to prohibit for him the eating of otherwise permissible foods. Hence the transgression implies the obligation of sacrifice.');">²⁹</span> whereas Resh Lakish said: This cannot be explained except where he either expressly refers to less than the legal quantity, and that in accord with the view of the Sages,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sages hold that an oath 'I will not eat a certain thing' implies 'l will not eat as much as the legal minimum', hence he could be guilty in the case of having eaten less than that only if he had expressly stated: I shall not eat anything at all of that food, his special declaration investing his oath with validity in the case of an infinitesimal amount of the food now forbidden to himself.');">³⁰</span> or that he made a general statement