Yoma 3

מתני׳ <big><strong>שבעת</strong></big> ימים קודם יום הכפורים מפרישין כהן גדול מביתו ללשכת פרהדרין ומתקינין לו כהן אחר תחתיו שמא יארע בו פסול

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>SEVEN DAYS BEFORE THE DAY OF ATONEMENT THE HIGH PRIEST WAS REMOVED FROM HIS HOUSE TO THE CELL OF THE COUNSELLORS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Parhedrin (Gr. **) , assessors, counselors. V. infra 8b. [According to Abba Saul (Mid. V, 4 cf. Bertinoro a.l.) it was identical with the wood chamber on the south of the Temple Court. It has also been identified with the Chamber of Hewn Stones, the seat of the Sanhedrin. V. Buchler, Das Synedrion, p. 23ff]');">¹</span> AND ANOTHER PRIEST WAS PREPARED TO TAKE HIS PLACE IN CASE ANYTHING<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Impurity.');">²</span> HAPPENED TO HIM [THE HIGH PRIEST] THAT WOULD UNFIT HIM [FOR THE SERVICE].

ר' יהודה אומר אף אשה אחרת מתקינין לו שמא תמות אשתו שנאמר (ויקרא טז, ו) וכפר בעדו ובעד ביתו ביתו זו אשתו אמרו לו אם כן אין לדבר סוף:

R'JUDAH SAID: ALSO ANOTHER WIFE WAS PREPARED FOR HIM IN CASE HIS WIFE SHOULD DIE. FOR IT IS WRITTEN,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVI, 6.');">³</span> AND HE SHALL MAKE ATONEMENT FOR HIMSELF AND FOR HIS HOUSE.'

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> תנן התם שבעת ימים קודם שריפת הפרה היו מפרישין כהן השורף את הפרה מביתו ללשכה שעל פני הבירה צפונה מזרחה ולשכת בית האבן היתה נקראת ולמה נקרא שמה לשכת בית האבן שכל מעשיה בכלי גללים בכלי אבנים ובכלי אדמה

HIS HOUSE THAT MEANS 'HIS WIFE'. THEY SAID TO HIM: IF SO THERE WOULD BE NO END TO THE MATTER.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His second wife too might die.');">⁴</span> <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>We learned elsewhere: Seven days before the burning of the [red] heifer<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XIX, 2.');">⁵</span>

מאי טעמא כיון דטבול יום כשר בפרה דתנן מטמאין היו הכהן השורף את הפרה ומטבילין אותו להוציא מלבן של צדוקין שהיו אומרים במעורבי השמש היתה נעשית

the priest who was to burn the heifer was removed from his house to the cell in the north-eastern corner before the Birah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Temple. V. I Chron. XXIX, 1. J. Pes. 35a; Zeb. 119a.');">⁶</span> It was called the cell of the stone chamber.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Mishnah Parah omits 'cell'.]');">⁷</span> And why was it called the cell of the stone chamber?

תקינו לה רבנן כלי גללים כלי אבנים וכלי אדמה דלא ליקבלו טומאה כי היכי דלא ליזלזלו בה

Because all its functions [in connection with the red heifer] had to be performed only in vessels made of either cobble-stones,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'vessels made of dung'.');">⁸</span> stone or earthenware. What was the reason [for that restriction]?

מאי שנא צפונה מזרחה כיון דחטאת היא וחטאת טעונה צפונה וכתיב בה (במדבר יט, ד) אל נכח פני אהל מועד תקינו לה רבנן לשכה צפונה מזרחה כי היכי דלהוי לה היכירא

Since a tebul-yom<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'one who has bathed in the daytime (but must wait for sunset to be perfectly clean) '. The Sadducees would exclude him from service at either ceremony until after sunset.');">⁹</span> was permitted to [perform the ceremony of] the heifer, as we have learnt:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Parah III, 7.');">¹⁰</span> They [deliberately] rendered the priest ritually impure to remove [a false notion] from the minds of the Sadducees, who used to say: 'Only by those on whom the sun has set could it be performed', the Rabbis ordained that only vessels made of cobble-stones, stone, or earthenware which are immune to impurity - should be used in connection with the heifer, lest the ceremony thereof be treated slightly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Due to the feeling that since a tebul-yom was admitted, its degree of sanctity may not be too high.');">¹¹</span>

מאי בירה אמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן מקום היה בהר הבית ובירה שמו ור"ל אמר כל המקדש כולו קרוי בירה שנאמר (דברי הימים א כט, יט) הבירה אשר הכינותי

Why [was the ceremony performed] in the north-eastern corner? - Since the heifer was a sin-offering<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is a 'hattath', this word meaning here purification, may also he translated as 'sin-offering'. Num. XIX, 9');">¹²</span> and a sin-offering had to be sacrificed in the northern corner, whereas, on the other hand, it is written about the heifer,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' lbid. XIX, 4.');">¹³</span> Towards the front of the tent of meeting,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lying east.');">¹⁴</span>

מנא הני מילי א"ר מניומי בר חלקיה א"ר מחסיא בר אידי א"ר יוחנן אמר קרא (ויקרא ח, לד) כאשר עשה ביום הזה צוה ה' לעשות לכפר עליכם לעשות אלו מעשי פרה לכפר אלו מעשי יום הכפורים

the Rabbis ordained [for the heifer] a cell in the northeastern corner, so that [the special importance of this ceremony] be clearly recognized. What is Birah? - Rabbah B'Bar Hana in the name of R'Johanan said: There was a place on the Temple mount called Birah. Resh Lakish said: The whole sanctuary is called Birah, as it is written, And to build the Birah for which I have made provision.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Chron. XXIX, 19.');">¹⁵</span>

בשלמא כוליה קרא בפרה לא מתוקם לכפר כתיב ופרה לאו בת כפרה היא אלא אימא כוליה קרא ביום הכפורים כתיב

Whence is it proved<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Both for the service of the Day of Atonement and the red heifer ceremony.');">¹⁶</span> that it is necessary to remove the priest [from his house]? - R'Minyumi B'Hilkiah in the name of R'Mahsiah B'Idi, in the name of R'Johanan said: The text reads:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With reference to the seven days of the consecration of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.');">¹⁷</span> As hath been done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. VIII, 34.');">¹⁸</span>

אמרי יליף צוה צוה כתיב הכא צוה ה' לעשות וכתיב התם (במדבר יט, ב) זאת חקת התורה אשר צוה ה' לאמר מה להלן פרה אף כאן פרה ומה כאן פרישה אף להלן פרישה

the work la'asoth [to do] refers to th matter of the [red] heifer, the words lekapper 'alekem [to make atonement for you] refer to the work of the Day of Atonement. It is obvious that the whole of this text could not be taken as referring to the heifer, because of the words 'to atone' and the heifer has nothing to do with atonement. But let us assume that the whole text<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');">¹⁹</span> refers to the Day of Atonement? - They said [in answer to this suggestion]: One may infer from, the fact that the identical expression ziwwah [he commanded] is used.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the Rabbinic inference from analogy, gezerah shawah, v. Glos.');">²⁰</span> Here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In connection with the consecration ceremonies.');">²¹</span> it is written: The Lord ziwwah [commanded] to do,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. VIII, 34.');">²²</span> and there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In connection with the red heifer.');">²³</span> it is written: This is the statute of the law which the Lord ziwwah [has commanded]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XIX, 2.');">²⁴</span> just as in the latter [passage ziwwah] refers to the heifer, so does it in the former refe the heifer, and just as the removal [of the priest is enjoined] in the one, so must the removal [of the priest apply] to the other.