Yoma 38

מי איכא מידי דאנן לא מצינן למעבד ושלוחי דידן מצו עבדי הכי קאמרי ליה משביעין אנו עליך על דעתינו ועל דעת בית דין

is there anything that we ourselves are unable to perform<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ned. 35a. Prohibiting the making of gestures whilst reading the Shema'.');">¹</span> and our messengers can perform?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Permitting the making of gestures.');">²</span> - Rather this is what they said to him: We adjure you according to our mind and in the mind of the Beth din.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [He is addressed as 'Our Messenger' only in respect of this adjuration, i.e., to impress on him that he must take the oath in the sense as understood by them. (V. Ned. 24b-25a) .]');">³</span>

הוא פורש ובוכה והן פורשין ובוכין וכו' הוא פורש ובוכה שחשדוהו צדוקי והם פורשין ובוכין דא"ר יהושע בן לוי כל החושד בכשרים לוקה בגופו

HE TURNED ASIDE AND WEPT AND THEY TURNED ASIDE AND WEPT. He turned aside and wept because they suspected him of being a Sadducee,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sadducees held that the high priest should prepare the incense on the fire pan before entering the Holy of Holies so that he would enter it with the pan asmoke. Many priests were suspected of adhering to that sect, hence the necessity of that solemn adjuration that the high priest would make no change.');">⁴</span> and they turned aside and wept, for R'Joshua B'Levi said: Whosoever suspects good folks will suffer [for it] on his own body.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The text for this teaching is Ex. IV, I and 6. Moses had 'suspected' Israel of disbelieving the message of the Lord, when he would bring it to them, hence he was smitten with leprosy. But the leprosy there was neither meant as punishment, nor abiding, the verses are used illustratively rather than logically for the present purpose.');">⁵</span>

וכל כך למה שלא יתקן מבחוץ ויכניס כדרך שהצדוקין עושין

Why was all this [solemn adjuration] necessary? Lest he arrange the incense outside and thus bring it in, in the manner of the Sadducees.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 53a.');">⁶</span> Our Rabbis taught: There was a Sadducee who had arranged the incense without, and then brought it inside.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Into the Holy 'of Holies.');">⁷</span>

ת"ר מעשה בצדוקי אחד שהתקין מבחוץ והכניס ביציאתו היה שמח שמחה גדולה פגע בו אביו אמר לו בני אף על פי שצדוקין אנו מתיראין אנו מן הפרושים אמר לו כל ימי הייתי מצטער על המקרא הזה (ויקרא טז, ב) כי בענן אראה על הכפורת אמרתי מתי יבוא לידי ואקיימנו עכשיו שבא לידי לא אקיימנו

As he left he was exceedingly glad. On his coming out his father met him and said to him: My son, although we are Sadducees, we are afraid of the Pharisees. He replied: All my life was I aggrieved because of this scriptural verse: For I appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVI, 2.');">⁸</span>

אמרו לא היו ימים מועטין עד שמת והוטל באשפה והיו תולעין יוצאין מחוטמו ויש אומרים ביציאתו ניגף דתני רבי חייא כמין קול נשמע בעזרה שבא מלאך וחבטו על פניו ונכנסו אחיו הכהנים ומצאו ככף רגל עגל בין כתפיו שנאמר (יחזקאל א, ז) ורגליהם רגל ישרה וכף רגליהם ככף רגל עגל

I would say: When shall the opportunity come to my hand so that I might fulfil it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sadducees interpreted the passage: For I appear in the cloud, as if it said: For I am to be seen only with the cloud (of the incense) upon the ark-cover. The whole verse, according to them is to mean: Let him not come into the holy place except with the cloud (of incense) , for only thus, with the cloud, am I to be seen on the ark-cover. Hence the Sadducees' effort to enter the Holy of Holies with the fire pan asmoke, prepared and lit outside.');">⁹</span> Now that such opportunity has come to my hand, should I not have fulfilled it? It is reported that it took only a few days until he died and was thrown on the dungheap and worms came forth from his nose.

א"ר זכריה בן קבוטל וכו' מתני ליה רב חנן בר רבא לחייא בר רב קמיה דרב א"ר זכריה בן קפוטל ומחוי ליה רב בידיה קבוטל ונימא ליה מימר ק"ש הוה קרי

Some say: He was smitten as he came out [of the Holy of Holies]. For R'Hiyya taught: Some sort of a noise was heard in the Temple Court, for an angel had come and struck him down on his face [to the ground] and his brethren the priests came in and they found the trace as of a calf's foot on his shoulder,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [The high priest, in coming out of the Holy of Holies, walked backward so as not to turn his back on the Holy of Holies (v. infra 52b) . When he reached the threshold and his back first emerged behind the curtain, the angel who was outside the curtain struck him on his back between the shoulders and threw him down, making him fall forward into the Holy of Holies with his face to the ground. There he lay till his brother priests came and threw him out. Cf. J. Yoma, I, 5. Lauterbach J.Z. HUCA IV, p. 193.]');">¹⁰</span> as it is written: And their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their fe was like the sole of a calf's foot.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. I, 7. That trace is the 'evidence' that an angel had struck him, kicked him with his foot. The 'four living creatures' are identified with angels.');">¹¹</span>

וכי האי גוונא מי שרי והא"ר יצחק בר שמואל בר מרתא הקורא את שמע לא ירמוז בעיניו ולא יקרוץ בשפתותיו ולא יורה באצבעותיו ותניא רבי אלעזר חסמא אומר הקורא את שמע ומרמז בעיניו ומקרץ בשפתותיו ומראה באצבעו עליו הכתוב אומר (ישעיהו מג, כב) ולא אותי קראת יעקב

R'ZECHARIAH, THE SON OF KEBUTAL, SAID etc. : R'Hanan, the son of Raba, repeated to Hiyya, the son of Rab in the presence of Rab: R'Zechariah the son of Kefutal, whereupon Rab indicated to him with [a gesture of] the hand: [that it should be] Kebutal. Why did he not speak to him? - He was reading the Shema'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">¹²</span> But is such [interruption] permitted, has not R'Isaac B'Samuel B'Martha said: He who reads the Shema' may neither blink with his eyes, nor gesticulate with his lips, nor point with his fingers; and it has also been taught: R'Eleazar Hisma said concerning him who whilst reading the Shema' blinks with his eyes, gesticulates with his lips or points with his fingers, Scripture has said: Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XLIII, 22.');">¹³</span>

לא קשיא הא בפרק ראשון הא בפרק שני

- There is no difficulty; one view refers to the first portion of the Shema', the other to the second portion.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the first portion occur the words 'And these words shall be on thy heart', indicating that special devotion is necessary for such prayer to be properly read. Deut. VI, 6. The second portion, ibid XI, 13-22, contains no such special emphasis, hence no such restriction applies.');">¹⁴</span> Our Rabbis have taught: And thou shalt speak of them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VI, 7.');">¹⁵</span> 'of them', but not during prayer;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prayer should be silent.');">¹⁶</span>

ת"ר (דברים ו, ז) ודברת בם בם ולא בתפלה ודברת בם בם יש לך רשות לדבר ולא בדברים אחרים

of them thou mayest speak, but not of other things.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Loose talk, prattle.');">¹⁷</span> R'Aha said: 'And thou shalt speak of them', i.e.make them a regular programme, and not a casual topic. Raba said: One who engages in profane talk transgresses a positive command, for it is written: 'And thou shalt speak of them', 'of them', but not of other matters.

רבי אחא אומר ודברת בם עשה אותן קבע ואל תעשם עראי אמר רבא השח שיחת חולין עובר בעשה שנאמר ודברת בם בם ולא בדברים אחרים רב אחא בר יעקב אמר עובר בלאו שנאמר (קהלת א, ח) כל הדברים יגעים לא יוכל איש לדבר

R'Aha B'Jacob said: He transgresses against a prohibition, for it is said: All things toil to weariness; man cannot utter it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. I, 8. 'Cannot', i.e., 'ought not', i.e., 'must not',');">¹⁸</span> <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>IF HE SOUGHT TO SLUMBER, YOUNG<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'flowers' then 'young men' fig., in Job XXX, 12 the word is used contemptuously: Upon my right hand rises the brood.');">¹⁹</span> PRIESTS WOULD SNAP THEIR MIDDLE FINGER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Zeredah is the middle finger, Tosef. Men, ');">²⁰</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> בקש להתנמנם פרחי כהונה מכין לפניו באצבע צרדא ואומרים לו אישי כ"ג עמוד והפג אחת על הרצפה ומעסיקין אותו עד שיגיע זמן השחיטה

BEFORE HIM AND SAY: SIR HIGH PRIEST, ARISE AND DRIVE THE SLEEP AWAY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Pug' means to stop. Lam. II, 18 thus 'remove', thus 'remove sleep'. The pavement was cool for his naked feet.');">²¹</span> THIS ONCE ON THE PAVEMENT. THEY WOULD KEEP HIM AMUSED UNTIL THE TIME FOR THE SLAUGHTERING [OF THE DAILY MORNING OFFERING] WOULD APPROACH.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מאי צרדא אמר רב יהודה צרתה דדא מאי היא גודל מחוי רב הונא ואזל קלא בכולי בי רב

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>What is 'zeredah? ' - Rab Judah said: The rival of this one, which is it? the thumb.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Phonetic play: the match to this (the middle finger) or the nearest to this (the index finger) , what is it? The thumb, i.e., the sound is produced with these two fingers (Jast.) . ,sj kg ,jt');">²²</span> R'Huna demonstrated it and its sound could be heard in the whole academy.

ואומרים לו אישי כ"ג הפג אחת על הרצפה וכו' אמר רב יצחק על חדת מאי היא אמרי ליה אחוי קידה

AND THEY WOULD SAY: SIR HIGH PRIEST, ARISE AND DRIVE THE SLEEP AWAY THIS ONCE. R'Isaac said: [Show us] something new.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' lit., 'for something new explaining 'this once' in the MISHNAH:');">²³</span> What was that? - They said to him: Show us the kidah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Pressing both big toes against the floor, bowing and kissing the pavement, and rising without moving the feet - this difficult performance was called the kidah-the bowing to the ground.');">²⁴</span>

ומעסיקין אותו עד שיגיע זמן שחיטה (וכו') תנא לא היו מעסיקין אותו לא בנבל ולא בכנור אלא בפה ומה היו אומרין (תהלים קכז, א) אם ה' לא יבנה בית שוא עמלו בוניו בו

AND THEY WOULD KEEP HIM AMUSED UNTIL THE TIME FOR THE SLAUGHTERING WOULD APPROACH. A Tanna taught: They kept him amused neither with the harp nor with the lyre, but with the mouth. What were they singing?

מיקירי ירושלים לא היו ישנין כל הלילה כדי שישמע כ"ג קול הברה ולא תהא שינה חוטפתו תניא אבא שאול אמר אף בגבולין היו עושין כן זכר למקדש אלא שהיו חוטאין

Except the Lord build a house, they labour in vain that build it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXXVII, 1. By implication: Except your service will be motivated by reverence for God, it will be in vain. ohkaurh hrheh ohkaurhca ,gsv-hheb ,usvhv hgsn');">²⁵</span> Some of the worthiest of Jerusalem<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [ 'the nobility of Jerusalem' designated also v. Klein I (1926) p. 74ff.]');">²⁶</span> did not go to sleep all the night in order that the high priest might hear the reverberating noise,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the people awake around him, singing and amusing him.');">²⁷</span>

אמר אביי ואיתימא ר"נ בר יצחק תרגומא נהרדעא דא"ל אליהו לרב יהודה אחוה דרב סלא חסידא אמריתו אמאי לא אתי משיח והא האידנא יומא דכיפורי הוא ואבעול כמה בתולתא בנהרדעא אמר ליה הקב"ה מאי אמר אמר ליה

so that sleep should not overcome him suddenly. It has been taught: Abba Saul said: Also in the country<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'border-towns', then: the country outside Jerusalem.');">²⁸</span> they used to do so<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Stay up all night before the Day of Atonement.');">²⁹</span> in memory of the Temple, but they used to commit sin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Intimacy developed between men and women.');">³⁰</span> Abaye, or, as some say, R'Nahman B'Isaac, interpreted that to refer to Nehardea. For Elijah said to Rab Judah, the brother of R'Sila the Pious: You have said: Why has not Messiah come? Now to-day is the Day of Atonement and yet how many virgins were embraced in Nehardea! He answered: What did the Holy One, blessed be He, say? - He answered: