Zevachim 37

כנגד אצילי ידיהן

[in the place] corresponding to their elbows.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where these naturally touch the body.');">¹</span> R'Ashi said: Hanna B'Nathana told me, I was once standing before King Izgedar;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or, Yezdyird, a Persian king.');">²</span>

אמר רב אשי אמר לי הונא בר נתן זימנא חדא הוה קאימנא קמיה דאיזגדר מלכא והוה מדלי לי המיינאי ותיתייה ניהליה ואמר לי (שמות יט, ו) ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש כתיב בכו כי אתאי קמיה דאמימר א"ל אקיים בך (ישעיהו מט, כג) והיו מלכים אומניך:

my girdle lay high up, whereupon he pulled it down, observing to me, It is written of you. [And ye shall be unto Me] a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XIX, 6. Hence you must wear your girdle like priests, and not so high.');">³</span>

תנן התם כהן שלקה באצבעו כורך עליה גמי במקדש אבל לא במדינה ואם להוציא ממנה דם כאן וכאן אסור

When I came before Amemar he said to me: The text, 'And kings shall be thy fosterfathers'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XLIX, 23.');">⁴</span> has been fulfilled in you.

אמר ר' יהודה בריה דרבי חייא לא שנו אלא גמי אבל צילצול קטן הוי יתור בגדים ורבי יוחנן אמר לא אמרו יתור בגדים אלא במקום בגדים אבל שלא במקום בגדים לא הוי יתור

We learnt elsewhere: If a priest has a wound on his finger, he may wind a reed about it in the Temple, but not in the Country.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is a technical designation for all places outside the Temple. - The reference is to the Sabbath, when the Rabbis forbade healing. Nevertheless they permitted this in the Temple when the priest is officiating at the sacrifice, as it is indecorous for his wound to be exposed then.');">⁵</span> But if his purpose is to squeeze out blood, it is forbidden in both places.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The act constitutes making a wound, which is forbidden.');">⁶</span>

ותיפוק ליה משום חציצה בשמאל א"נ שלא במקום עבודה

R'Judah the son of R'Hiyya said: They learnt this only of a reed, but a small belt<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Used as a bandage.');">⁷</span> constitutes an excess garment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is forbidden, supra 18a.');">⁸</span>

ופליגא דרבא דאמר רבא אמר רב חסדא במקום בגדים אפי' נימא אחת חוצצת שלא במקום בגדים שלש על שלש חוצצות פחות מכאן אינן חוצצות

But R'Johanan said: They ruled [that] excess garments [disqualify] only [when they are worn] where garments are worn; but if not where garments are worn, they are not an excess. Yet deduce [that it disqualifies] on account of an interposition?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nothing may interpose between the priest's hand and the sacrifice, when he has to handle it.');">⁹</span>

אדרבי יוחנן ודאי פליגא אדר' יהודה בריה דרבי חייא מי לימא דפליגא

- It is on his left hand,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which he does not use for the purpose.');">¹⁰</span> or even on the right, but not in the place of service.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not on the part of the hand which he needs for service.');">¹¹</span>

שאני צילצול קטן דחשיב

Now this disagrees with Raba, for Raba said in R'Hisda's name: In the place of garments even a single thread interposes; but [what is] not in the place of garments, if three [fingerbreadths] square, it interposes; if less than this, it does not interpose. Now he certainly disagrees with R'Johanan;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For R. Johanan holds that it never interposes save in the place of garments.');">¹²</span>

לישנא אחרינא אמרי לה אמר ר' יהודה בריה דרבי חייא לא שנו אלא גמי אבל צילצול קטן חוצץ ורבי יוחנן אמר לא אמרו חציצה בפחות משלש על שלש אלא במקום בגדים אבל שלא במקום בגדים שלש על שלש חוצצות פחות מיכן אינה חוצצת והיינו דרבא אמר רב חסדא

but are we to say that he disagrees with R'Judah the son of R'Hiyya?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For he rules that a small belt is an interposition, and this is less than three fingerbreadths square.');">¹³</span> - [No:] a small belt is different, because it is of [some] account.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A rag less than that size is of no account, whereas a belt, being made up into an article, is of some account.');">¹⁴</span>

לימא פליגא אדר' יהודה בריה דרבי חייא שאני צילצול קטן דחשיב

Another version states it thus: R'Judah the son of R'Hiyya said: They learnt this only of a reed, but a small belt interposes. While R'Johanan maintained: They said [that] interposition [disqualifies even] when less than three square only in the place of garments; but if not where garments are worn, then if it is three square it interposes; if less, it does not interpose: and that is identical with Raba['s ruling] in R'Hisda's name.

ולר' יוחנן מאי איריא גמי לשמועינן צילצול קטן מילתא אגב אורחיה קמ"ל דגמי מסי

Shall we say that he [Raba] disagrees with R'Judah the son of R'Hiyya? - [No, for] a small belt is different, since it is of [some] account. Now according to R'Johanan, why particularly [specify] a reed?

בעי רבא נכנסה לו רוח בבגדו מהו על בשרו בעינן והא ליכא או דלמא דרך לבישה בכך

let him mention a small belt? - He informs us en passant that a reed heals. Raba asked: What if a wind entered through his garment?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And blew it away from immediate contact with his body.');">¹⁵</span>

כינה מהו שתחוץ

Do we require [the garment to be] on his flesh, which [condition] is now absent ; or perhaps, this is the normal mode of wearing? Further, is vermin an interposition?

מתה לא תבעי לך דודאי חייצא חיה מאי מי אמרינן כיון דאתא ואזלא רביתא היא ולא חייצא או דלמא כיון דקפיד עלה חייצא

There is no question where it is dead, for it certainly interposes. But what if it is alive?

עפר מהו שיחוץ עפר ודאי חייץ אלא אבק עפר מהו

Do w say. Since it moves to and fro, it is natural, and does not interpose; or perhaps it does interpose, since he objects to it?

בית השחי מהו שיחוץ על בשרו בעינן והא ליכא או דלמא דרך לבישה בכך

Does earth interpose? - Earth certainly interposes!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely there cannot be a question about this.');">¹⁶</span> - Rather [the question is] what about dust of earth?

הכניס ידו לתוך חיקו מהו גופו מי חייץ או לא

Does [the space between the sleeves and] the armpit interpose?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the garment is loosely cut with broad sleeves.');">¹⁷</span> do we require [it to be] on his flesh, which [condition] is absent; or perhaps this is the normal mode of wearing?

נימא מהו שתחוץ נימא ודאי חייצא אלא נימא מדולדלת מהו

What if he thrust his hand into his bosom? does his body<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the hand, which now comes between the body and the garment.');">¹⁸</span>

בעי מר בר רב אשי יצא שערו בבגדו מהו שערו כגופו דמי או לאו כגופו דמי

interpose or not? Does a thread interpose? - A thread certainly interposes - Rather [the question is] what about a hanging thread.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hanging from the garment itself.');">¹⁹</span>

בעי רבי זירא תפילין מהו שיחוצו אליבא דמאן דאמר לילה לאו זמן תפילין הוא לא תבעי לך כיון דלילה חייצי יום נמי חייצי כי תיבעי לך למ"ד לילה זמן תפילין מאי מצוה דגופיה חייץ או לא חייץ

Mar the son of R'Ashi asked: What if one's hair entered beneath his garment?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the hair of the head grew so long that it fell within the garment.');">²⁰</span> is his hair as [part of] his body, or is it not as his body?

איגלגל מילתא ומטא לקמיה דרבי אמי א"ל תלמוד ערוך הוא בידינו תפילין חוצצות

R'Zera asked: Do the tefillin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">²¹</span> interpose?

מיתיבי כהנים בעבודתן ולוים בדוכנן וישראל במעמדן פטורין מן התפלה ומן התפילין מאי לאו אם הניחן אינן חוצצות לא אם הניחן חוצצות

There is no question on the view that night is not the time for tefillin,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that there is no obligation to wear these at night. The reference is to Deut. VI, 8 and it is disputed in 'Erub. ');">²²</span> for since they interpose at night,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As there is no need to wear them then, they are definitely superfluous. and so constitute an interposition.');">²³</span>

א"ה פטורים אסורים מיבעי ליה כיון דאיכא לוים וישראל דלא מתנו ליה אסור משום הכי תנא פטורין

they interpose by day too. The question is raised only on the view that night is the time for tefillin.

והתניא אם הניחן אינן חוצצות לא קשיא הא דיד הא דראש

What then? Does a precept which is incumbent upon the body interpose or not?

מאי שנא דיד דכתיב (ויקרא ו, ג) ילבש על בשרו שלא יהא דבר חוצץ בינו לבשרו דראש נמי כתיב (שמות כט, ו) ושמת המצנפת על ראשו

Now this question travelled about until it reached R'Ammi. Said he to him [the questioner]: We have an explicit teaching that tefillin interpose.

תנא שערו היה נראה בין ציץ למצנפת

An objection is raised: Priests engaged in their [sacrificial] service, Levite their dais<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Engaged in singing the Temple hymns.');">²⁴</span> and Israelites during their ma'amad<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A body of Israelites, representing the people. stood (ma'amad - 'amad standing) in the Temple court during the sacrificing of the daily burnt-offering (v. Ta'an. 26a) .');">²⁵</span> are exempt from prayer<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The 'Eighteen Benedictions' which were recited daily, and which constituted the Prayer par excellence.');">²⁶</span> and tefillin. Surely that means that if they do put them on, they do not interpose? - No: [it means that] if they do put them on, they do interpose. If so, [can you say,] they are exempt? Surely he should state, they are forbidden [to don them]? - Since there are the Levites and the Israelites, of whom he cannot teach, 'they are forbidden,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For they are certainly permitted to put them on,since they do not officiate at the actual sacrificing.');">²⁷</span> he therefore teaches, They are exempt. But it was taught: If he put them on, they do not interpose? - There is no difficulty; one refers to [the tefillin of] the hand,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That interposes.');">²⁸</span> the other to that of the head. Wherein does that of the hand differ? because it is written, [And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches] shall he put upon his flesh,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. VI, 3.');">²⁹</span> which implies that nothing may interpose between it and his flesh; then with respect to that of the head too it is written, And thou shalt set the mitre upon his head?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXIX, 6.');">³⁰</span> - It was taught: His hair was visible between the headplate and the mitre.