Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 6, scan section 43

keep the day as a holiday with his friends, when he had come away from the Holy of Holies unhurt. GEMARA : The disciples of Samuel taught : R. Eliezer said : He went out, and performed the rites on his ram, and the ram of the people, and the members of the sin-offering. But the bullock of the burnt-offering, and the seven sheep, and the he- goat that was used outside, were offered together with the daily evening offering. In a Tosephtha it was taught : R. Aqiba said : The bullock of the burnt-offering and the seven sheep were offered with the daily morning offering, as it is written [Num. xxviii. 23] : " Besides the burnt-offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt-offering." And then he made the offerings of this day, and then the he-goat used outside, as it is written [Num. xxviii. 11]: "One he-goat for a sin-offering, besides the sin-offering of the atonement " ; and then he offered his ram, and the people's ram, the members of the sin-offering, and then the daily evening offering. We see that all agree, that there was but one ram for the people ; and this would be according to Rabbi of the following Boraitha : Rabbi said, the one ram mentioned here [Lev. xvi. 5] is the same as is mentioned in Num. xxix. 8. And R. Elazar b. R. Simeon says: Two were needed: one mentioned in Levit- icus, the other in Numbers. What is the reason of Rabbi's say- ing? Because it is written "one." What will R. Elazar b. R. Simeon say to this? That signifies, the only one (best) in his flock. Rabbi, however, says : There is no need to state it, as it has already been mentioned [Deut. xii. 11]: "Your choice vows." According to R. Elazar b. R. Simeon, both statements are needed, because there it is only spoken of voluntary offerings. " He washed his hands and feet.'' The rabbis taught : It is written [xvi. 23] : " And Aaron shall then go into the tabernacle of the congregation." Wherefore? To take out the spoon and the censer. Why? Because the whole section follows the order of his rites, except this verse. What is the reason of say- I04 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. ing that this verse applies to the taking out of the spoon and censer? Said R. Hisda: It is known to us traditionally, that five bathings and ten times of washing the high-priest performed that day. If thou wilt say, that this verse is not in a wrong place— namely, that no service done outside in the garments of cloth of gold would intervene between the day service (done in white) and the carrying out of the spoon and censer — then you would not find five and ten, but three and six. R. Zera opposed : Perhaps it was intervened by the he-goat used outside. Said Abayi : Because it is written [ibid. 24] : " And come then forth and offer his burnt-offering," we infer that after the first coming forth he offered the burnt-offering (that goat). Then we must say that the spoon and censer he had not yet carried out, else it would be his second coming forth. When the conductor of the scapegoat returned, if he met the high-priest still in the street, he said to him : " My lord the high- priest, we have done thy commission " ; but if he came to his house (on the morrow), he used to say to him : " We have done the commission of Him who giveth life to all living." Rabba said : In Pumbaditha, when the rabbis took leave, they said : " He who giveth life to all the living should give thee long good, and orderly life." It is written [Ps. cxvi. 9] : " I will walk before the Lord in the lands of the living." (What is meant by the lands of the living?) Said R. Jehudah : The market-places (where food is purchased), Rashi explains this, as to a " long life." This is mentioned, and as for the markets, David persecuted by Saul prayed to be able to go to the markets to buy food. It is written [Prov. iii. 2] : " For length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they increase unto thee." What means " years of Hfe " ? Are there any years not of life? Said R. Elazar: Those are the years of man when his circumstances change from evil to good. Said R. Brachia : It is written further [ibid. viii. 4] : " Unto you, O men,* I call." By this scholars are meant, who are weak like women, and perform feats as men. R. Brachia said again : He who wishes to bring a drink-offering on the altar should let scholars drink wine (which will be just as good). The same says again : When a man sees that learning has forsaken his sons, he should marry a scholar's daughter. As it is written [Job xiv. 8, 9] : " If even its root become old in the earth, and * Men is in Hebrew here D'K'^N (not D^K'JN), as if the plural of n{J>N— woman. TRACT YOMAH (DAY OF ATONEMENT). 105 its stock die in the dust : yet through the scent of water will it flourish again, and produce boughs as though it were newly planted." " He then used to keep the day as a holiday." The rabbis taught : It happened to one high-priest going out from the Temple, and the whole world accompanying him, that they per- ceived Shemaia and Abtalian : the people then left the high- priest alone, and accompanied Shemaia and Abtalian. Later, Shemaia and Abtalian came to take leave of him. He answered them : May the children of the Gentiles (they were proselytes* descendants) go in peace. They replied to him : The children of the Gentiles may go in peace, because they do what Aaron the high-priest did ; but the children of Aaron may not have peace, who do not what Aaron did (love not peace). MISHNA : The high-priest ministers in eight articles of dress ; a common priest in four : in a robe and breeches, a mitre and a girdle. To the high-priest's are added : a breastplate and an ephod, and a coat and a tsits [plate on the forehead, Ex. xxviii. 36]. The Urim and Tumim were inquired of only when he was thus attired ; but inquiries were not made for a common man : only for the king, the chief of the Beth Din, and for a person of whom the public had need. GEMARA : The rabbis taught : The stuff, which should be made according to the prescription of the Bible, of linen, should be six times twisted. Where twisted linen is prescribed, it should be eightfold twisted. The material of the robe of the high- priest was twelve times twisted ; that of the vail, twenty-four ; and that of the breastplate and ephod, twenty-eight. How do we know that an ordinary thread is six times twisted ? Because it is written [Ex. xxxix. 27, 28] : " And they made the coats of linen . . . the mitre of linen, and the goodly bonnets of linen, and linen breeches of twisted linen thread." Five times " linen " is mentioned ; once, to know that it is linen; the second time, that it be twisted six times ; once, that it should be twisted ; and once, that even the articles of dress of which it is