Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 17, scan section 29

wells," as we have learned in the following Boraitha. Rabbi said : I read in the Scripture (in concern with a rich or poor offering) a beast; to what purpose, then, is also written a cow? (Is it not included in the term beast?) It is for an analogy of expressions. Here it reads, " an unclean cattle," and further on [ibid. vii. 22] the very same expression, which speaks par- ticularly about the defilement of the holy offerings; hence, as here it speaks of the holy offerings, so does the former expres- sion, too. But this concerns the holy offerings only; whence do we know that the same is the case with the sanctuary itself? From [ibid. xii. 4] : " Anything hallow shall she not touch, and into the sanctuary," etc.; we see, then, that the sanctuary is compared to its holiness. The sages of Nahardea said in the name of Rabha : There is mentioned in relation to peace-offerings three times, defilement. And why? One for a general, one for a particular, and one for the expression defilement with regard to a rich or poor offering, but it does not explain the kind of a defilement; and not know- ing what it means, we assumed it to mean the defilement of holiness; but now as Rabbi above inferred this from another place, we apply this defilement to the sanctuary itself. *' Originally cognisant . . . became aware anew.'' The rabbis taught [Lev. xvi. 16]: " Shall make an atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness," etc. In this case there can be three kinds of defilement: by idolatry, licentiousness, and bloodshed, for we find, in regard to idolatry [ibid. xx. 3]: " In order to defile my sanctuary " ; concerning licentiousness [ibid, xviii. 30]: " Ye shall not defile yourselves therewith " ; finally, concerning bloodshed [Numb. xxxv. 34]: " Ye shall not render unclean." Lest one say that for all these three defilements the he-goat atones, therefore [Lev. xvi. 16]: " Mitumotk," literally, from the uncleanness of the children of Israel, but not all of * Leaser's translation does not correspond. lo THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. them ; and as we saw elsewhere that the Scripture has separated the defilement of the sanctuary and its holiness from all other defilements, we must say that here, also, it means the sanctuary, etc. So R. Jehudah. R. Simeon, however, maintains that this theory is inferred from the very same place, as it reads, " he shall make an atonement for the holy place from the unclean- ness {mitumoth)," consequently it means from the uncleanness of the holy place. But lest one say that for every defilement which happens to be in the sanctuary the he-goat atones, there- fore, further on, " because in all their transgressions, in all their sins," it compares intentional transgressions to sin. As to the former, offerings do not apply, so, also, does it not to sins, which are not under the category of offerings (and which of them are under this category? That of which he was aware at the start and at the end, but forgot during the act). And whence do we know that in a case of which he was aware at the start, but not at the end, that the same he-goat makes it pend- ing? From " in all their sin," i.e., all sins which are under the category of a sin-offering. The master said: There are three kinds of defilement, etc. Let us see how was the case; e.g., idolatry, if intentional, is under capital punishment ; if unintentional, then the transgressor is liable to a sin-offering. The same is the case with licen- tiousness: for intentional, capital punishment, and unintentional, a sin-offering; and the same with bloodshed: intentional, by capital punishment; unintentional is punished with exile. It may be said that in the first two it means that it was done inten- tionally but without warning; and concerning bloodshed, if com- mitted unintentionally by such a person who cannot be exiled, e.g., a high-priest of whom it is said in tract Sanhedrin that he cannot be exiled. The master said : The he-goat makes it pending. How is this to be understood? If it does not atone, what is the use of making it pending? Said R. Zera: It means, i.e., if the trans- gressor dies then it may be considered that if he dies before he becomes aware of it, this sin is not reckoned to him any more. Said Rabha to him: In case he dies, the death itself completes the atonement; it is the he-goat that saves him from chastise- ment before he becomes aware by making it pending. " 1/ he had no antecedent knowledge . . . by the he-goat sacri- fice exteriorly,'' etc. Let us see; both he-goats are considered equal. Why, then, should the inner he-goat not atone also for TRACT SHEBUOTH (OATHS). ii the things the exterior one atones for? And the difference would be that if the exterior happened not to be sacrificed at all, the interior would do also his atoning? It reads [Exod. XXX. lo] : " Upon its horns once," i.e., it atones only one atone- ment, but not two. "Why should not the exterior atone for itself and for the interior also, and the difference would be that a defilement happened during the time between the sacrifice of the interior and that of the exterior? The verse says " once in a year," i.e., once, and not twice in a year. But according to R. Ismael, who said that to such a case offerings apply, what then does the exterior he-goat atone for? For such a case in which there was no knowledge at either start or the end, but does not for such atone the festival and the new-moon goats? He holds with R. Mair, who said that the atonement of all the goats are equivalent, as they atone for defilements in the sanc- tuary and its holiness, and the equality of the interior and ex- terior goats lies that both do not atone for other transgressions outside of the sanctuary with its holiness. ''So R. Jehudak." Said Jehudah in the name of Samuel: The reason why R. Jehudah of the Mishna so maintains is [Numb, xxviii. 15]: " And one he-goat for a sin-offering unto the Lord," i.e., for such a sin of which none is aware but the Lord, this he-goat atones. The schoolmen propounded a question : Does R. Jehudah speak only of such a case which could never be known, but not such which must come to knowledge at the end {e.g., if there were witnesses who saw him entering the sanctuary while he was defiled, of which they are bound to inform him thereafter) and which is atoned by the exterior he-goat on the day of atone- ment; or even of such a case which so long as it is not known to him at the present time, is considered that nobody knows of it but the Lord ? Come and hear the following : For such a case in which there was no knowledge at the start and the end, and also for such a transgression that finally the transgressor must be informed of, the festival and new-moon he-goats atone; such is the decree of R. Jehudah.