Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 6, scan section 79

GEMARA: R. Ami and R. Itz'hak of Naph'ha sat at the portico of the latter. One began and said : According to the sages, may he keep it for another festival? He answered : Every one's hand has been handling it, and dost thou say, he shall keep it for another festival ? He said to him : But hitherto as well, has not every one's hand been handling it? He rejoined : What comparison is that? Hitherto the uncleanness of a common person in a festival, the Law makes him clean, but now it is a case of uncleanness. MISHNA: As soon as the festival is over, they make them pass on to the cleansing of the court. But if the festival is over on a Friday, they do not make them pass on, on account of the honor of the Sabbath. R. Jehudah said : Also not on Thurs- day, for the priests are not at leisure. GEMARA : And the Boraitha adds: That the priests are not at leisure because of the removing of the fat. MISHNA: How is that made out, that they make them pass on to the cleaning of the court ? They dip the vessels which were in the Temple, and say to them : Be ye clean that ye touch not the table. All the vessels that were in the Temple had second and third sets, so that if the first became unclean they might bring the second instead of them. All the vessels which were in the Temple were subject to dipping, except the altar of gold and the altar of bronze, because they were like the floor. Such is the dictum of R. Eliezer. But the sages say, because they were overlaid. GEMARA : We have learned in a Boraitha : Be ye clean lest ye touch the table or the candelabrum. Why did our Mishna not mention the candelabrum ? Because the table is called in the Scripture perpetual ; the candelabrum is not perpetual. TRACT HAGIGA (HOLOCAUST). 53 Resh Lakish said : It is written [Lev. xxiv. 6] : " Upon the pure table." From this it may be inferred that it may be defiled. Why ? Is it not a vessel of wood made to rest, and as such is not subject to defilement ? Infer from this that the table was raised up and exhibited the shewbread on it to the pilgrims, and they were told : See how beloved you are before the Lord, that the shewbreads are as warm now as they were when placed on the table. For R.Joshua b. Levi said: A great miracle was wrought in the shewbread. As its placing was miraculous so was its end, for it is written [i Sam. xxi. 7] : " So as to put down hot bread on the day when it was taken away." It is written [Ezek. xli. 22] : " The latter was of wood, three cubits high, and its length was two cubits, and its corners and its top- piece and its walls were of wood, and he spoke unto me : This is the table that is before the Lord." He began with "altar" and he ended with "table." R. Johanan and Resh Lakish both say : At the time that the Temple was set up an altar made atonement for a man ; now a man's table makes atonement for him. ^^ All the vessels that were iii the Temple had second and third sets" etc. The altar of bronze, because it is written [Ex. xx. 21] : "An altar of earth shalt thou make unto me." The altar of gold, because it is written [Num. iii. 31] : "The candlestick and the altars." The altars are placed in comparison one with the other. " Because they are overlaid." On the contrary, since they are overlaid they may become unclean. Said the rabbis to R. Eliezer: Why do you think them capable of defilement, because they are covered over ? Their covering is of no avail in respect of them. R. Abuhu in the name of R. Eliezer said: As to the scholars, the flame of Gehenna has no power over them. For this is shown by an a fortiori argument drawn from the salamander. As only the creature of fire, and still he that anoints himself with its blood, flame has no power over him, how much more then that the flames have no power over the scholars, whose whole body is fire, as it is written [Jer. xxiii. 29] : " Is not thus my word like fire? saith the Lord." Resh Lakish said the flame of Gehenna has no power over the transgressors of Israel, as is shown by an a fortiori argument from the altar of gold. For the altar of gold, upon which is only about the thickness of a denarius of gold, it lasted so many years and was not affected by fire ; how 54 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. much less can flame have power over the transgressors of Israel, who are full of the commandments as a pomegranate is full of seeds, as it is written [Song of Songs iv. 3] : " Like the half of a pomegranate is the upper part of thy cheek," etc. Read not " the upper part of thy cheek," but " the vain fellows that are in thee." END OF TRACT HAGIGA. Pfi"ceton Theological Seminary Libraries 1 1012 01249 6883 DATE DUE mtiMii^0r CAVLOBO PRINTEOINU.S.A.