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Yoma 15b

יומא ט״ו ע״ב

Learn Yoma 15b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Yoma 15b: The meaning of טהרו של מזבח, and why the order of blood placement for the תמיד, following רבי שמעון איש המצפה, is: עולה before חטאת, the northeast and southwest corners, and northeast first.

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an earlier explanation: the word טהרו means the top surface of the altar itself, proven from the פסוק 'וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר'. The גמרא then returns to רבי שמעון איש המצפה's order of blood placement for the תמיד and asks three 'why this order?' questions. The עולה placement comes before the חטאת placement because the תמיד itself is an עולה. The northeast and southwest corners are used because an עולה needs a יסוד, and the southeast corner had none. The northeast comes first because every turn in the service goes to the right, so the כהן reaches it first. Next the גמרא asks how we know the עולה copies the חטאת's procedure and not the reverse; the word 'עַל' in 'עַל עוֹלַת הַתָּמִיד' shows that a feature of the חטאת is placed upon the עולה. Finally, a new topic begins: the משנה in תמיד puts the לשכת הטלאים in the northwest corner of the בית המוקד, but the משנה in מדות puts it in the southwest. The resolution of this contradiction comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

אַגּוּפֵיהּ דְּמִזְבֵּחַ,

On the body of the altar itself,

דִּכְתִיב: ״וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר״.

as it is written: 'And like the very sky for purity.'

מַאי שְׁנָא דְּיָהֵיב עוֹלָה בְּרֵישָׁא

What is different that he places [like] the burnt-offering first

וַהֲדַר יָהֵיב דְּחַטָּאת?

and then places [like] that of the sin-offering?

The steps (11)

  1. Responseטהרו means the top of the altar itself
  2. QuestionWhy the burnt-offering procedure comes before the sin-offering procedure
  3. ResponseThe burnt-offering goes first because the תמיד is a burnt-offering
  4. QuestionWhy the northeast and southwest corners
  5. ResponseA burnt-offering needs a corner with a base
  6. QuestionWhy northeast before southwest
  7. ResponseAll turns go to the right, so the northeast is reached first
  8. ChallengeMaybe the verse means the opposite direction
  9. ResolutionThe wording of the verse shows the direction
  10. StatementThe משנה in תמיד: the Chamber of the Lambs is in the northwest
  11. ChallengeThe משנה in מדות puts the Chamber of the Lambs in the southwest