Gemara Clarity

Yoma 23b

יומא כ״ג ע״ב

Learn Yoma 23b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yoma 23b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The end of the ramp-murder story, and the garments and status of the כהן who removes and carries out the ashes

Overview

This amud finishes the story of the כהן who was stabbed on the ramp of the מזבח. The גמרא shows that רבי צדוק's mention of עגלה ערופה cannot be meant literally: ירושלים never brings one, and the killer was known. So he said it only to make the people cry. The story continues with the father, who cared more that the knife stay טהור than about his dying son. A פסוק about מנשה shows that the problem was that murder had become cheap in their eyes. The גמרא then returns to the ashes of the מזבח. A ברייתא teaches that the clothes worn to carry the ashes out are still holy but plainer, and רבי אליעזר learns that בעלי מומין may carry them out. ריש לקיש and רבי יוחנן argue about whether this dispute also covers הרמת הדשן, and they read the פסוק's mention of only two garments in different ways. Finally, the גמרא suggests their argument matches an older dispute between רבי יהודה, רבי דוסא and רבי about the extra word ילבש. That discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֵינָהּ מְבִיאָה עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה:

[Jerusalem] does not bring an eglah arufah.

וְעוֹד: ״לֹא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ״ כְּתִיב,

And furthermore, it is written: 'It is not known who struck him,'

וְהָא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ!

but here it was known who struck him!

אֶלָּא, כְּדֵי לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּבְכִיָּה.

Rather, [he said it] in order to increase the weeping.

The steps (26)

  1. Challengeירושלים never brings an עגלה ערופה
  2. ChallengeA second problem: the killer was known
  3. ResolutionHe said it only to make people cry
  4. StatementThe father's shocking words
  5. StatementThe lesson: purity mattered more to them than life
  6. QuestionWhich value went out of balance?
  7. ResponseThe verse about מנשה shows murder had become cheap
  8. StatementChanging clothes to take out the ashes
  9. RejectionThe verse shows the new clothes are also sacred
  10. QuestionThen why does the verse say 'other' clothes?
  11. ResponseThe other clothes are of lower quality
  12. Statementרבי אליעזר: blemished כהנים may carry out the ashes
  13. ProofSupport for 'lower quality' from דבי רבי ישמעאל
  14. Statementריש לקיש: the argument also covers removing the ashes from the altar
  15. Statementרבי יוחנן: removing the ashes is a true Temple service for everyone
  16. QuestionWhat is ריש לקיש's reason?
  17. ResponseNo real service is done in only two garments
  18. Responseרבי יוחנן: the two garments are examples for all four
  19. ChallengeThen why name just these two?
  20. ResolutionEach named garment teaches its own law
  21. QuestionWhere does ריש לקיש learn these laws?
  22. Responseריש לקיש learns both laws from the wording
  23. ProofProposing that the dispute matches an older argument between תנאים
  24. Statementרבי דוסא reads the extra word as permitting the כהן גדול's יום הכיפורים clothes for a כהן הדיוט
  25. Rejectionרבי gives two refutations of רבי דוסא
  26. Questionרבי reopens the question of what the extra word teaches