Yoma 2a

יומא ב׳ ע״א

Learn Yoma 2a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yoma 2a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The seven-day separation (פרישה) of the כהן גדול before יום הכיפורים and of the כהן who burns the פרה אדומה, and its source in the מילואים

Overview

The משנה teaches that seven days before יום הכיפורים the כהן גדול is moved from his home into לשכת פרהדרין, and a backup כהן is prepared in case he becomes פסול. רבי יהודה adds a backup wife, because 'ביתו' means his wife, but the חכמים answer that there would be no end to such worries. The גמרא then cites a parallel משנה: the כהן who burns the פרה אדומה is also separated for seven days, in לשכת בית האבן. The גמרא explains that the room got this name because only vessels that cannot become טמא were used there. This was a safeguard: since a טבול יום may do the פרה (shown publicly against the צדוקים), the רבנן added extra strictness. The chamber was in the northeast because the פרה is a חטאת (north) and faces the אהל מועד (east). רבי יוחנן and ריש לקיש disagree about what בירה means. Finally, רבי יוחנן derives both seven-day separations from the פסוק of the מילואים, and a גזירה שוה of צוה–צוה shows that the פרה is included.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementThe כהן גדול is separated seven days before יום הכיפורים, with a backup ready
2. Statementרבי יהודה: a backup wife is also prepared
3. RejectionThe חכמים reject the backup wife: there would be no end
4. StatementA parallel case: the כהן who burns the פרה אדומה is also separated
5. QuestionWhy was it called לשכת בית האבן?
6. ResponseEverything there was done with vessels that cannot become impure
7. QuestionWhy such extreme purity for the red heifer?
8. ResponseBecause a טבול יום may do the פרה אדומה
9. ProofProof: they deliberately made the כהן טמא to oppose the צדוקים
10. ResponseThe רבנן required vessels that cannot become טמא
11. QuestionWhy was the chamber in the northeast?
12. ResponseNorth because it is a חטאת, east because it faces the אהל מועד
13. QuestionWhat does the word בירה mean?
14. Responseרבי יוחנן: a specific place on הר הבית
15. Responseריש לקיש: the whole מקדש is called בירה
16. QuestionWhat is the source for separating the כהן?
17. ResponseLearned from the seven days of the מילואים in the משכן
18. ChallengeWhy not read the whole פסוק about יום הכפורים?
19. ResolutionA גזירה שוה connects the מילואים to the פרה אדומה