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Yoma 35b

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Topic

The כהן גדול's garments, the aggadah of the three role models for learning תורה (הלל, רבי אלעזר בן חרסום, יוסף), and the כהן גדול's first וידוי over his פר

Overview

The amud opens with a challenge from a פסוק in יחזקאל: does 'בגדים אחרים' mean the כהן גדול's later garments must be more valuable? The גמרא answers that אחרים can just as well mean less valuable. Next, a ברייתא teaches that a כהן whose mother made him a כתונת may wear it for an עבודת יחיד, as long as he truly hands it over to the ציבור. The גמרא backs this up with the story of רבי ישמעאל בן פאבי. It then tells of רבי אלעזר בן חרסום, whose very fine כתונת made him look undressed, and אביי explains this with the image of wine seen through glass. Because רבי אלעזר was so rich, the גמרא brings a ברייתא about the heavenly court, where the poor, the rich and the wicked must explain why they did not learn תורה. הלל answers the poor, רבי אלעזר בן חרסום answers the rich, and יוסף, who resisted אשת פוטיפר, answers the wicked. Finally, a new משנה returns to the יום הכיפורים service. The כהן גדול leans on his פר and says his first וידוי, and the people answer ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד.

Opening lines

מֵיתִיבִי: ״וְלָבְשׁוּ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים

They objected: 'And they shall put on other garments,'

וְלֹא יְקַדְּשׁוּ אֶת הָעָם בְּבִגְדֵיהֶם״,

so that they do not sanctify the people with their garments.'

מַאי לָאו ״אֲחֵרִים״ — חֲשׁוּבִין מֵהֶן!

Doesn't 'other' mean more important than them?!

לֹא, ״אֲחֵרִים״ — פְּחוּתִים מֵהֶן.

No, 'other' means inferior to them.

The steps (26)

  1. ChallengeChallenge from יחזקאל: are the 'other' garments more important?
  2. RejectionNo: 'other' can mean less valuable
  3. StatementA כתונת made by the כהן's mother may be used once given to the ציבור
  4. ChallengeIsn't this obvious?
  5. ResolutionThe worry he won't give it away fully
  6. ProofThe story of רבי ישמעאל בן פאבי's costly tunic
  7. Statementרבי אלעזר בן חרסום's see-through tunic
  8. ChallengeHow could a priestly tunic be see-through?
  9. Resolutionאביי: like wine seen through glass
  10. StatementPoverty is no excuse: 'Were you poorer than Hillel?'
  11. Proofהלל's daily wage and the skylight
  12. ProofSnow on Friday night and the darkened hall
  13. Conclusionהלל is rescued: worthy of desecrating שבת
  14. StatementThe rich person's excuse is answered
  15. Proofרבי אלעזר בן חרסום's great wealth and his travels to learn
  16. ProofHis own servants force him into labor
  17. ConclusionHe never once went to see his property
  18. StatementThe wicked person's excuse is answered
  19. Proofאשת פוטיפר tempted יוסף every day
  20. Proofיוסף answers every threat with a פסוק
  21. ProofEven a huge bribe could not move יוסף
  22. StatementWhy יוסף refused: this world and the next
  23. ConclusionThree role models leave no one an excuse
  24. StatementThe כהן גדול leans on his bull to confess
  25. StatementThe words of the כהן גדול's confession
  26. StatementThe people answer with ברוך שם