Yoma 68b

יומא ס״ח ע״ב

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Topic

The burning of the פר and שעיר, how the Temple learned the שעיר reached the wilderness, and the כהן גדול's reading of the תורה

Overview

This amud finishes the ברייתא about where the burned פר and שעיר of יום הכפורים are burned. רבי יוסי requires the בית הדשן. רבא tries to show that רבי אליעזר בן יעקב disagrees, and אביי rejects the proof. A second ברייתא teaches that only the one who helps during the actual burning (השורף) has his clothes become טמא, and only until the animals become ash. רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון ends the טומאה earlier, and the two opinions differ over a charred mass (חרוכא). Next comes a משנה on how the Temple learned that the שעיר המשתלח had reached the wilderness: signalers on platforms, רבי יהודה's timing method, or רבי ישמעאל's crimson strip turning white. אביי infers that for רבי יהודה the שעיר's מצוה is done once it reaches the wilderness, and the הדרן closes פרק שני שעירי. The new פרק opens with the כהן גדול's reading of the תורה, the eight ברכות after it, and a note that no one could watch both the reading and the burning. The גמרא infers that reading is not an עבודה. It then tries to prove that one may benefit from בגדי כהונה, and each proof is pushed away. The last attempt, about walking in the garments, continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (29)

1. StatementWhere the burned offerings are burned
2. Statementרבא identifies who argues with רבי יוסי
3. ProofProof from the verse about where ashes are poured
4. Rejectionאביי: maybe they only argue about the slope
5. StatementOnly the one who burns has his clothes become impure
6. QuestionWho counts as the one who burns
7. ResponseThe one who helps during the burning
8. StatementOnce the animals become ash, they no longer make clothes impure
9. Statementרבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון: the טומאה stops once the flesh is burned through
10. QuestionWhat is the practical difference between the two opinions?
11. ResponseThe difference is a charred animal that is not yet ash
12. StatementNew משנה: signalers on platforms announce that the goat reached the wilderness
13. Statementרבי יהודה: a simple timing calculation was enough
14. StatementA third sign: the crimson strip turned white
15. Statementאביי's inference from רבי יהודה
16. ConclusionHadran — Closing the chapter of the two goats
17. StatementNew chapter: what the כהן גדול wears to read the תורה
18. StatementThe ספר תורה is passed up to the כהן גדול, who reads
19. StatementHe rolls the scroll and recites the third section by heart
20. StatementThe eight blessings after the reading
21. StatementNo one could watch both the reading and the burning
22. StatementThe גמרא infers that קריאת התורה is not an עבודה
23. ProofReading in priestly garments suggests one may benefit from them
24. RejectionReading may be different because it serves the עבודה
25. QuestionBackground: the open question about benefiting from priestly garments
26. ProofProof from sleeping: they did not sleep in them, so they could eat in them
27. RejectionEating may be different because eating קדשים brings כפרה
28. ProofSecond inference: they could walk in the garments
29. RejectionReally, walking is also forbidden