Daf Ditty Yoma 44:The Seven Types of Gold Iron pyrite or "fool's gold" 1 Does incense effect atonement? The Torah mentions the concept of atonement only with regard to offerings. Yes, as Rabbi Ḥananya teaches in a baraita: We learned of the incense that it effects atonement, as it is stated: 2 And Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the 12 בי ִַויּ ַקּח ַאֲהֹרן ַכֲּאֶשׁר ִדֶּבּר ֹמֶשׁה, midst of the assembly; and behold, the plague was begun לא ַָורֶיּץ ָ - Sוֹתּ קַּה ,לָהָ הְ ו נִּ הֵ חֵה לֵ לֵ חֵה הֵ נִּ הְ ו ,לָהָ קַּה Sוֹתּ among the people; and he put on the incense and made ַהֶנֶּגף, ָבָּﬠם; ִַויּ ֵתּן, ֶאת- ,תְֹרטַהקּ ֶ ,תְֹרטַהקּ .atonement for the people לﬠ ַוַרפּכ,י ְֵַ - ָ.םָהﬠ Num 17:12 “And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people” And the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: For what does incense effect atonement? For slander. And why is that? Let something that is done in secret, i.e., the incense, which is burned in seclusion within the Sanctuary, come and effect atonement for an act done in secret, i.e., slander, which is generally said in private. RASHI Steinzaltz 3 We learned in a Mishna there: They remove themselves from the area between the Entrance Hall and the altar during the burning of the incense. Rabbi Elazar said: They taught that this is true only during the burning of the incense of the Sanctuary, but during the burning of the incense in the innermost chamber, i.e., the Holy of Holies, people are required to remove themselves only from the Sanctuary. They do not need to remove themselves from the area between the Entrance Hall and the altar. Rav Adda bar Ahava raised an objection to Rabbi Elazar’s opinion from a baraita, and some say it unattributed: Rabbi Yosei says: Just as they remove themselves from the area between the Entrance Hall and the altar during the burning of the incense, they similarly remove themselves during the blood presentations of the bull of the anointed priest, i.e., of the High Priest, which he brings if he issues an erroneous halakhic ruling and acts upon it; and also during the blood presentations of the bull for an unwitting communal sin brought if the Sanhedrin issues an erroneous halakhic ruling and the community acts upon it; and also during the blood presentations of the goats of idol worship brought for an inadvertent communal transgression of idol worship. The baraita continues: If so, what higher standard is applicable to the Sanctuary relative to the area between the Entrance Hall and the altar? Only that those in the Sanctuary remove themselves both during the incense burning and also during the blood presentations, which is 4 not during the incense burning. Those who are in the area between the Entrance Hall and the altar remove themselves only during the incense burning but not during the blood presentations. § The Mishna states: On every other day, a priest would scoop up the coals with a coal pan made of silver and pour the coals from there into a coal pan of gold. The Gemara asks: What is the reason the gold pan was not used to scoop the coals? The Gemara answers: Because the Torah spared the money of the Jewish people. Since the pan is worn away with use, it is preferable to use a less expensive silver pan. § The Mishna continues: But on this day, on Yom Kippur, the High Priest scoops up with a coal pan of gold, and with that coal pan, he would bring the coals into the Holy of Holies. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that on Yom Kippur only one pan is used? Due to the weakness of the High Priest. He has to perform the entire service by himself while fasting; using only one pan minimizes his exertion. § The Mishna continues: But on this day, on Yom Kippur, the High Priest scoops up with a coal pan of gold, and with that coal pan, he would bring the coals into the Holy of Holies. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that on Yom Kippur only one pan is used? Due to the weakness of the High Priest. He has to perform the entire service by himself while fasting; using only one pan minimizes his exertion. RASHI 5 Steinzaltz Jastrow § The Mishna states: On every other day, it was of greenish gold but on this day it was of a red gold. Rav Ḥisda said: There are seven types of gold mentioned in the Bible: Gold, and good gold, and gold of Ophir (I Kings 10:11), and glistering gold (I Kings 10:18), and shaḥut gold (I Kings 10:17), and closed gold (I Kings 10:21), and parvayim gold (II Chronicles 3:6). The Gemara explains the reason for these names: There is a distinction between gold and good gold, as it is written in the verse: “And the gold of that land is good” (Genesis 2:12), which indicates the existence of gold of a higher quality. Gold of Ophir is gold that comes from Ophir. Glistering [mufaz] gold is so named. 6 Summary Rav Avrohom Adler writes:1 The Mishna had stated: On other days, he would take them out with a silver shovel. The Gemora explains the reason for this: The Torah has consideration for the money of Israel. The Mishna had stated: Today (on Yom Kippur), he took them out with a golden shovel, in which he was to bring them in: The Gemora explains the reason for this (that it wasn’t poured from one shovel to another): It was because of the weakness of the Kohen Gadol. The Mishna had stated: On other days, he would scoop them up with a shovel containing four kavin. A Tanna taught: One kav of the coals became scattered (during his pouring), and he swept it into the canal. The Gemora asks: There is one braisa that teaches that it was one kav, and another that it was two kavin. Now, it is quite right according to the one which teaches ‘one kav,’ for it is in accordance with that which the Rabbis said, but the one that taught ‘two kavin,’ is not in accordance with the Rabbis or with Rabbi Yosi!? Rav Chisda said: It is Rabbi Yishmael, the son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Berokah, for it was taught: Rabbi Yochanan ben Berokah said: He brought the coals in a shovel containing two kavin. Rav Ashi said: You can also say that it is in accordance with Rabbi Yosi, and he said it as follows: On other days he would take them up with a shovel containing a se’ah of the Wilderness (which was equal to five Jerusalem kavin) and pour it into one containing three Jerusalem kavin (which meant that two kavin remained). The Mishna had stated: On other days, the shovel was heavy, but this day, it was light: A Tanna taught: On other days it (its sides) was of thick metal, but this day, it was thin. The Mishna had stated: On other days, its handle was short, but this day, it was long: The Gemora explains the reason for this: It was that the arm of the Kohen Gadol may support it. A Tanna taught: On other days, it had no ring (attached to the handle), today it had one; these are the words of the son of the Segan. The Mishna had stated: On other days, its gold was yellowish. Rav Chisda said: There are seven kinds of gold: gold; good gold; gold of Ophir; fine gold; spun gold; closed gold; parvayim gold. Rav Ashi said: There are but five varieties of gold, each having gold and good gold. From the Gemora it is evident that there is a prohibition from the torah not to be in the Heichal (Ohel Moed) at the time when the kohen gadol is performing the avodas haketores. This is learned from a verse. It is asked by the Acharonim as to why the Rishonim who list all the mitzvos in the Torah omit this particular one? Why is it not counted as its own commandment? 1 http://dafnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Yoma_44.pdf 7 Rav Yeruchem Fishel Perlow in his explanation to the Resag (183) answers with an innovative approach to the issur. He explains that the issur is not on the individual (gavra) to make sure that he is not in that particular area of the Beis Hamikdosh during the avodas haketores. The mitzva is that the ketores should be done in the correct method. One of the dinim of the ketores is that there should not be anybody there throughout the avodas haketores. If someone was there, that renders the ketores invalid. Accordingly, this is why it is not regarded as its own mitzva. It is not an independent mitzva, rather it is a component in the mitzva of ketores. One of the proofs that he brings is from our Gemora which states the reason for this prohibition. The ketores which is brought in a secret place, atones for the sin which one tends to perform in private, namely loshon hora. Analyzing the comparison, the sinner in private is compared to the kohen doing the ketores secretly and that is where the issur is - the performing of the ketores incorrectly, not in the person who entered during the avodah. Another proof is from a Yerushalmi that relates the story with Shimon Hatzadik on Yom Kippur.