Und diese werden zu ihrer Schande erwähnt: Beth Garmo weigerte sich, (anderen) die Zubereitung des Showbrots beizubringen. [Die anderen Handwerker wussten nicht, wie sie es aus dem Ofen nehmen sollten, ohne es zu zerbrechen, da es die Form einer offenen Truhe hatte.] Beth Avtinas weigerte sich, die Zubereitung des Weihrauchs zu lehren. [Sie wussten von einem bestimmten Kraut namens "ma'aleh ashan" ("der Raucher"), das, wenn es zu den Gewürzen des Weihrauchs hinzugefügt wird, dazu führen würde, dass der Rauch des Weihrauchs als Säule aufsteigt und nicht anders schwankt Richtungen.] Hugras b. Levi war Experte für Cantillation, weigerte sich jedoch, sie zu unterrichten. Ben Kamtzar weigerte sich, seine Schreibfähigkeiten zu unterrichten. [Er band vier Stifte an seine vier Finger und schrieb das Tetragramm auf einmal.] Von den ersten [Ben Gamla, Ben Katin, Monbaz, seiner Mutter, Hilni und Nikanor] steht geschrieben (Sprüche 10: 7): "Die Erinnerung des Gerechten an einen Segen."]; und von den letzten [Beth Garmo, Beth Avtinas, Hugras b. Levi und Ben Kamzar] steht geschrieben (ebd.): "Und möge der Name der bösen Fäulnis!" [Und obwohl Beth Garmo und Beth Avtinas einen Grund angaben, andere nicht zu unterrichten, würde die Fähigkeit vielleicht von einer unwürdigen Person erlernt werden, die sie im Dienst des Götzendienstes einsetzen könnte, aber ihre Verteidigung wurde von den Weisen nicht akzeptiert. ]]
Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
לא רצו ללמד על מעשה לחם הפנים – for the rest of the artisans did not know how to detach the bread from [where it sticks in] the oven (see Tractate Yoma 38a), so that it would not bread, because it was made like a broken chest.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
Introduction
Alas, along with those who were remembered for praise, there were those who were remembered for shame as well. Interestingly, all of those who were remembered for shame were denounced for the same transgression they refused to teach their secrets to outsiders, thereby preserving for themselves monopolies over how certain things in the Temple were run. It is clear that the rabbis were incensed by the preservation of such secrets; both for practical and I believe ideological reasons as well. Practically, their trade was in constant danger of being lost. Ideologically, it seems to me that the rabbis stood for a certain democratization of knowledge. With the exception of certain esoteric subjects, the rabbis believed that people should know the oral tradition. Those who kept its various aspects to themselves were condemning the tradition to be unjustly monopolized and even worse, forgotten.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
לא רצו ללמד על מעשה הקטורת – they recognized one herb/grass whose name is a “smoke-raiser” (see Talmud Keritot 6a), that they would combine it with the ingredients of frankincense, and the smoke of the incense would raise straight up like a rod and would not turn to either side.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
And these they mentioned to their shame: Those of the House of Garmu did not want to teach anything about the preparation of the showbread. The trick with the showbread, according to the Talmud, was to take it off the sides of the oven, where bread was cooked (as is pita today) without it breaking apart due to its size. The House of Garmu (probably not related to “gourmet” but who knows!) knew how to do this but did not want to teach others.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
פרק בשיר – producing a pleasant sound.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
Those of the House of Avtinas did not teach to anything about the preparation of the incense. The incense was a complicated mixture of spices and some other materials which caused it to turn into thick smoke. The House of Avtinas did not want to teach others how they made the incense.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
על מעשה הכתב – he would tie four reeds with his four fingers and write there four letters at once.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
Hugros, a Levite knew a chapter [concerning] the song but did not want to teach it. Hugros knew certain tricks on how to improve one’s voice, but to his discredit, did not wish to teach others.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
על הראשונים – Ben Gamla and Ben Ketin and Munbaz and Heleni his mother and Nikanor.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
Ben Kamtzar did not want teach anyone his art of writing. According to legend, Ben Kamtzar could take four styluses in one hand and write four letters at the same time.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yoma
ועל האחרונים – the House of Garmu and the House of Abtinas, and Hugares the son of Levi and Ben Kamtzar, for even though the House of Garmu and the House of Abtinas gave reasons for their words that they did not want to teach [their special skills], lest a person who is not honest would learn and he will go and worship idolatry with this, but the Sages did not accept their words.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
Concerning the former it is said: “The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing” (Proverbs 10:7); concerning the others it is said: “But the name of the wicked shall rot.” Concerning those listed in mishnah ten for praise we say “The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing” but concerning those in our mishnah we say, “But the name of the wicked shall rot”, meaning let their memory be forgotten.
