Commentary for Yoma 7:6

בא לו כהן גדול לקרות – the [Torah] portion of the day (i.e., Leviticus, chapter 16).

Introduction After having sent the goat away, the Yom Kippur rituals continue with the priest reading various verses from the Torah concerning Yom Kippur and reciting some blessings.

בבגדי בוץ – that he performed the Divine Service of the day.

The high priest [then] came to read. The next step was for the high priest to read the portions of the Torah concerning Yom Kippur. This is not mentioned in the biblical description of Yom Kippur. It seems to me that the point of this part of the ritual was to emphasize to both the participants and the observers that everything that the high priest had done was according to the prescriptions of the Torah. It may also have been intended to make a statement about the importance of the Yom Kippur ritual vis a vis Torah. It is as if to say that the ritual’s significance is in the fact that it is anchored in Torah.

קורא – for it is permitted to wear the clothing of the Priesthood even not at the time of Divine Service, for the clothing of the Priesthood was given to derive benefit from them.

If he wished to read in linen garments, he reads, and if not he reads in his own white cloak. While reading, the high priest can wear either his special linen clothes (see above 3:6) or he may wear a different cloak. Since the reading is not prescribed by the Torah and is not considered an “avodah” part of the day’s service he need not wear the special garments.

באצטלית – clothing made in the form of a white garment/undershirt.

The synagogue attendant would take a Torah scroll and give it to the head of the synagogue, and the head of the synagogue gives it to deputy high priest, and the deputy high priest gives it to the high priest, and the high priest stands and receives it, and reads, [section] beginning] “After the death …” (Leviticus 16:1-34) and “But on the tenth…” (Leviticus 23:26-32). There is a ceremonial passing of the Torah scroll which occurs before the high priest reads it. The first to take it is the synagogue attendant (chazzan). As an aside, this mishnah is an interesting reference to a synagogue that was actually adjacent to the Temple Mount. In 1913 archaeologists found an inscription (see below) on the southern part of the Temple mount which shows that there was a synagogue there while the Temple still stood. The synagogue attendant passes the Torah on to the head of the synagogue (a position referred to in the inscription). The head of the synagogue passes it to the deputy high priest, the second in command, who finally passes it up to the high priest. This procession is clearly meant to pay homage to the high priest. The high priest then reads from the two portions in Leviticus that deal with Yom Kippur.

משלו – for the reading of the [Torah] portion is not Divine Service.

Then he would roll up the Torah scroll and put it in his bosom and say, “More than what I have read out before you is written here.” And “On the tenth …” (Numbers 29:7-11) which is in the Book of Numbers he recites by heart. The high priest then rolls up the Torah scroll and states to the people that there is more in the Torah about Yom Kippur then that which he has just read. This declaration allows them to know that the passage that he is about to read to them from Numbers is also in the Torah, lest they think he is making it up. He recites the passage from Numbers by heart in order to avoid having to roll from Leviticus until Numbers. Although he did have to roll between the two parts of Leviticus, this was less problematic because the portions are close to one another.

חזן הכנסת – the sexton/beadle.

And he recites on it eight benedictions: “For the law”, “For the Temple service,” “For thanksgiving,” “For the forgiveness of sins” and “For the Temple” on its own, and “For Israel” on its own and “For Jerusalem” on its own, “For the priests” on their own and “For the rest of the prayer.” Finally, he recites eight blessings. The full version of the blessings is not found here; rather the mishnah makes only short references to these blessings. Some of these are familiar because they are still recited today. “For the Torah” is the blessing recited before reading the Torah today. “For the Temple service” is part of the Amidah (the 17th blessing). “For thanksgiving” is also part of the Amidah (the 18th blessing). “For forgiveness of sins” is similar to that which is also recited in today’s Amidah (6th blessing). The other four blessings are unique to the Yom Kippur ritual. In case you might be interested, the following is a translation of the inscription found at the Temple Mount (I found this on the web): “Theodotus, son of Vettanos, a priest and an archisynagogos, son of an archisynagogos grandson of an archisynagogos, built the synagogue for the reading of Torah and for teaching the commandments; furthermore, the hostel, and the rooms, and the water installation for lodging needy strangers. Its foundation stone was laid by his ancestors, the elders, and Simonides.”

ראש הכנסת – through his word, all the needs of the community are decided, who recites the Maftir portion (i.e., Haftarah), and who spreads a cloak over the head for the recitation of the prayers preceding the Shema (Kaddish and Barchu) (alternatively, to recite the prayers for the benefit of those who come too late for the regular service), and who goes before the Ark (to lead the service). And we give the Torah Scroll from this one to that one, because of the honor/dignity of the High Priest to demonstrate that there are many authorities below him.

עומד ומקבל – it follows that until here he was sitting, and we find that we learned that he would read in the Ezrat Nashim/courtyard of the women, for if he read in the courtyard of Israel/Ezrat Yisrael and all the more so, in a holier place than that, it would be prohibited to sit other than the Kings of the House of David that were permitted to them to sit in the courtyard, as it is written (2 Samuel 7:18): “Then King David came and sat before the LORD.”

וקורא אחרי מות ואך בעשור – that is in the [Torah] portion of Emor (Leviticus chapter 23, verses 26-32). For it is permitted to skip in the Torah in one subject matter when it is close in order that the [Aramaic] translator not stop. But if prior to his rolling the Torah Scroll until the place of the skip that the [Aramaic] translator would stop who is translating the verse that the reader read/recite, it is prohibited to skip and to roll, for it would be found that the community is sitting and waiting/anticipating and this is not the dignity of the congregation.

יותר ממה שקריתי לפניכם כתוב כאן – so as to not to spread evil talk against/to discredit the Torah scroll, when they see him (i.e., the High Priest) read a third portion by heart that they would think that the Torah scroll is missing that portion.

ובעשור שבחומש הפקודים קורא על פה – [Numbers chapter 29, verses 7-11] which is far from the portion of Aharei Mot, and “Mark the tenth day of the month” (Leviticus 23:27 and following), which is more than the [Aramaic] translator can stop, therefore, he cannot roll the Torah scroll to there since we do not roll a Torah scroll in public because of the honor/respect of the congregation, and he cannot bring another Torah scroll because of the [perceived] defect of the first [scroll] so that people won’t say that it is lacking/missing parts.

על התורה – two blessings, one before [the reading] and one after it in the manner that we recite the blessings in the synagogue.

על העבודה ועל ההודאה – “Accept” (i.e. the third-to-last blessing of the Amidah) and “We give thanks” (the second-to-last blessing of the Amidah).

ועל מחילת עון – “Forgive us.”

ועל המקדש – that the Divine Presence should dwell in it.

ועל הכהנים – that they should be blessed and that their sacrifices [would be accepted] with favor.

ועל ישראל ועל שאר התפלה – it is explained in the Gemara (Tractate Yoma 70a): a prayer for grace, chant and request from before You that Your people Israel needs to be saved. Praised are You, who Hears prayer.

לא מפני שאינו רשאי – for you might have thought that the person who sees one Divine Service is not permitted to leave it in order to work and see another Divine Service, for we do not forgo the occasion for performing a religious act. And the viewing of the Divine Service is a Mitzvah because of (Proverbs 14:28): “A numerous people is the glory of a king,” which comes to tell us that he does foregoing a commandment since he is not engaged in it.

Introduction This mishnah notes that those who were in the Temple courtyard watching the priest reading the verses was too far from the bull and goat which were being burned outside of Jerusalem.

He who sees the high priest when he reads does not see the bull and the goat that are being burned, and he that sees the bull and the goat that are being burned does not see the high priest when he reads, not because he was not permitted but because the distance apart was great and both rites were performed at the same time. The mishnah notes that a person is allowed leave the bull and goat and go and listen to the high priest. The only thing that prevents this is that it is not practical they were both occurring in different places but at the same time. We might have thought that it would be forbidden to go from one to the other because a person should generally not abandon performing one mitzvah in order to go perform another. However, in this case this would not be forbidden because those watching the mitzvah being performed are not in the same category as those actually performing it.

אילו ואיל העם – the reason of Rabbi Eliezer is because his ram and the ram of the people, and the innards of the sin offering and the removal of the ladle and coal-pan, all these are written at the beginning of Leviticus in the portion of the day (Leviticus chapter 16), he does them at the outset, and goes back and performs the additional sacrifices/Musaf of a burnt offering of a bull and the seven lambs and the he-goat which are done outside, all of them with the daily offering offered at eventide, as it is written, at the end, in the Book of Numbers (chapter 29, verses 7-11).

Introduction Our mishnah deals with the sacrifices that have not yet been offered. So far only three sacrifices have been offered: the morning tamid, one bull and one goat. There are still many sacrifices yet left to perform.

ור"ע אומר – the burnt offering of a bull and the seven lambs of the Additional Service/Musaf.

If he read in the garments of linen, he would then sanctify his hands and feet, strip off his clothes, go down and immerse himself, come up and dry himself. If he read in garments of linen, then he must now wash his hands and feet, undress and go to the mikveh and then put on new clothes. However, if he read the verses in his own cloak (see mishnah one) then he would have already had to wash his hands and feet before removing the linen clothes and putting on the cloak. At this point he would need only take off his cloak and go immerse in the mikveh.

עם תמיד של שחר היו קרבים – as it is written (Numbers 28:23): “You shall present these in addition to the morning portion of the regular burnt offering,” etc. Hence we see, that the Musaf/Additional offerings are made with the morning burnt offering near it, and afterwards, the Divine Service of the day, and after that the goat that offered outside, and even though it is from the Musaf, it cannot precede the Divine Service of the day, as it is stated concerning it (Numbers 29:11): “in addition to the sin offering of expiation [and the regular burnt offering with its meal offering, each with its libation],” we learned that the inner goat which is part of the Divine Service of the day precedes it, and afterwards, his ram and the ram of the people, and after that, the innards of the sin offering, all of these at the third ritual immersion. But the removal of the ladle and the coal-pan is after that and after that the daily offering of the eventide. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiba.

They brought him the golden clothes, he put them on, sanctified his hands and feet, went out, offered up his own ram and the ram of the people, and the seven unblemished, one-year-old-lambs, the words of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiba said: these were offered up together with the morning tamid of the morning, He now puts on the golden garments, the clothes that the high priest would wear during the remainder of the year (see above 3:4). After putting on the new clothes he must again wash his hands and feet. The mishnah now makes reference to Leviticus 16:24, “Then he shall come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, making expiation for himself and for the people.” This is the ram referred to in our mishnah. According to Rabbi Eliezer he now offers the seven unblemished lambs mentioned in Numbers 29:8, all of which are additional (musaf) offerings. Rabbi Eliezer holds that these lambs are sacrificed before the bull which is also mentioned in Numbers 29:8, even though in the verse the bull comes first. This verse also mentions a ram. Our mishnah identifies this ram with the ram in Leviticus 16:5, which is the “ram of the people.” In other words, these are not two separate rams, which would bring our total to three, but rather two rams, one which is his (Leviticus 16:3) and one which is the people’s (v. 5). These are the two mentioned in v. 24 as well. Rabbi Akiva holds that the seven lambs were sacrificed with the morning tamid and not later in the day, as Rabbi Eliezer claims.

The bull for the whole burnt offering and the goat which is offered up outside were offered up together with the dusk tamid. The bull for a burnt offering (Numbers 29:9) and the goat which is a sin-offering (v. 11) are the next to be sacrificed. This goat is called “done outside” in order to distinguish it from the other sin-offering goat whose blood is spilled inside the Holy of Holies. These sacrifices are offered before the dusk tamid, which is always the final sacrifice of the day.

ולהטיב את הנרות – this trimming/cleansing of the lambs is kindling.

Introduction This is the final mishnah that discusses the Yom Kippur ritual. As we have already noted many times, every time he takes off his clothes he must wash his hands and and immerse in the mikveh. When he puts on new clothes he has to wash his hands and feet again.

He then sanctified his hands and feet, stripped off his clothes, went down and immersed himself, came up and dried himself. They brought him the white clothes, he put them on and sanctified his hands and his feet. Then he went in to bring out the ladle and the fire-pan. He now changes his clothes in order to put on the white clothes, which are the special clothes special for Yom Kippur, because he needs to go back into the Holy of Holies to get the ladle with the incense that he left there in 5:1. It was left there until all of the incense had been burned up.

He then sanctified his hands and feet, stripped off his clothes, went down and immersed himself, came up and dry himself. They brought him the golden clothes, he put them on, sanctified his hands and feet, and went in to burn up the dusk incense, and takes care of the lamp. He now puts back on the golden clothes so that he can offer the daily dusk incense offering. This incense offering was mentioned above in 3:5. He also takes care of the lamp, a daily chore which we learned about in 1:2. We should note that some commentators debate whether he offers the dusk tamid sacrifice before or after the dusk incense offering.

He sanctified his hands and feet and stripped, went down, immersed himself, came up and dried himself. They brought him his own clothes and he put them on. Finally, the high priest’s exhausting day is over and he may put on his own clothes and go home.

And they would accompany him to his house. And he would make a day of festivity for his friends whenever he came out of the Holy [of Holies] in peace. The day doesn’t end with the high priest just walking home alone. The other priests accompany him to his house and there he makes a big party to celebrate his having successfully entered the Holy of Holies, the closest one can get to God’s presence, and having come out alive. As we have mentioned on many occasions, this was an event that was perceived to be very dangerous and hence the high priest must have been relieved to have survived. [Perhaps this was the first break-fast! Did they have lox and bagels back then?]

באלו נשאלין – the Kohen who received inquiries for the Urim and Thummim needs to dress in eight [sets] of clothing. And how do they inquire of the Urim and Thummim? The face of the one who asks is behind the Kohen who receives inquiries and the one who receives inquiries, his face is directed towards the Ark, but the inquirer asks, “May I do a certain thing or not do it?” And he does not inquire in a loud voice nor does he meditate/think in his heart, but in a low voice, and the Holy Spirit clothes/envelopes the Kohen and he looks at the breastplate, and sees letters protruding in the breastplate corresponding to his face, ”do this or don’t do that.” For since the names of the twelve tribes were written on the stones of the breastplate, and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the tribes of God, it is found that the entire Alphabet is there, and the Holy Spirit would inform the Kohen how to combine the protruding letters one with the other until he would understand the implication of the matters (see Talmud Yoma 73 a-b).

The high priest performs the service in eight pieces of clothing, and the common priest in four: in tunic, breeches, a headdress, and a sash.
The high priest adds the breastpiece, the ephod, the robe and the frontlet.
In these were the Urim and Tummim inquired of. But they were not inquired of except by the king, by the head of the court or by one whom the community needs.
This mishnah completes the first seven chapters of Yoma, all of which dealt with the Temple Yom Kippur ritual.
Sections one and two: The first two sections of the mishnah outline the difference between the clothes that the high priest wore on normal occasions throughout the year (not on Yom Kippur), and the clothes that a normal priest wore. The high priest has eight pieces of clothing (see above 3:4) whereas the normal priest has only four pieces. These are all discussed in Exodus 28
Section three: The Urim and Tummim, the oracular stones used in the First Temple, are only asked questions when the high priest is wearing his eight pieces of clothing. And not anyone can ask a question of the Urim and Tummim. Only the king, the head of the court or other high officials of the community may ask questions. For more information about the Urim and Tummim, how they are understood by modern biblical scholars and how they are understood in the aggadah, I suggest consulting the Encyclopedia Judaica.

אלא למלך וכו' – as it is written (Numbers 27:21): “But he shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, [who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim before the LORD]…” “He” is the king, “and all of the Israelites that are with him” all of the children of Israel that are with him go out to war. After him, that is the priest anointed as the chaplain of the army [that is] all of the needs of the community are upon him. “the whole community” – this is the Great Sanhedrin.