Yoma 8

Chapter 8

א יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּבִשְׁתִיָּה וּבִרְחִיצָה וּבְסִיכָה וּבִנְעִילַת הַסַּנְדָּל וּבְתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה. וְהַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַכַּלָּה יִרְחֲצוּ אֶת פְּנֵיהֶם, וְהֶחָיָה תִנְעֹל אֶת הַסַּנְדָּל, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹסְרִין:

1 The following are forbidden (assur) on Yom Kippur: eating and drinking, washing, anointing, wearing shoes, and cohabitation. [We have "assur" (connoting rabbinically but not Scripturally interdicted) even though eating and drinking are punishable by kareth (cutting off), because of the other inuyim (afflictions, self-deprivations), which are not punishable by kareth. And these five inuyim correspond to the five inuyim mentioned in the Torah, viz.: (Leviticus 23:32): "A Sabbath of Sabbaths it shall be to you, and you shall afflict your souls"; (Ibid. 16:31): "It is a Sabbath of Sabbaths to you, and you shall afflict your souls"; (Numbers 28:7): "And on the tenth day of this seventh month … and you shall afflict your souls"; (Leviticus 23:27): "But on the tenth day … and you shall afflict your souls"; (Ibid. 16:29): "And it shall be to you an everlasting statute … you shall afflict your souls." And these (afflictions) in our Mishnah are also five, for eating and drinking are one.] And the king and a bride may wash their faces, [a king, by reason of (Isaiah 33:17): "The king in his beauty shall your eyes behold"; a bride, to endear her to her husband. She is called a "bride" all thirty days (after the wedding)]. And a midwife may wear shoes [because of the cold]. These are the words of R. Eliezer. [This refers to all of them: king, bride, and midwife. The sages forbid it. The halachah is in accordance with R. Eliezer.]

ב הָאוֹכֵל כְּכוֹתֶבֶת הַגַּסָּה, כָּמוֹהָ וּכְגַרְעִינָתָהּ, וְהַשּׁוֹתֶה מְלֹא לֻגְמָיו, חַיָּב. כָּל הָאֳכָלִין מִצְטָרְפִין לִכְכוֹתֶבֶת. כָּל הַמַּשְׁקִין מִצְטָרְפִין לִמְלֹא לֻגְמָיו. הָאוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה, אֵין מִצְטָרְפִין:

2 If one eats (on Yom Kippur) the size of a large date (kotheveth), it and its seeds; and if one drinks (the size of) his full cheek, he is liable. [A kotheveth is less than (the size of) an egg. And even though the (minimum) quantity for all (of the Torah) "eatings" is an olive-size, this is because "eating" is written in respect to them. But here, where only "Every soul which will not be afflicted" is written (Leviticus 23:29), it is postulated that with less than a kotheveth one's mind is not set at rest, and he is "afflicted." In any event it is ruled that a half-size (of the interdicted quantity) is forbidden by the Torah; it is just that there is kareth liability and stripes only with the full size. ("full cheek":) Any quantity which, if moved to the side of the mouth causes one's cheek to visibly expand is called "his full cheek." In an average person, this is less than a revi'ith.] All foods combine to (the interdicted size of) a kotheveth; and all liquids combine to (the size of) his full cheek. If one eats and drinks, "combining" (of foods and liquids) does not obtain.

ג אָכַל וְשָׁתָה בְּהֶעְלֵם אַחַת, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא חַטָּאת אֶחָת. אָכַל וְעָשָׂה מְלָאכָה, חַיָּב שְׁתֵּי חַטָּאוֹת. אָכַל אֳכָלִין שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִין לַאֲכִילָה, וְשָׁתָה מַשְׁקִין שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִין לִשְׁתִיָּה, וְשָׁתָה צִיר אוֹ מֻרְיָס, פָּטוּר:

3 If one ate and drank in one period of forgetfulness, he is liable for only one sin-offering, [for eating and drinking are derived from one verse and go under the same name.] If he ate and performed a labor, he is liable for two sin-offerings, [for these are derived from two verses and go under two names.] If one ate foods that are not fit for eating or drank liquids that are not fit for drinking, or if he drank brine or muries, he is not liable.

ד הַתִּינוֹקוֹת, אֵין מְעַנִּין אוֹתָן בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, אֲבָל מְחַנְּכִין אוֹתָם לִפְנֵי שָׁנָה וְלִפְנֵי שְׁנָתַיִם, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רְגִילִין בַּמִּצְוֹת:

4 Young children are not "afflicted" on Yom Kippur [i.e., one is not obligated to withhold food from them], but they are trained [by hours. If he was accustomed to eat at the fourth hour, he is fed at the fifth or the sixth, as he can tolerate it], one year before [he comes of age, if he is sickly and weak, and cannot "take" more] or two years before [he comes of age, if he is healthy. "Coming of age" is twelve years and a day for a girl (for she is not wont to show two pubertal hairs before then, at which time she is subject to punishment for transgression), and thirteen years and a day for a boy, before which time he is not subject to punishment.] (This is done) so as to accustom them to mitzvoth.

ה עֻבָּרָה שֶׁהֵרִיחָה, מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתָהּ עַד שֶׁתָּשִׁיב נַפְשָׁהּ. חוֹלֶה מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ עַל פִּי בְקִיאִין. וְאִם אֵין שָׁם בְּקִיאִין, מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ עַל פִּי עַצְמוֹ, עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר דָּי:

5 If her fetus smelled food, she is fed until her soul is restored. [The fetus smells the food and she desires it, and if she does not eat, both are endangered. A sick person is fed on the opinion of experts [i.e., doctors who are expert in their profession]. And if there are no experts, he is fed on his own say, until he says: "Enough!" [The gemara explains: When is this so, that we rely on the opinion of experts? When the sick man says that he does not need to eat or when he keeps quiet. But if he says: "I need," there are no experts there; that is, their expertise avails naught, but he is fed on his own say, even if the experts say he does not need to eat.]

ו מִי שֶׁאֲחָזוֹ בֻלְמוּס, מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ אֲפִלּוּ דְבָרִים טְמֵאִים, עַד שֶׁיֵּאוֹרוּ עֵינָיו. מִי שֶׁנְּשָׁכוֹ כֶלֶב שׁוֹטֶה, אֵין מַאֲכִילִין אוֹתוֹ מֵחֲצַר כָּבֵד שֶׁלוֹ, וְרַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶן חָרָשׁ מַתִּיר. וְעוֹד אָמַר רַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶן חָרָשׁ, הַחוֹשֵׁשׁ בִּגְרוֹנוֹ, מַטִּילִין לוֹ סַם בְּתוֹךְ פִּיו בְּשַׁבָּת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא סְפֵק נְפָשׁוֹת, וְכָל סְפֵק נְפָשׁוֹת דּוֹחֶה אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת:

6 If one were seized by bulmus [a sickness produced by intense appetite and endangering one's life (and which is known to have been cured when his appearance returns to normal)], he is fed even things that are unclean, until his eyes "shine." If one were bitten by a mad dog, [one possessed by an "evil spirit" (its signs: gaping mouth, dripping spittle, "hanging" ears, tail fallen between its legs, walking on the edge of the public road; some say: also, barking without being heard], he is not fed from the lobe of its liver. [Even though the doctors prescribe this, it is not a genuine cure which warrants permitting an unclean animal to him.] And R. Matia b. Charash permits it, [holding it to be a genuine cure. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Matia b. Charash.] R. Matia b. Charash said further: If one's teeth ache him, [the gums beginning to rot and (the malady) spreading to the palate and the throat], a drug [a curative herb] is paced into his mouth on the Sabbath, for there is a possible risk of life, and every possible risk of life overrides the Sabbath, ["every" to include such an instance when we are certain that he will not die this Sabbath, but there is a possibility that if the cure is not administered today, he might die on the next Sabbath; or, if the doctors prescribed the drinking of a potion for eight days, the first day being the Sabbath. I might think that he should wait until the evening so that he not desecrate two Sabbaths; we are, therefore, apprised otherwise.]

ז מִי שֶׁנָּפְלָה עָלָיו מַפֹּלֶת, סָפֵק הוּא שָׁם סָפֵק אֵינוֹ שָׁם, סָפֵק חַי סָפֵק מֵת, סָפֵק נָכְרִי סָפֵק יִשְׂרָאֵל, מְפַקְּחִין עָלָיו אֶת הַגַּל. מְצָאוּהוּ חַי, מְפַקְּחִין עָלָיו. וְאִם מֵת, יַנִּיחוּהוּ:

7 If one were caught in a cave-in, and there is a doubt as to whether he is there (under it) or not; whether he is alive or dead; whether he is gentile or Jew, the debris is removed for him. [It is dug up and he is searched for. If they exposed up to his nose, whether from above (his head) downwards, or from below (his feet) upwards, and they found no breath, of a certainty he is dead, and no more digging is permitted on his behalf, viz. (Genesis 7:22): "All that had the spirit of life in its nostrils."] If they found him alive, it (the debris) is removed for him. [It is necessary to apprise us of this only for an instance where it was seen that he could live only a few moments and then die. We are hereby apprised that it is removed for him for the sake of those "few moments."] And if they found him dead, he is left there (until after the Sabbath). [We are hereby apprised that even those who hold that a dead body is not "rescued" from a fire (on the Sabbath) concede that in this instance the debris is not removed. For they permitted moving and carrying out a dead body, on the grounds that if it were not permitted he (the dead man's kin) might come to put out the fire, for "a man becomes distracted over his dead one." But here, if he is not permitted to remove the debris, what might he do that is Scripturally interdicted, that we should permit the one for fear of the other!]

ח חַטָּאת וְאָשָׁם וַדַּאי מְכַפְּרִין. מִיתָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפְּרִין עִם הַתְּשׁוּבָה. הַתְּשׁוּבָה מְכַפֶּרֶת עַל עֲבֵרוֹת קַלּוֹת עַל עֲשֵׂה וְעַל לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְעַל הַחֲמוּרוֹת הִיא תוֹלָה עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וִיכַפֵּר:

8 A sin-offering and a positive guilt-offering (as opposed to a "suspended" guilt-offering) atone [together with repentance. The tanna felt no need to mention this, for it is assumed that if he brings his sin-offering and his guilt-offering he has already repented. For if he had not repented, he would not bring an offering. ("a positive guilt-offering":) such as a theft guilt-offering and a guilt-offering of me'iloth (abuse of consecrated property)]. Death and Yom Kippur atone together with repentance. Repentance atones for lesser transgressions: for (transgression of) positive and negative commandments. For more severe transgressions, it suspends (punishment) until Yom Kippur comes and atones. [Repentance atones for (transgression of) positive commandments and for negative commandments linked to positive commandments. The conclusion in the gemara is that if one willfully transgressed a positive commandment or a negative commandment linked to a positive commandment, or if he unwittingly transgressed a negative commandment subject to stripes, and he repented, he "does not move from there" until he is pardoned. If he willfully transgressed a negative commandment subject to stripes, repentance "suspends" and Yom Kippur atones. If he unwittingly committed sins subject to kareth and judicial death penalty, the sin-offering atones together with repentance. And if he did so willfully, repentance and Yom Kippur suspend, and afflictions purge. This, only where he did not desecrate the Name. That is, where he did not sin and cause others to sin. But if he desecrated the Name, his repentance is not complete until he dies. And all this, only when the (institution of the) sent-away goat does not obtain; but when it does, it atones for all transgressions, lesser and greater (except transgressions between a man and his neighbor, which are not atoned until he conciliates his neighbor)].

ט הָאוֹמֵר, אֶחֱטָא וְאָשׁוּב, אֶחֱטָא וְאָשׁוּב, אֵין מַסְפִּיקִין בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה. אֶחֱטָא וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר, אֵין יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר. עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם, יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר. עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, אֵין יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר, עַד שֶׁיְּרַצֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ. אֶת זוֹ דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה, מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי יְיָ תִּטְהָרוּ (ויקרא טז), עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם, יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר. עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, אֵין יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר, עַד שֶׁיְּרַצֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, אַשְׁרֵיכֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל, לִפְנֵי מִי אַתֶּם מִטַּהֲרִין, וּמִי מְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם, אֲבִיכֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל לו), וְזָרַקְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַיִם טְהוֹרִים וּטְהַרְתֶּם. וְאוֹמֵר (ירמיה יז), מִקְוֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ, מַה מִּקְוֶה מְטַהֵר אֶת הַטְּמֵאִים, אַף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְטַהֵר אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל:

9 If one says: "I shall sin and repent; I shall sin and repent," [twice], he is not given the wherewithal to repent, [for since he transgressed and repeated, he does not separate from the sin, it seeming permitted to him.] (If he says:) "I shall sin and Yom Kippur shall atone," Yom Kippur does not atone. Yom Kippur atones for transgressions between man and G d; it does not atone for transgressions between a man and his neighbor until he conciliates his neighbor. This was expounded by R. Elazar b. Azaryah (Leviticus 16:30): "…of all your sins before the L rd shall you be cleansed" — Yom Kippur atones for transgressions between man and G d; it does not atone for transgressions between a man and his neighbor until he conciliates his neighbor. R. Akiva said: "Happy are you, Israel. Before whom are you cleansed; and who cleanses you? Your Father in heaven, as it is written (Ezekiel 36:25): 'And I shall sprinkle upon you cleansing waters, and you shall be clean' and (Jeremiah 17:13): 'The L rd is the mikveh of Israel' — Just as a mikveh cleanses the unclean, so the Holy One Blessed be He cleanses Israel."

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