Un sommo sacerdote giudica e viene giudicato; testimonia ed è testimoniato per; amministra Chalitzah e sua moglie riceve Chalitzah. Sua moglie viene presa in yibum, ma non esegue yibum, poiché una vedova gli è vietata. Se uno dei suoi parenti è morto, non segue la cucciolata, [per non venire a toccarla nella sua preoccupazione, ed è scritto (Levitico 21:11): "E a qualsiasi corpo morto non verrà."] loro (i portatori di rifiuti) sono nascosti e viene rivelato; sono rivelati e lui è nascosto. [Quando i portatori di rifiuti vengono "nascosti" dal vicolo che hanno lasciato, viene "rivelato" ed entra. Ma fintanto che vengono "rivelati" nel vicolo, viene "nascosto" da esso, non entrando in esso.] E esce con loro fino all'ingresso della città. [Perché ci sono vicoli nella città in cui può nascondersi, ma fuori città non c'è segno (distintivo) (della sua separazione dalla processione)]. Queste sono le parole di R. Meir. R. Yehudah dice: Non esce dal santuario, vale a dire. (Levitico 21:12): "E dal santuario non uscirà". [R. Yehudah spiega: "E dal santuario (mikdash), non uscirà"—affatto. R. Meir spiega: "E dalla sua santità (kedushatho), non uscirà", vale a dire, dovrebbe aver cura di evitare il contatto (con il corpo). E all'interno della città, dove ci sono vicoli, c'è un segno distintivo, in modo che si prenda cura di lui. L'halachah è in accordo con R. Yehudah.] E quando consola gli altri, (quando) è consuetudine che tutte le persone passino una dopo l'altra [(Tutti concordano sul fatto che può seguire la figliata di chi è non i suoi parenti; per non essere preoccupato, si prenderà cura di evitare il contatto con i rifiuti. E quando torneranno dalla sepoltura e rimarranno in un file per consolare i partecipanti, che si fermano in piedi, e ognuno dice: "Sii consolato by Heaven ")], la memunah (la" nominata ") [il sommo sacerdote aiutante, che viene nominato sostituto del sommo sacerdote se diventa inadatto a Yom Kippur] lo posiziona nel mezzo tra se stesso e il popolo . [Poiché la memunah cammina alla destra del sommo sacerdote, e tutto il popolo alla sua sinistra, così che il sommo sacerdote si trova nel mezzo.] E quando è consolato da altri, tutto il popolo dice a lui: "Siamo la tua espiazione" [cioè, riceverai l'espiazione attraverso di noi, e noi saremo al tuo posto per tutto ciò che dovrebbe accadere su di te], e dice loro: "Sii benedetto dal Cielo!" E quando gli danno il pasto del lutto, [per un lutto è vietato mangiare il primo pasto del suo stesso cibo, e i suoi parenti e amici glielo forniscono], tutti si siedono per terra [costringendosi e piangendo per la sua sofferenza ], e si siede [in (rispetto per la sua) dignità] su una panchina.
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
כהן גדול. אינו יוצא אחר המטה – Perhaps he would come to touch [the corpse] in the midst of his troubles. And the All-Merciful One said (Leviticus 21:11): “He shall not go where there is any dead body.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
Introduction
Mishnah one contains with special rules regarding the High Priest.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
הן נכסין והוא נגלה – since those who carry the bier are covered from the entrance to a group of buildings/alleyway that is to say, when they left him; he was revealed and went inside within, but all the while that they were revealed and appeared in the alleyway, he was covered from them and did not enter into their midst.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
This mishnah can be divided into three basic sections: 1) the High Priest’s relationship to the court; 2) the High Priest’s ability to perform halitzah (the release of the widow from the obligation to marry the levir, her dead husband’s brother) and levirate marriage; 3) the High Priest’s participation in the mourning ritual.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
ויוצא עמהן עד פתח העיר – that in the city were found alleyways and he can cover himself from them, but outside of the city, there is no recognition.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
The High Priest can judge and be judged; he can testify and others can testify against him. The High Priest is treated like a normal person with regards to the laws of the court. As we shall see in mishnah two, this is not true with regards to the king.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
שנאמר: "ומן המקדש לא יצא" – Rabbi Yehuda expounds [on the verse – Leviticus 21:12]: “He shall not go outside the sanctuary,” at all. And Rabbi Meir expounds that he shall not leave from his holiness, that is, he should be careful that he not come in contact [with the bier] and within the city there are alleys where there is recognition and he is careful. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
He can perform halitzah for another’s wife and others can perform halitzah for his wife or contract levirate marriage with his widow, but he cannot contract levirate marriage since he is forbidden to marry a widow. The High Priest is basically the same as any other person with regards to the laws of levirate marriage. If he should die without children, his wife must either marry his brother or his brother must perform halitzah for her. If his brother should die without children he must perform halitzah for his wife. He cannot, however, contract levirate marriage with her since he is in general prohibited from marrying a widow (Lev. 21:14).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
וכשהוא מנם את אחרים – that is of a dead person that is not his (family), everyone admits that he is able to go and not go to the trouble that he won’t come in contact [with the bier]. And when they return from the graves and stand in a line to comfort the mourners and all the people pass one after another and comfort the mourner who stands at his standing post [to receive the consolation of the others in attendance] , and everyone says to him: “May you be comforted from Heaven.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
If any of his near kin die he may not follow after the bier, rather when the bearers are not visible, he is visible, when they are visible he is not visible, and he may go out with them as far as the city gate, according to Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says, “He may not leave the Temple, as it says, “Nor shall he go out of the Sanctuary”. And when he comforts other mourners the custom is for all of the people to pass by, the one after the other, while the appointed [priest] stands between him and the people. And when he receives comfort from others, all the people say to him, “Let us be your atonement”, and he says to them, “May you be blessed by Heaven.” When they feed him the funeral meal all the people sit around on the ground and he sits on a stool. The High Priest is severely restricted with regards to his participation in the rituals of burial. Since contact with the dead causes impurity the High Priest cannot even participate in the burying of his own immediate family (unlike a regular priest who may) (see Lev. 21:10-12). According to Rabbi Meir, the High Priest is allowed to semi-secretly participate in the burial procession, up until they leave the city gates of Jerusalem (people were not buried within the city confines). Rabbi Judah states that he may not even participate this much, since the Torah states that he may not leave the Sanctuary at all. If the High Priest needs to participate in the comforting of mourners he may do so, but the “appointed” priest would come in between him and the other people. According to the Rambam this is to show the honor due to the High Priest, that he shouldn’t be just a part of the crowd. When others comfort him they say, “Let us be your atonement”. It seems to me that this is to assuage the sense of guilt that the High Priest must feel since he was not able to participate in the burying of his own dead. When he comforts others he should give them a blessing. When he is fed the traditional funeral meal which would normally be eaten by the mourner while sitting close to the ground, the rest of the people must sit on the ground. This fulfills two functions: 1) he retains a higher status than them; 2) they are able to participate in his sorrow and grief.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
הממונה – he is the deputy [High Priest] , who is appointed to serve in place of the High Priest, lest something occur to him that would make the High Priest unfit for service on Yom Kippur.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
והממונה מנצעו – who walks to the right of the High Priest and all the people are to his left, so that the High Priest is in the middle.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
אנו כפרתך – though us you will be forgiven – you and we under you for all that is appropriate to come upon you.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
וכשמברין אותו – for a mourner is forbidden to eat the first meal of his own [possessions], but his relatives and loved ones/friends feed him.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
מסובין על הארץ – they distress themselves and mourn in his grief/pain.
