The officer said to them: go forth and see whether the time for killing [of the morning sacrifice] has arrived. If it had arrived then he who saw it said: it is daylight! Mathia b. Samuel [T1] said: the whole east is alight. Even unto Hebron? And he answered `yes`.
The High Priest was led down to the place of Immersion. This was the rule in the Temple: whosoever crossed his feet required an Immersion, and whosoever made water required sanctification by washing his hands and feet.
t.Yom.3.1
A. He came to circumambulate the altar.
B. From what point does he start? From the northeastern corner, then to the northwestern, the southwestern, and the southeastern corners [M.Yoma 5.5D-E].
C. At the place at which he begins the process of purification on the outer altar, at that point does he complete doing the same at the inner altar [M.Yoma 5.5F].
D. And at the place at which he begins preparing the burnt-offering on the outer altar, there he completes the sin-offering on the inner altar.
E. At every one he sprinkled the horn from below to above, except for the one which was before him, on which he would sprinkle the blood from above to below [M.Yoma 5.5H-J].
F. R. Judah [T4; PA4 or PA5 in Y] said in the name of R. Eliezer [T2 or T5], ``He stood right where he was and purified the altar. And at every one he put the blood sprinkled the horn from below to above, except for the one diagonally before him, on which he would sprinkle the blood from above to below`` [M.Yoma 5.5G, H- J].
MISHNAH: m.Yom.3.1The officer said to them: go forth and see whether the time for killing [of the morning sacrifice] has arrived. If it had arrived then he who saw it said: it is daylight! Mathia b. Samuel [T1] said: the whole east is alight. Even unto Hebron? And he answered `yes`.
MISHNAH: m.Yom.3.2And why was that [considered] necessary? Because once when the light of the moon rose they thought that the east was alight and slaughtered the continual offering, which afterwards they had to take away into the place of burning.
The High Priest was led down to the place of Immersion. This was the rule in the Temple: whosoever crossed his feet required an Immersion, and whosoever made water required sanctification by washing his hands and feet.
GEMARA: b.Yom.28b It was taught: R. Ishmael [T3] said: The morning [star] shines. R. Akiba [T3] said the morning [star] rose. Nahuma b. Afkashion said: The morning [star] is already in Hebron. Mathia b. Samuel [T1], the officer in charge of the counts, said: The whole east even unto Hebron is alight. R. Judah b. Bathyra [T2] said: The whole east even unto Hebron is alight and all the people have gone forth, each to his work. If that were the case, it would be [too much of the day] too late! Rather: each to hire working men.
R. Safra [BA3] said: The [afternoon] prayer of Abraham is due when the walls begin to grow dark. R. Joseph [BA3] said: Shall we indeed learn [our laws] from Abraham? Raba [BA4] answered: A Tanna learned from Abraham and we should not learn from him! For it has been taught: And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised, this passage teaches that the whole of the [eighth] day is proper for the circumcision, but the zealots perform their religious duty as early as possible as it is said: And Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his ass. Rather, said Raba, is it this that appeared difficult to R. Joseph [BA3]: For we have learnt: If the eve of Passover falls on the eve of Sabbath, the paschal lamb is to be slaughtered at one half after the sixth hour, and offered up at one half after the seventh hour. But let it be slaughtered when the walls begin to grow dark! What is the difficulty? Perhaps the walls of the Sanctuary begin to grow dark half an hour after the sixth hour because they were not exactly straight. Or [one might say]: It was different with Abraham whose heart [mind] knew great astronomical speculation. Or: Because he was an elder [zaken] who had a seat at the scholar`s council, for R. Hama b. Hanina said: Our ancestors were never left without the scholars` council. In Egypt they had the scholars` council, as it is said: Go and gather the elders of Israel together; in the wilderness they had the scholars` council, as it is said: Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel; our father Abraham was an elder and a member of the scholars` council, as it is said: And Abraham was [zaken] an elder well stricken in age; our father Isaac was an elder and a member of the scholars` council, as it is said: And it came to pass when Isaac was an elder [zaken]; our father Jacob was an elder and a member of the scholars` council, as it is said: Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age [zoken]; [even] Eliezer [T2 or T5], the servant of Abraham was an elder and a member of the scholars` council, as it is said: And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all he had, which R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3] explained to mean that he ruled over [knew, controlled] the Torah of his Master. Eliezer [T2 or T5] of Damascus`: R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3] said, He was so called because he drew and gave drink to others of his Master`s teachings.
Rab [BA1] said: Our father Abraham kept the whole Torah, as it is said: Because that Abraham hearkened to my voice [kept my charge, My commandments, My statutes, and my laws]. R. Shimi b. Hiyya said to Rab: Say, perhaps, that this refers to the seven laws? Surely there was also that of circumcision! Then say that it refers to the seven laws and circumcision [and not to the whole Torah]? If that were so, why does Scripture say: `My commandments and my laws`?
Raba [BA4] or R. Ashi [BA6] said: Abraham, our father, kept even the law concerning the erub of the dishes,` as it is said: `My Torahs`: one being the written Torah, the other the oral Torah. Mathia b. Samuel [T1] said etc. . . . And he answered `yes`. Who was it that said `yes`? The man standing on the roof! Is he the dreamer and the interpreter? Should it, then, be he who is standing on the ground, whence would he know? If you like say it is he who stands on the roof, and if you like say it is he who stands on the ground. If you want to say it is he who stands on the roof; he says: the whole east is alight , the one standing on the ground answering: even unto Hebron? whereupon the former says: ` yes`. If you like say that it is he who stands on the ground: He says: the whole east is alight? whereupon the other responds: even unto Hebron? and the former answers: ` yes`. and why was that considered necessary etc. But can it be confused? Has it not been taught: Rabbi [T5] says: The rising column of the moon is different from that of the sun. The light column of the moon rises straight like a stick, the light column of the sun [the dawn] irradiates in all directions? The school of Ishmael [T3] taught: It was a cloudy day and the light was scattered in all directions. R. Papa [BA5] said: We can infer therefrom that on a cloudy day the sun is felt all over. What is the practical difference? In the spreading of skins, or, as Raba [BA4] expounded: A woman should not knead either in the sun or in the heat of the sun. R. Nahman said: The sultry air of the sun is more intense than that of direct sunlight, your analogy being: a jar of vinegar; the dazzling sun-light is worse than the uncovered sun, your analogy being drippings [from the roof]. b.Yom.29a Unchaste imagination is more injurious than the sin itself, your analogy being the odour of meat. The end of the summer is more trying than the summer itself, your analogy being a hot oven. A fever in winter is severer than in summer, your analogy being a cold oven. It is harder to remember well something old than to commit to memory a fresh thing, your analogy being a cement made out of old cement. R. Abbahu [PA3] said: What is the reason of Rabbi`s opinion? It is written: For the Leader, upon Aijeleth ha-Shahar just as the antlers of the hind branch off this way and that way, so the light of the dawn is scattered in all directions. R. Zera [PA3] said: Why was Esther compared to a hind? To tell you that just as a hind has a narrow womb and is desirable to her mate at all times as at the first time, so was Esther precious to King Ahasuerus at all times as at the first time. R. Assi [BA1 or PA3] said: Why was Esther compared to the dawn? To tell you that just as the dawn is the end of the whole night, so is the story of Esther the end of all the miracles. But there is Hanukkah? We refer to those included in Scripture. That will be right according to the opinion that Esther was meant to be written, but what can be said according to him who held that it was not meant to be written? He could bring it in accord with what R. Benjamin b. Japheth said, for R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3] said in the name of R. Benjamin b. Japheth: Why is the prayer of the righteous compared to a hind? To tell you that just as with the hind, as long as it grows, its antlers form additional branches every year, so with the righteous, the longer they abide in prayer, the more will their prayer be heard. they slaughtered the continual offering: When? Would you say on one of the remaining days of the year? Had it then to be offered up? Hence [you will say that it happened] on the Day of Atonement, but is there any moon-light visible then? This is what it means: On the Day of Atonement, when the observer said: It is daylight, they would take the high priest down to the place of immersion. The father of R. Abin [PA3 or PA4] learnt: Not only concerning this was it said, but also concerning the pinching of a bird`s head and the taking of a fistful of the meal-offering, [was it said] that if it was done during the night, it had to be burnt. That is quite right with regard to the bird designated for a burnt-offering, since the fact can no more be undone, but touching the fistful of the meal offering, b.Yom.29b let him put it back and take it again when it is day? He learnt and explained it: The vessels of ministration render what is in them sacred even outside of the proper time. An objection was raised: This is the rule: Whatsoever is offered up during the day, becomes sanctified by day and whatsoever is offered up during the night becomes sanctified both by day and by night. At any rate it is taught that whatsoever is offered up during the day becomes sanctified by day only, and not by night? It may not become sanctified [enough] to be offered up, but it may become sanctified enough to be invalidated.
R. Zera [PA3] raised an objection: If he put in order the shewbread and the [frankincense] clip after the Sabbath and smokes the [contents of] the cups on the [following] Sabbath it is invalid. What should he do? He should leave it for the coming Sabbath, for even if it stayed for many days on the table, that does not matter. But why? It should be sanctified and invalidated? Raba [BA4] said: He who raised the objection, raised a valid one, and the father of R. Abin [PA3 or PA4] is also quoting a Baraitha, but it is of the opinion that the night is not considered a wanting time, the day however is so considered. But when the night of Sabbath approaches, let it then become at once sanctified and invalidated? Rabina [BA6] said: We assume that he removed it before then. Mar Zutra [BA6], or as some say, R. Ashi [BA6] said: You may set the case even if he had not removed it before [Sabbath eve], since, however, he had put it in order at variance with the regulation it is as if a monkey had laid it there. this was the rule in the Temple etc.: It is quite right that the feet must be washed because of squirtings, but why must the hands be washed? R. R. Abba [BA3 & PA3] said: This teaches us that it is b.Yom.30a the right thing to wipe off [squirtings]. This supports the view of R. Ammi [PA3] who says: A man must not go out with squirtings on his feet, because he may appear as one that has his privy member cut off and he may thus cause evil talk against his children that they are bastards. R. Papa [BA5] said: If there be excrement in its place, he must not read the Shema. How shall we imagine this case? If to say that it is invisible, that is self-evident; if to say that it is not seen surely `The Torah was not given to the ministering angels!` This has but reference to a situation in which it is obvious when he sits and invisible when he stands. But what is the difference between this and one who has filth on his body, for it has been stated: Where one who has filth on his body, or whose hands are in a privy, R. Huna [BA2 or PA4] permits the reading of the Shema and R. Hisda [BA3] forbids it? In its place filth is most execrable, away from it, it is less so. Our Rabbis taught: This is the Halachah with regard to meal-time: If a man goes forth to make water, he washes his one hand and re-enters. If he conversed with his neighbour and waited [diverting himself], he washes both his hands [again] and re-enters. When he washes his hands, he should not wash them outside and enter, because of the suspicion, but he should enter, sit at his accustomed place and wash his two hands there, then pass the pitcher around the guests. R. Hisda [BA3] said: What we said refers to drinking, but as to eating he may wash his hands outside and re-enter, people know that he is fastidious of taste. R. Nahman b. Isaac said: I would do the same before drinking as people know me to be fastidious.
[A] [40b] The supervisor said to them, ``Go and see whether the time for slaughtering the sacrifice has come.``
[B] If it has come, he who sees it says, ``It is daylight!``
[C] Mattithiah b. Samuel says, ``[He says,] `Has the whole east gotten light?`
[D] ```To Hebron?`
[E] ``and he says, `Yes.``` y.Yom.3.1 I
[A] What is the meaning of ``It is daylight``?
[B] It is the morning star.
[C] There [in Babylonia] they say, ``The sparkling star shines,`` meaning, ``The light-giver [the morning star] gives light.`` y.Yom.3.1 I:2
[A] Is a single witness acceptable [in the procedure described here]?
[B] This case is different, for can you not prove [whether or not he is telling the truth, since, one way or the other, the facts become clear momentarily]?
[C] But should you not take account of the fact that in the time in which he comes in and goes out, it indeed will become light, [but at the moment at which he said it was light, in fact it was not yet light]?
[D] The matter is readily known.
[E] [There are other instances in which the testimony of a single witness is acceptable. For example,] if a single witness said, ``Mr. So-and-so was born on the Sabbath,`` they circumcise him on that day on the basis of that testimony.
[F] ``It has gotten dark`` at the end of the Sabbath - they carry [objects from one domain to the other] on the basis of his testimony.
[G] R. Immi [PA3] permitted carrying on the evidence of the midwife [that the child had been born on the Sabbath, and hence the rite of circumcision might be prepared and carried out on that day].
[H] R. Mattenayyah permitted carrying on the basis of the evidence of the lamplighters [that it was night].
[I] R. Ammi [PA3] permitted carrying on the evidence of women, who testified that [when the child was born] the sun was yet light in the village of Susita. y.Yom.3.1 II
[A] [With reference to m.Yom.3.1D:] Why does he ask, ``To Hebron``?
[B] It is to call to mind the merit of the patriarchs.