Mishnayos Yoma Perek 1 Mishnah 1
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יומא פרק א׳ משנה א׳
Seven days prior to Yom Kippur the Sages would remove the High Priest, who performs the entire Yom Kippur service, from his house to the Chamber of Parhedrin, a room in the Temple designated specifically for the High Priest during that period. And they would designate another priest in his stead to replace him lest a disqualification due to impurity or another circumstance beyond his control prevent him from entering the Temple on Yom Kippur. Rabbi Yehuda says: The Sages would even designate another wife for him lest his wife die, as it is stated in the Torah portion of the Yom Kippur service: “And it will atone for him and for his house” (Leviticus 16:6); the Sages interpreted the term: His house, that is his wife. The priest must be married in order to fulfill this commandment. Due to the concern lest his wife die, another wife was designated to address that possibility. The Rabbis said to Rabbi Yehuda: If so, that this is a concern, there is no end to the matter, as what if the designated replacement wife dies? This possibility need not be a source of concern.
שִׁבְעַת יָמִים קֹדֶם יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מַפְרִישִׁין כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל מִבֵּיתוֹ לְלִשְׁכַּת פַּלְהֶדְרִין, וּמַתְקִינִין לוֹ כֹהֵן אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו, שֶׁמָּא יֶאֱרַע בּוֹ פְסוּל. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אַף אִשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת מַתְקִינִין לוֹ, שֶׁמָּא תָמוּת אִשְׁתּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא טז) וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ. בֵּיתוֹ, זוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אִם כֵּן, אֵין לַדָּבָר סוֹף:
Bartenura
שבעת ימים. מפרישין כהן גדול. שכל עבודות יום הכפורים אין כשרות אלא בו, [יומא לב. ובכ״מ] שנאמר גבי יום הכיפורים (ויקרא ט״ז:ל״ב) וכפר הכהן אשר ימשח אותו. והפרשה זו, נפקא לן מדכתיב בשבעת ימי המלואים (שם ח׳) ומפתח אהל מועד לא תצאו שבעת ימים, וכתיב בתריה (שם) כאשר עשה ביום הזה צוה ה׳ לעשות לכפר עליכם, ודרשו רבותינו, לעשות, זה מעשה פרה לכפר עליכם זה מעשה יוה״כ. שהכהן השורף את הפרה והכהן העובד ביוה״כ שניהם טעונים הפרשה מביתם שבעת ימים כמו שהיו טעונים אהרן ובניו בשבעת ימי המלואים:
ללשכת פלהדרין. פקידי המלך נקראים פלהדרין. ומתוך שהכהנים הגדולים שהיו בבית שני אחר שמעון הצדיק היו נותנים ממון כדי לשמש בכהונה גדולה ומתוך שרשעים היו לא היו משלימין שנתן והיו מתחלפין כל שנים עשר חודש כפקידי המלך שהמלך מחליפן כל שנה, לכך נקראת לשכה זו לשכת פלהדרין:
ומתקינין לו. ומזמינין כהן אחר להיות כהן גדול תחתיו, אם יארע לו קרי או שאר טומאה:
אם כן אין לדבר סוף. אם כן דחיישת למיתה אין לדבר סוף שמא גם זו תמות. אלא לטומאה דשכיחא חיישינן לפיכך מתקינים לו כהן אחר למיתה דלא שכיחא שימות מת בפתע פתאום לא חיישינן הלכך אין מתקינין לו אשה אחרת. והלכה כחכמים:
Seven days... We separate the High Priest. Since all the service of Yom Kippur is not kosher except through him [Yuma 32a and many other places], as it says in regard to Yom Kippur (Vaikra chapter 16) "And the Cohen ,who will be anointed with oil, will atone." [note of the translator: from this verse we see that only the anointed Cohen, i.e. High Priest can perform atonement service of Yom Kippur]. And this separation is learned out for us from what is written in regard to seven days of the dedication [of the Mishkan] (ibid. chapter 8) "And from the entrance of the Tent of Meeting don't go away for seven days", and after this it is written (ibid.) "Just like was done on this day commanded Hashem to do to atone for you", and the sages expound: [the phrase] "to do" this is doings of the cow [red heifer], [and the phrase] "to atone for you" this is doings of the Yom Kippur. Thus, the Cohen that burns the cow [red heifer] and the Cohen serving on Yom Kippur, both require separation from their houses for seven days just like were required Aharon and his sons during the seven days of dedication [of the Mishkan]. [note of the translator: thus, from the proximity of the two verses, the verse that talks about the seven days of separation during the dedication of the Mishkan and the verse that was expounded to mean "just like was done on this day, commended Hashem to do for the procedure of the Red heifer and the Yom Kippur service", the sages learn that the Cohen that does the burning of the red heifer and the High priest that serves on Yom Kippur should be separated from their houses similar to the seven day separation of the days of dedication of the Mishkan.]
ללשכת פלהדרין – the officers of the king are called Palhedrin/counselors, for since that the High Priests that existed in Second Temple times after Shimon HaTzaddik/the Righteous (see Mishnah Avot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 2) would give money in order to serve in the High Priesthood, and because they were wicked, they would not complete their years, and would be exchanged every twelve months like the officers of the king, who would exchange them every year, therefore, they call this apartment the apartment/cell of the counselors.
ומתקנין לו – They would invite another Kohen to become the High Priest in his place if a nocturnal pollution would occur to him or some other kind of defilement.
אם כן אין לדבר סוף – if so, that he would concerned for his death, and there would be no end to this, lest she (i.e., his wife) would also die, but for defilement that is frequent we are concerned, therefore we appoint for him another Kohen, for death is not frequent that he would die suddenly, we are not concerned, therefore, we do not appoint for him another wife. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.