Siman - Yoma Daf 8
- Machlokes when haza’ah is performed
The Gemara brings a three-way machlokes Tannaim regarding הזאה for the Kohen Gadol before Yom Kippur, and for the Kohen who will burn the parah adumah. According to Rebbe Meir they would both be sprinkled upon all seven days of their separation. Rebbe Yose says they would only be sprinkled upon on the third and seventh days. Rebbe Chanina S’Gan HaKohanim says, כהן השורף את הפרה מזין עליו כל שבעה – The Kohen who was burning the parah would be sprinkled upon during all seven days, but the Kohen Gadol before Yom Kippur would be sprinkled upon only on the third and seventh days.
After rejecting the first two interpretations of their machlokes, the Gemara concludes that Rebbe Meir and Rebbe Yose both hold טבילה בזמנה מצוה – immersion at it its appointed time is a mitzvah, meaning it must be done immediately upon the conclusion of one’s tumah period. Rebbe Meir holds מקשינן הזאה לטבילה – that we compare הזאה to טבילה and that הזאה also must be done at its appointed time. Rashi explains that since one must have הזאה done on the third and seventh days, the Kohen Gadol needs to be sprinkled upon all seven days, due to the possibility that each day is either the third or seventh day. Rebbe Yose does not make the hekesh to compare הזאה to טבילה, and he holds that the first sprinkling cannot be done earlier than the third day, and that there must be four days between the two sprinklings. Rebbe Chanina S’Gan HaKohanim also does not make the comparison and holds that sprinkling the Kohen who is to burn the parah adumah, all seven days, is מעלה בעלמא – merely a stringency.
- זה פרישתו לקדושה וזה פרישתו לטהרה
It was taught in a Baraisa that there is no difference between the Kohen who burns the parah adumah and the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur, except שזה פרישתו לקדושה ואחיו הכהנים נוגעים בו – that regarding the Kohen Gadol before Yom Kippur, his sequester is for kedushah, and his fellow Kohanim may touch him. Rashi explains that as the Kohen Gadol prepares to enter the machaneh Shechinah, we need to prevent him from being haughty or frivolous. Being put in solitude will make him reflect on his mission. However, there is no reason to forbid visitors from touching him. The Baraisa continues וזה פרישתו לטהרה ואין אחיו הכהנים נוגעין בו – Whereas regarding the Kohen who will burn the parah adumah, his sequester is for purification, and his fellow Kohanim cannot touch him. Rashi explains that the purpose of his sequester was to be more stringent in his purity, as a counterbalance to the leniency of contaminating and immersing him on the day of the burning to repudiate the opinion of the Tzadukim.
- The reason it was called the לשכת פרהדרין
It was taught in a Baraisa that Rebbe Yehudah says that the לשכת פרהדרין was originally called the לשכת בלווטי – the chamber of Balvatei, meaning aristocrats, because the Kohanim Gedolim of that era were honorable men. Later, they became wicked as they paid the King for the position instead of attaining it on their merits, and they died every year. As a result, the chamber was remodeled every twelve months for its new resident, and it was similar to the low-level appointees of the King, called parhedrin, who were replaced every twelve months. Therefore, they called it לשכת פרהדרין.
