Siman - Yoma Daf 10
- Rome vs. Persia
Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi said in the name of Rebbe עתידה רומי שתפול ביד פרס – Rome is destined to fall into the hands of Persia, based on a passuk in Yirmiyahu. Rebbe Yehudah b’Rebbe Illai also said that Rome will fall into the hands of Persia, based on a kal v’chomer. מה מקדש ראשון שבנאוהו בני שם והחריבוהו כשדיים נפלו כשדיים ביד פרסיים – Now, if in the case of the Beis Rishon, which was built by a descendant of Shem, (referring to Shlomo Hamelech), and was destroyed by the Babylonians, (meaning they were the instrument of Hashem’s vengeance to destroy the nation that destroyed His Temple), מקדש שני שבנאוהו פרסיים וחריבוהו רומיים אינו דין שיפלו רומיים ביד פרסיים – Then in the case of Bayis Sheini, which was built by the Persians and destroyed by the Romans, is it not logical that the Romans should fall into the hands of the Persians? Aside from exacting Hashem’s vengeance, the Persians would also exact their own .
Rav said, עתידה פרס שתפול ביד רומי – Persia is destined to fall into the hands of Rome. When he was questioned whether it made sense that the builders, referring to Persia, should fall into the hands of the destroyers, referring to Rome, he answered, Yes, גזירת המלך היא – such is the decree of the King. Others say that Rav answered that Persia also destroyed many synagogues.
- Moshiach comes after Rome overruns the entire world for nine months
Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav אין בן דוד בא עד שתפשוט מלכות רומי הרשעה בכל העולם כולו תשעה חדשים – The Moshiach will not come until the wicked kingdom of Rome has overrun the entire world for nine months, as it says in Micah, לכן יתנם עד עת יולדה ילדה ויתר אחיו ישובון על בני ישראל – Therefore, He will surrender them until the time that one gives birth; then the rest of his, referring to the Moshiach’s, brothers will return with Bnei Yisroel. Rashi on the passuk explains that after nine months, the rest of the Moshiach’s brothers, referring to the rest of Shevet Yehudah, will join the other tribes of Yisroel and form a unified kingdom in Eretz Yisroel.
- Why the לשכת פרהדרין had a mezuzah
It was taught in a Baraisa, כל הלשכות שהיו במקדש לא הו להן מזוזה חוץ מלשכת פרהדרין שהיה בית דירה לכהן גדול – All of the chambers in the Beis Hamikdash had no mezuzas except for the Parhedrin Chamber, since it served as a dwelling for the Kohen Gadol the week before Yom Kippur. Rebbe Yehudah said that there were several chambers that served as dwelling places, referring to the places where the Kohanim and Leviim who guarded the Beis Hamikdash would stay, yet they had no mezuzas. Rather, it was a d’Rabbanon requirement that the לשכת פרהדרין had a mezuzah. The Gemara on amud beis brings Rava’s explanation, that according to Rebbe Yehudah, דירת בעל כרחה לא שמה דירה – an enforced residence is not considered a residence. Therefore, the לשכת פרהדרין was not chayav mid’Oraysa to have a mezuzah. the Rabbanon enacted a chiyuv mezuzah שלא יאמרו כהן גדול חבוש בבית האסורין – in order that people should not say that the Kohen Gadol is locked in jail. The absence of the mezuzah would draw attention to the forced nature of his stay .
