Siman - Yoma Daf 13
- Why a second Kohen Gadol is prepared but not a second wife according to the Chochomim
When Rebbe Yehudah stated in the opening Mishnah that Beis Din should prepare a second wife for the Kohen Gadol in event that the first one dies, the Chochomim responded, אם כן אין לדבר סוף – If so, there is no end to the matter. Meaning, that If we must be concerned of the first wife’s sudden death, then we would have to prepare for the possibility that the second wife might suddenly die, as well. The Gemara questions why the Chochomim do not apply this objection to their own position, that we need to prepare a substitute Kohen Gadol in the event that the Kohen Gadol might become tamei? They should need to prepare a substitute for the substitute, for it is likely that he might become tamei too! The Gemara answers כהן גדול זריז הוא – A Kohen Gadol is conscientious to remain tahor and therefore it is unlikely that a second Kohen Gadol will be needed. When the Gemara questions why then a substitute is required at all if the Kohen Gadol is a zariz, it answers כיון דעבדינן צרה כל שכן דמזדרז טפי – Since we prepare a rival for him, he will certainly be even more conscientious about not becoming tamei and seeing his rival take over.
- How a second wife is prepared according to Rebbe Yehudah
The Gemara questions Rebbe Yehudah’s position that a second wife needs to be prepared for the Kohen Gadol in the event that the first one dies. "ביתו" אמר רחמנא והך לאו ביתו – The Torah said: And he shall atone for himself and for his household, referring to his wife, whereas this woman who is not yet married to him, is not considered his household. The Gemara continues, that if he in fact married her before Yom Kippur there would be another problem, as the word ביתו implies that he has one wife, not two.
After rejecting numerous solutions, the Gemara finally arrives at an effective solution: He says to Wife #2, “This is your get on condition that Wife #1 does not die.” He says to Wife #1, “This is your get on condition that I enter a Beis Kenesses on Yom Kippur.” If neither wife dies, Wife #2 was divorced all along since Wife #1 did not die, and he remains married to Wife #1 since her get was cancelled because he did not walk into a shul. If Wife #2 dies, she was divorced all along since the condition of her get, that Wife #1 did not die, was fulfilled. And he remains married to Wife #1 since her get was cancelled as he did not walk into a shul. If Wife #1 dies, then Wife #2’s get is cancelled, since the condition was not fulfilled. If Wife #1 dies on Yom Kippur, then the Kohen Gadol, seeing that she is about to die, steps into a shul, and validates her get, so that she was divorced all along and he was only married to Wife #2.
- כהן גדול אונן
It was taught in a Baraisa, כהן גדול מקריב אונן ואינו אוכל – A Kohen Gadol brings korbanos while he is an onein but he does not eat them. Rebbe Yehudah says, כל היום – The entire day. After Rava’s first interpretation of Rebbe Yehudah is rejected, he provides a second explanation. לומר שאינו עובד כל היום גזירה שמא יאכל – Rebbe Yehudah meant to say, that the Kohen Gadol may not serve the entire day of his aninus because of a gezeirah lest he comes to eat of kodshim, which is forbidden. Rava clarifies that on Yom Kippur, Rebbe Yehudah would permit the Kohen Gadol to serve in the event that his wife dies, as he will not come to eat when no one else is eating.
