Siman - Yoma Daf 59
- Machlokes how the Kohen Gadol “circled” the mizbayach hapenimi.
The Gemara brings a Baraisa regarding how the blood was applied to the mizbayach hapenimi. Rebbe Yishmael said: שני כהנים גדולים נשתיירו במקדש ראשון – Two Kohanim Gedolim remained alive from the days of Bayis Rishon. This one said, בידי הקפתי – With my hand, I circled the mizbach hazahav, when placing blood on it on Yom Kippur, and this one said, ברגלי הקפתי – With my feet, I circled it. Each one gave their reason. The one who circled it with his feet explained, "סביב" דמזבח פנימי כ"סביב" דמזבח החיצון – The term “around” written in connection to the inner altar, is to be interpreted like the term “around” written in connection with the outer altar. Just as the Kohen Gadol walked around the outer altar, to apply the blood, so too he walked around the inner altar. The one who circled the mizbayach hapenimi with his hand, explained, כוליה מזבח פנימי במקום חדא קרן דחיצון קאי – the entire mizbayach hapenimi takes the space of a single horn of the mizbayach hachitzon, which Rashi explains was an amah by an amah. Just as the Kohen Gadol stood in place at any given corner of the mizbayach hachitzon, so too he stood in place while performing the applications around the entire mizbayach hapenimi.
- הזה על טהרו של מזבח
The Mishnah on Daf 58b states that after the Kohen Gadol sprinkled the blood on the corners of the mizbayach hapenimi, הזה על טהרו של מזבח שבע פעמים – he then sprinkled upon the “purity” of the mizbayach seven times. The Gemara here asks, מאי טהרו – what does “purity of the mizbayach” mean and brings a revised explanation of what Rabba bar Rav Shila said. על גלויה דמזבח – It means upon the exposed top of the mizbayach, similar to how the term purity is used in the passuk, וכעצם השמים לטהר – and it was like the appearance of the heavens in purity. The term purity refers to a state of clarity. The Mishnah uses the word, similarly, alluding to the fact that the Kohen Gadol was required to clear a section on top of the mizbayach, of the coals and ashes left there by the burning of the ketores, and to sprinkle the blood on the exposed (“purified”) surface.
- אין מועלין בדם
The Mishnah stated that the bloods of the offerings would eventually mix in the canal and flow out to Nachal Kidron, where it was sold to gardeners for fertilizer, ומועלין בהן – and one is liable for me’ilah for its unauthorized use. The Gemara brings a machlokes if there is me’ilah d’Rabbanon and adds that everyone agrees that d’Oraysa there is no me’ilah for sacrificial blood and brings three sources for this. Ulla said that the passuk states with regard to sacrificial blood, לכם – I have assigned it for you upon the Altar to provide atonement. שלכם יהא – The phrase לכם implies that it shall be yours, and there is no prohibition of me’ilah. A sage from the yeshiva of Rebbe Shimon taught a Baraisa, that said that the passuk says, לכפר - to provide atonement, לכפרה נתתיו ולא למעילה – I have assigned the blood for atonement, but not to be subject to me’ilah. Rebbe Yochanan said that the passuk states הוא, in the passuk כי הדם הוא בנפש יכפר - for it is the blood that atones for the soul . This teaches that לפני כפרה כלאחר כפרה – It is in the same category before kaparah as after kaparah. Just as after kaparah it is not subject to me’ilah, so too before kaparah it is not subject to me’ilah. The Gemara challenges Rebbe Yochanan’s interpretation.
