משנה: מְסָרוּהוּ זִקְנֵי בֵית דִּין לְזִקְנֵי כְהוּנָּה הוֹלִיכּוּהוּ לַעֲלִייַת בֵּית אַבְטִינָס הִשְׁבִּיעוּהוּ וְנִפְטְרוּ וְהָֽלְכוּ לָהֶם. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ אִישִׁי כֹהֵן גָּדוֹל אָנוּ שְׁלוּחֵי בֵית דִּין וְאַתָּה שְׁלוּחֵנוּ וּשְׁלִיחַ בֵּית דִּין מַשְׁבִּיעִין אָנוּ עָלֶיךָ בְּמִי שֶׁשִּׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ בַבַּיִת הַזֶּה שֶׁלֹּא תְשַׁנֶּה דָבָר מִכָּל־מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ לָךְ. הוּא פוֹרֵשׁ וּבוֹכֶה וְהֵן פּוֹרְשִׁין וּבוֹכִין׃ MISHNAH: The Elders of the Court hand him over to the Elders of the priesthood; they lead him to the upper floor of the house of Eutinoos207The place where the incense was prepared for use in the Temple.(Mishnah 3:11, Tamid 1:1.) They had first to instruct him in the Pharisee interpretation of the verses since the matter of presentation of the incense in the Temple was the only matter of controversy between Sadducees and Pharisees in the service of the day of Atonement. Then they had to make him swear to follow the Pharisaic rules. They adjure him; this finishes their task and they leave. They say to him, Sir High Priest, we are the agents of the Court, and you are our agent and the Court’s agent. We adjure you by Him Who let His Name dwell in this House that you will not change anything of all we told you. He turns aside and cries, and they turn aside and cry208As explained in the Halakhah..
הלכה: עַל גַּבֵּי שַׁעַר הַמַּיִם הָייְתָה וְסָמוּךְ לְלִישְׁכָּתוֹ הָיְתָה. HALAKHAH: It209The place where incense was prepared. was located on top the the Water Gate210The fourth gate on the South side of the Temple precinct proper. Babli 19a. and close to his lodge.
הוּא פוֹרֵשׁ וּבוֹכֶה. שֶׁנֶּחְשָׁד. וְהֵן פּוֹרְשִׁין וּבוֹכִין׃ שֶׁצָּֽרְכוּ לְכָךְ. וְלָמָּה מַשְׁבִּיעִין אוֹתוֹ. מִפְּנֵי הַבֳּייֵתּוֹסִין. שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִין. יַקְטִיר מִבַּחוּץ וְיַכְנִיס מִבִפְנִים. “He turns aside and cries,” that he was suspected. “And they turn aside and cry,” that they needed to do this211Babli 19b, Tosephta 1:8.. And why does one adjure him? Because of the Boethusians, who were saying that he starts the incense outside and brings it inside212The problem is Lev. 16:13: He shall put the incense on the fire before the Eternal, and the incense cloud shall cover the cover which is on the testimonials so that he should not die. The Pharisaic interpretation is that the first part of the verse implies that the incense should be put into the fire inside the Holiest of Holies, which is before the Eternal. The Boethusian interpretation is based on the second part of the verse, that the cloud should cover him already at the entry into the Holiest of Holies..
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁהִקְטִיר מִבַּחוּץ וְהִכְנִיס מִבִּפְנִים. וּכְשֶׁיָּצָא אָמַר לְאָבִיו. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׂהָיִיתֶם דּוֹרְשִׁין כָּל־יְמֵיכֶם לֹא עֲשִׂיתֶם עַד שֶׁעָמַד אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ וְעָשָׂה. אָמַר לוֹ. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיִינוּ דּוֹרְשִׁין כָּל־יְמֵינוּ אֲבָל כִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים הָיִינוּ עוֹשִׂין. תְּמִיָּה אֲנִי אִם יַאֲרִיךְ אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ יָמִים בָּעוֹלָם. אָֽמְרוּ. לֹא בָאוּ יָמִים קַלִּין עַד שֶׁמֵּת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִין. יָצָא חוֹטְמוֹ מְזַנֵּק תּוֹלָעִים וּכְמִין פַּרְסַת עֶגֶל עָלַת בְּתוֹךְ מִצְחוֹ. 211Babli 19b, Tosephta 1:8. It happened that one person started the incense outside and brought it inside. When he left, he said to his father, even though you were interpreting all your days, you did not act until this man came and acted. He answered him, even though you were interpreting all our days, we acted only following the will of the Sages. I am wondering whether this man will have many days in the world. After a short time he died. But some are saying, his nose gushed out worms and something like a calf’s hoof grew in his brain.
אִית דְּבָעֵי מֵימַר. הִיא דְפָרָה הִיא דְסוּכָּה הִיא דְיוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים. רִבִּי סִימוֹן לֹא אָמַר כֵּן. אֶלָּא אוֹ דְפָרָה וּדְסוּכָּה חַד וּדְכִיפּוּרִים חַד. אוֹ דְפָרָה וּדְכִיפּוּרִים חַד וּדְסוּכָּה חַד. מָאן דְּאָמַר. לֹא בָאוּ יָמִים קַלִּים עַד שֶׁמֵּת. תַּלְתֵּיהוֹן עֲבַד. מָאן דְּאָמַר. יָצָא חוּטְמוֹ מְזַנֵּק תּוֹלָעִים וּכְמִין פַּרְסַת עֶגֶל יָצָאת בְּתוֹךְ מִצְחוֹ. כְּמָאן דְּאָמַר. אוֹ דְפָרָה וּדְסוּכָּה חַד וּדְכִיפּוּרִים חַד. אוֹ דְפָרָה וּדְכִיפּוּרִים חַד וּדְסוּכָּה חַד. צַווְחָה עֲלֵיהֶן הָעֲזָרָה. צְאוּ מִיכָּן בְּנֵי עֵלִי. טִימְאַתֶּם בֵּית אֶלֹהֵינוּ. בּוֹ בַיּוֹם נִפְגְּמָה קֶרֶן הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְנָֽתְנוּ עָלָיו גּושׁ שֶׁלְמֶלַח שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא נִרְאֶה כְפָגוּם. שֶׁכָּל־מִזְבֵּחַ שֶׁאֵין לוֹ קֶרֶן וְסוֹבֵב וִיסוֹד פָּסוּל הוּא. 213This text also appears in Sukkah 4:8 (ב). It is an intellectual construct, rather than a historical report. Some want to say, he was the same for the Cow214Where the Sadducees insisted that the Cohen who burns the Red Cow must be pure from the preceding sundown. However, it is difficult to square what is reported in Tosephta Parah 3:8 with what is presumed here: “It happened that a Sadducee was pure from the preceding sundown when he came to burn the Cow, but Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai realized it; he came and leaned both of his hands on him and told him, Sir High Priest, how wonderful you are as High Priest, go and immerse yourself. He went down and immersed himself. After he came back he grated his earlobe and said to him, Ben Zakkai, when I shall be free to deal with you; he answered him, if you will be free. It was not three days before they put him in the grave.”
Biblical impurity is only original impurity and derivative impurity in the first degree. Rabbinic impurity has derivative impurity in the second degree for unwashed hands, third degree impurity for heave, and fourth degree for sacrifices. Therefore, the intrinsically pure Ben Zakkai (who before the destruction of the Temple was not Rabban), by putting his second degree impure hands on the priest defiled the latter for sacra and forced him to immerse himself in a miqweh. Our sources seem to describe the Sadducee position correctly; cf. Dead Sea Scrolls fragment 4Q394, lines 16–18., on Tabernacles215Mishnah Sukkah 4:8, Tosephta Sukkah3:16. The popular ceremony of water offering on the altar has no explicit foundation in the biblical text and was opposed by Sadducees (possibly only by the Boethusian sect.) A priest who poured out the water in contempt of the rite was killed by the etrogim(citrus medica) which the people threw at him., and on the Day of Atonement. Rebbi Simon does not say so, but either the Cow and Tabernacles was one and Atonement one, or Cow and Atonement was one and Tabernacles one. He who said, after a short time he died, he did all three. He who said, his nose gushed out worms and something like a calf’s hoof grew in his brain, follows him who said, either Cow and Tabernacles was one and Atonement one, or Cow and Atonement was one and Tabernacles one. The Courtyard cried about them, get out of here, sons of Eli, you defiled our God’s Temple216. Babli Pesaḥim 57a, Keritut 28a.. “On that day217At Tabernacles, when the people threw their etrogim at the priest standing on the altar. Tosephta Sukkah 3:16; Babli Sukkah48b., the corner of the altar was damaged and they put a block of salt there lest it should look deficient since any altar without corner, or walkway218The extension at half-height of the altar, allowing a priest to walk around the altar and pour blood at its four corners., or base219. A hollow at the base of the altar into which remnants of sacrificial blood were poured. is disqualified.”
בָּעוּן קוֹמֵי רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ. וְהָא כְתִיב. וְכָל־אָדָ֞ם לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה֣ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד בְּבוֹאוֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר בַּקּוֹדֶשׁ עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ. אֲפִילוּ אוֹתָן שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶן וּדְמ֣וּת פְּנֵיהֶם֘ פְּנֵי֣ אָדָם֒ לֹא יִהְיוּ בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. אָמַר לוֹן. בְּשָׁעָה שָׁהוּא נִכְנַס כְּדַרְכּוֹ. They asked before Rebbi Abbahu: Is it not written220.Lev. 16:17., nobody shall be in the Tent of Meeting during his coming to atone in the sanctuary until he leaves, not even those about whom it is written221Ez. 1:10., the shapes of their faces are human shapes shall not be in the Tent of Meeting222If the offending priest was hit on his head by a calf’s foot it must have been by one of the four-headed angels seen by Ezechiel whose feet are calves’ feet (Ez.1:7)? He answered them, if he enters following normal rules
כָּתוּב וְהֵבִ֖יא מִבֵּ֥ית לַפָּרֹֽכֶת׃ וְנָתַ֧ן אֶת־הַקְּטוֹרֶת עַל־הָאֵ֖שׁ לִפְנֵ֣י יְי. שֶׁלֹּא יְתַקֵּן מִבַּחוּץ וְיַכְנִיס מִבִּפְנִים. שֶׁהֲרֵי הַצְּדוּקִין אוֹמְרִין. יְתַקֵּן מִבַּחוּץ וְיַכְנִיס. אִם לִפְנֵי בָשָׂר וָדָם עוֹשִׂין כֵּן קַל וָחוֹמֶר לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם. וְאוֹמֵר כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵֽרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפּוֹרֶת׃ אָֽמְרוּ לָהֶן חֲכָמִים. וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר וְנָתַ֧ן אֶת־הַקְּטוֹרֶת עַל־הָאֵ֖שׁ לִפְנֵי֣ יְי. אֵינֹו נוֹתֵן אֶלָּא מִבִּפְנִים. [אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵֽרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפּוֹרֶת.] מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן בָהּ מַעֲלֶה עָשָׁן. וּמְנַיִין שֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן בָהּ מַעֲלֶה עָשָׁן. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְכִסָּ֣ה ׀ עֲנַ֣ן הַקְּטוֹרֶת [אֶת־הַכַּפּ֛וֹרֶת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָֽאָרוֹן וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת]׃ הָא אִם לֹא נָתַן בָהּ מַעֲלֶה עָשָׁן אוֹ שֶׁחִיסֵּר אַחַת מִסַּמְמָנֶיהָ חַייָב מִיתָה. וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹנֶשׁ. כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵֽרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפּוֹרֶת׃ הֲרֵי זֶה אַזְהָרָה. 223Babli 53a, Sifra Aḥare Pereq 3(11). It is written224Lev. 16:12–13. and he shall bring it inside the curtain, and put the incense in the fire before the Eternal, that he should not prepare outside and bring inside, since the Sadducees are saying, he shall prepare outside and then bring inside. If one does this before flesh and blood, a fortiori before the Omnipresent. Also it says225Lev. 16:2., for in a cloud I shall appear over the cover. The Sages said to them, has it not already been said, he shall put the incense in the fire before the Eternal; only inside he puts it on. If it is so, why was it said, for in a cloud I shall appear over the cover? This teaches that he has to put in smoke-creating herb. From where that he has to add smoke-creating herb? The verse says226Lev. 16:13., the incense shall cover the cover over the chest227Corrector’s misquote.,lest he die. If he failed to add smoke-creating herb or left out any of its ingredients he has committed a deadly sin228Babli Keritut 6a.. Lest he die, that is the punishment. For in a cloud I shall appear over the cover, this is the warning.
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֵּירִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. יָכוֹל עוֹנֶשׁ וְאַזְהָרָה נֶאֶמְרוּ קוֹדֶם לְמִיתַת בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אַֽחֲרֵ֣י מ֔וֹת שְׁנֵי֖ בְּנֵי֣ אַֽהֲרֹ֑ן. אִי אַֽחֲרֵ֣י מ֔וֹת שְׁנֵי֖ בְּנֵ֣י אַֽהֲרֹ֑ן יָכוֹל שְׁנֵיהֶן נֶאֶמְרוּ אַחַר מִיתַת שְׁנֵי בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵֽרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפּוֹרֶת׃ הָא כֵיצַד. אַזְהָרָה נֶאֶמְרָה קוֹדֶם מִיתַת שְׁנֵי בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן. וְעוֹנֶשׁ נֶאֱמַר לְאַחַר מִיתַת שְׁנֵי בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן. אָמַר רִבִּי זְעוּרָה. כִּי בֶעָנָן נִרְאֵיתִי אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן אֶלָּא אֵֽרָאֶ֖ה. מִיכָּן שֶׁאֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹנֵשׁ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִזְהִיר. 229Sifra A hare Introduction (13). Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon said, I could think that punishment and warning had been said before the death of the two sons of Aaron, the verse says230Lev. 16:1., after the death of the two sons of Aaron. If after the death of the two sons of Aaron. I could think that both had been said after the death of the two sons of Aaron, the verse says, for in a cloud I shall appear over the cover. How is that? The warning was said before the death of the two sons of Aaron, but the punishment was said after the death of the two sons of Aaron, Rebbi Zeˋura said, it does not say “because in a cloud I was seen over the cover,” but I shall be seen. From here that the Holy One, praise to Him, does not punish unless he had warned231The tannaitic position is rejected. While the death of the two sons of Aaron made an atonement ceremony necessary, their deaths cannot be punishment for infractions of laws not yet promulgated..