Hebrew Literature Part 14

5. The High Priest ministered in eight vestments. And the ordinary priest in four, in the tunic, and drawers, and bonnet, and girdle. To these, the High Priest added the breast-plate, and ephod, and robe, and (golden) plate. In these they inquired by Urim and Thummim.(241) And they did not inquire in them for a private person; only for the King and the great Sanhedrin, and for whomsoever the congregation is necessary.

Chapter VIII

1. On the day of atonement, food, and drink, and washing, and anointing, and the sandal latchet,(242) and marriage duties, are restricted. "But the king and bride are allowed to wash their face, and the woman after childbirth may wear sandals." The words of R. Eleazar, but the Sages forbid them.

2. The person who eats the size of a big date and its grain, and drinks a jawful, is liable to punishment. All edible things are united for the measure of the date, and all drinkable things are united for the measure of the jawful. Eating and drinking are not united.

3. He who eats and drinks unwittingly, is only liable for one sin-offering. If he eat and work, he is liable for two sin-offerings. He who eats what is disagreeable for food, and drinks what is disagreeable for drinking, and he who drinks fish brine, or salt gravy, is free.

4. They do not afflict young children in the day of atonement, but they coax them one or two years before, that they may be accustomed to the commandments.

5. If the pregnant woman be affected by the odor, they give her food, till her strength return. To the sick person they give food by order from the physicians. If there be no physicians, they give him food at his own demand until he say, "it is enough."

6. Him who is affected with blindness, they fed even with unclean things, till his eyes got the power of vision. Him who is bitten by a mad dog, they fed not with the caul of his liver. But R. Mathia Ben Charash said, "it is allowed"; and again said R. Mathia Ben Charash, "to him who had throat complaint they administered medicine in his mouth on the Sabbath day, since there is uncertainty of life, and all uncertainty of life abrogates the Sabbath."

7. "On whomsoever an old ruin falls, if there be a doubt, whether one be under it or not; if there be doubt, whether he be alive or dead; if there be a doubt, whether he be a foreigner or an Israelite?" "They open over him the heap. If they find him alive, they open fully, but if dead, they leave him."

8. The sin-offering, and the offering for known transgression make atonement. Death and the day of atonement with repentance make atonement.

Repentance atones for light transgressions, for commands positive and negative. But grave offences are suspended, till the day of atonement come, and it will atone.

9. He who said, "I will sin and repent-I will sin and repent?" "They did not give him the opportunity of repentance." "I will sin, and the day of atonement shall atone?" "The day of atonement makes no atonement."

Transgressions between man and The Place(243) the day of atonement expiates. Transgressions between man and his neighbor, the day of atonement does not expiate, until his companion be reconciled. This R.

Eleazar Ben Azariah explained "From all thy sins before the LORD thou shalt be cleansed." Transgressions between man and The Place, the day of atonement expiated. Transgressions between man and his companion, the day of atonement did not expiate, until his companion be reconciled. Said R.

Akiba, "Happy are ye, Israel! before whom are ye to be pure? Who will purify you? Your Father in heaven, as is said, 'I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.' " Then said the Fountain of Israel, the LORD, "As the fountain purifies the defiled, so the Holy One, blessed be He, purifies Israel."

On Tabernacles(244)

Size and Covering of Tabernacles-What Const.i.tutes a Tabernacle-Exemptions-Palm Branches-Myrtle Boughs-Willows-Citrons-Reading and Blessing-Thrashing the Altar-Rejoicings-Pouring Out of the Water-The Lighting and Dancing-Singing and Music-Blowing the Trumpets-Offerings and Courses-The Course Bilgah.

Chapter I

1. A booth which is above twenty cubits high is disallowed. R. Judah allows it. One which is not ten hands high, one which has not three walls, or which has more sun than shade, is disallowed. "An old booth?" "The school of Shammai disallow it; but the school of Hillel allow it." "What is an old booth?" "One that was made thirty days before the feast; but if it were made with intention for the feast, even from the beginning of the year, it is allowed."

2. "If a man make his booth beneath a tree?" "It is as though he made it in the house." "If one booth be above another?" "The upper one is allowed; but the lower one is disallowed." R. Judah says, "if they cannot inhabit the upper one, the lower one is allowed."

3. "If one spread a cloth over (its roof)(245) on account of the sun; or under (its roof) on account of the falling leaves; or if one spread a canopy over his bed?" "It is disallowed. But he may spread a cloth over two bedposts."

4. "If one have trained a vine, or a gourd, or ivy, and covered it over?"

"It is disallowed. But if the covering be larger than these, or if they have been trimmed, it is allowed." The rule is, everything which contracts uncleanness, and does not grow from the ground, must not be used for a covering; but everything which does not contract uncleanness, and grows from the ground, may be used for a covering.

5. Bundles of straw, and bundles of wood, and bundles of twigs, must not be used for covering. But all of them, if untied, are allowed. And all of them are allowed for side walls.

6. "They may cover it with laths." The words of R. Judah; but R. Meier forbids it. "If one put a board four hands wide over it?" "It is allowed, provided he do not sleep under it."

7. "Rafters over which there is no ceiling?" R. Judah says, "the school of Shammai say, 'let him loosen them, and remove the middle one out of three.' But the school of Hillel say, 'he may either loosen them, or remove the middle one out of every three.' " R. Meier says, "he must remove the middle one out of every three, but he need not loosen them."

8. "If one roof in his booth with spits, or bed-boards?" "If the intermediate s.p.a.ces be equal to them, it is allowed." "If one pile up loose sheaves to make a booth?" "It is no booth."

9. "If one interweave the side walls from above downwards?" "If they be three hand-breadths high from the ground, it is disallowed." "If from the ground upwards they be ten hand-breadths high?" "It is allowed." R. Jose says, "even as from the ground upward ten hand-breadths (are required), so likewise from the roof downward, ten hand-breadths (are required)." "If the covering be three hand-breadths above the side walls?" "It is disallowed."

10. "If a house be unroofed and covered over?" "If there be a s.p.a.ce of four cubits between the wall and the covering, it is disallowed: also a court, in which there is an enclosed pa.s.sage." "If the large booth be enclosed with covering, which must not be used, and if there be below it a s.p.a.ce of four cubits?" "It is disallowed."

11. "If one make his booth like a pyramid; or lean it against a wall?" R.

Eleazar "disallows it, because it has no roof"; but the Sages "allow it."

"A large reed mat, which has been made for sleeping purposes?" "It contracts uncleanness, and they must not cover with it." "If made for covering purposes?" "They may use it; and it contracts no uncleanness." R.

Eleazar says, "whether large or small, if made for sleeping, it contracts uncleanness, and must not be used for covering; but if made for covering, they may cover with it, and it contracts no uncleanness."

Chapter II

1. "If one sleep under a bed in the booth?" "He has not discharged his duty." R. Judah said, "we used to sleep under a bed before the elders, and they said nothing to us." R. Simon said, "it happened that Tabbi, the slave of R. Gamaliel, used to sleep under a bed, and R. Gamaliel said to the elders, 'you have seen my slave Tabbi, he is a disciple of the Sages, and knows that slaves are exempted from the booth, therefore he sleeps under a bedstead.' From this we in our way infer that he who sleeps under a bed has not discharged his duty."

2. "If a man support his booth with the posts of his bed?" "It is allowed." R. Judah says, "a booth which cannot stand by itself, is disallowed." A booth, which is unequally covered, and its shade greater than its sunlight, is allowed. If the covering be thick like a house roof, even though the stars are not seen through it, it is allowed.

3. "If one make his booth on the top of a wagon, or on a boat?" "It is allowed; and he may go up to it on the festival." "If one make it on the top of a tree, or on the back of a camel?" "It is allowed, but he must not go up to it on the festival."(246) "If two sides (be formed) by a tree, and one by the hands of man, or two by the hands of man and one by a tree?" "The booth is allowed, but he must not go up to it on the festival." "If three (sides be formed) by hands of man and the fourth by a tree?" "The booth is allowed, and he may go up to it on the festival."

This is the rule-when, on the removal of the tree, it can stand by itself, the booth is allowed, and one may go up to it on the festival.

4. "If one make his booth between trees, and the trees form side walls?"

"The booth is allowed." Messengers on a pious errand are exempted from the booth. The sick and their attendants are exempted from the booth. Persons may occasionally eat or drink outside the booth.

5. It happened that they brought to R. Jochanan, son of Zachai, a dish to taste, and to Rabban Gamaliel two dates and a jar of water, and they said, "bring them to the booth." But when they brought to R. Zadok food smaller than an egg, he took it in the napkin(247) and ate it outside the booth, but he did not say a blessing after it.

6. R. Eleazar says, "a man is bound to eat fourteen meals in the booth, one by day and one by night"; but the Sages say the matter is not determined, except on the first night of the festival. Moreover R. Eleazar said, "he who has not taken his meal on the first night of the festival, may complete it on the last night of the festival; but the Sages say that he must not complete it, and for this it is said, '(That which is) crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting, cannot be numbered.' "(248)

7. "If anyone's head, and the greater part of his body, be in the booth, and his table in the house?" The school of Shammai "disallow it"; but the school of Hillel "allow it." The school of Hillel said to the school of Shammai, "did it not happen that the elders of the school of Shammai, and those of the school of Hillel, went to visit R. Jochanan, son of Hachorni, and they found him sitting with his head and the greater part of his body in the booth while his table was in the house, and they said nothing to him?" The school of Shammai said to them, "Is that a proof? Even the elders did say to him, 'if such has been thy custom, thou hast never in thy life fulfilled the commandment of the booth.' "

8. Women, slaves, and children, are exempted from the booth. A boy who no longer needs his mother is bound to the booth. It happened that the daughter-in-law of Shammai, the elder,(249) gave birth to a son, and Shammai removed the ceiling and covered over her bed on account of the little one.

9. During the whole seven days a man is to make the booth his regular dwelling, and (to use) his house only occasionally. "If rain fall, when is it permitted to remove from it?" "When the porridge is spoiled." The elders ill.u.s.trate this by an example: "To what is the matter like?" "It is as if a servant pour out a cup for his master, who in return dashes a bowlful in his face."

Chapter III

1. A palm branch stolen or withered is disallowed. One from an idolatrous grove, or from a city withdrawn to idolatry,(250) is disallowed. If the point be broken off, or the leaves torn off, it is disallowed. If they be only parted, it is allowed. R. Judah says, "it must be tied together at the top." Short-leaved palms from the Iron Mount(251) are allowed. A palm branch measuring three hands, sufficient to shake it by, is allowed.