Yoma 79 - How much to eat on Yom Kippur?

How much does one have to eat on Yom Kippur to be liable? - The volume of food equal to a large date.

Rav Pappa wondered, “Date with the pit or without?” A similar question was asked by Rav Ashi about a human bone the size of a barley seed, which makes one ritually impure. Rav Ashi asked, “Dry seed or moist? With the shell or without?”

Note that each of the Sages did not have any problem with the other one’s question. Rav Ashi would tell you that “large date” implies as large as it can be, that is, with the seed. In turn, Rav Pappa would retort that a fresh barley seed has a different name, “shibboleth,” and one with the shell is called “ushla.” So the choice of the words itself in the rule already gives them the answer.

And why specifically, a large date is used as a measure of prohibition for Yom Kippur? After all, it is less than an egg and is thus not considered a meal!? - The Sages estimated that this volume cools off the hungry person's mind, although it does not satisfy him completely.

Art: Still Life Of Porcelain Bowls Containing Sugared Dates, Grapes, And Oranges By French School

Yoma 78 - Shoes

One is not supposed to wear shoes on Yom Kippur. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why wading through a river is allowed - because one won’t come to carry his shoes, should they fall off? What about Shabbat - can one cross the river, given that now he has shoes and might potentially carry them? Nehemiah saw Rav Ami and Rav Asi cross a pool of water on Shabbat. The actual incident with someone trustworthy is the best proof, and so this is accepted. What about sandals that slip off easier? - there, it is preferable not to cross the river in them. Here is an actual story about it.

A Jewish ruler (Exilarch) n Babylonia came to the city of Hagronia and lectured there. All the Sages came to his lecture, except Ravina. Since Ravina may have offended the Exilarch, Rafram came to exonerate him and asked him why he missed the lecture. Ravina answered that his foot was hurting. “Then you should have put on a shoe!” - “It was the top of the foot.” “Then you should use a (loose) sandal!” - To this Ravina answered, “There was a pool there, and it is preferable not to cross a pool in a sandal on Shabbat.”

The standard material used for making shoes is leather. When talking about not wearing shoes on Yom Kippur, do we mean only leather shoes or perhaps any kind of shoes? Again, an actual story helps: Rav Yitzchak saw Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi wearing shoes made out of rush (reed) on Yom Kippur. And yet, some say that all kinds of shoes were meant.

Art: Still life, a pair of shoes by Vincent Van Gogh

Yoma 77 - Crossing the river to see one’s teacher

To prove that abstaining from washing and anointing oneself is called an affliction, the Talmud quotes Daniel, who afflicted himself in this way. It then continues with these verses, which tell the story of the angel Gabriel being expelled from the Heavenly court but brought back “because of the words of Daniel.”

Daniel was shown in a vision that twenty-five people were standing in the Temple, bowing to the sun in the east, with their backs toward the Temple on the west. Since their faces were to the east, we already know that their backs were to the west; why is this mentioned? The real story was that they bared themselves and defecated toward the Temple as an additional sign of contempt. The Holy One Blessed be He said to the angel Michael, “Your nation has sinned!” Michael suggested to spare the nation because of the good ones among them, but the answer was, “I will burn them together with the good ones who did not protest.” At this time, Gabriel asked another angel, a Cherub, to bring the coals, took those coals, and threw them on Jerusalem. However, since the coals cooled somewhat, the nation survived. They gave Gabriel sixty fiery lashes (pulsa d’nura) and expelled him. Gabriel continued arguing on behalf of the Jewish people, and when he mentioned Daniel, the Holy One Blessed be He asked, “Who is he that is advocating on behalf of my children?” - and Gabriel was brought back. As a result, however, Persians, and especially later Greeks, were given dominion.

Even though washing is forbidden, if one wants to visit his father or his teacher on Yom Kippur, and a river separates them, he can cross even if the water reaches his neck. He is even allowed to go back since otherwise, he will refrain from going in the future. Only washing for pleasure is actually forbidden.

Art: Figures crossing a frozen river By Louis Pierre Verwee

Yoma 76 - Why was manna given daily

The students of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asked him a question, “Why did the manna have to be given every day?” He told them, “I will give you a parable. A king had a son, and he gave him his allowance once for the whole year. Consequently, his son visited him only once a year. The king then changed to giving him money daily, and now the son visited him every day. So too the Jews: one who had four or five children would worry, thinking, perhaps the manna will not fall tomorrow, and they will die of starvation. Thus, the Israelites now directed their hearts to God at all times.” Others say so that it would be warm and fresh. Yet others - so that they did not have to carry it.

Earlier, we mentioned the five things that one is should abstain from on Yom Kippur: food, drink, washing, etc. Where does it say so in the Torah? - It could be that it is not explicitly mentioned in the Torah, but because the term “deprivation” is mentioned five times, the Sages decreed five deprivations that one should sustain. Food, however, is named explicitly, and drinking is included together with eating. How do we know this last fact? - Because Torah mentioned drinking wine and put it in the list of food items.

Incidentally, wine makes one wise, and excessive drinking leads to poverty. This is reflected in the word “tirosh” used for wine. If one deserves, it makes him “rosh” - head; if not - it makes him “rash” - poor.

Art: A bottle of wine By French School

Yoma 75 - The affliction of manna

In discussing food afflictions of Yom Kippur, the Talmud turns to manna, since it, too, is called an affliction: “Who feeds you manna in the Wilderness… to afflict you.” - Some say it is because they never knew what they will eat tomorrow, should manna not fall the next day. Others - that since manna could take on any taste but always looked the same, they were never satisfied with it. Rav Yosef (who was blind) demonstrates that a blind person eats but is never fully satisfied.

More parallel disagreements: what does this phrase mean, “Worry in one’s heart? - Quash it!” Some say that it sounds like “remove from your mind” - by studying the Torah. Others - to tell it to others. But how does this help? - Since others will suffer from hearing about your troubles, and they don’t deserve it, God will remove it from you to spare them this unwarranted suffering.

More facts about manna are drawn from the words describing it. For example, it was “like bread, oil, and honey.” How can it be? For young people, it felt like bread, for old - like oil, and for children - like honey, each according to the age preference.

Art: The Gathering of the Manna By Bernardino Luini

Yoma 74 - How to properly afflict oneself

On Yom Kippur, one is forbidden to eat and drink, wash oneself, anoint his body with oil, wear leather shoes, and have marital relations. Just forbidden, you say? But it is more than this; one is liable to be cut off from the Jewish people and from his spiritual source! - The rule above is talking about a small amount, which is still forbidden. OK, this answer is good, according to those who say that a small amount of forbidden food is actually prohibited by the Torah. However, if the Torah does not mind a small amount, what is this rule talking about? It is still prohibited by the Sages.

What is the basis for this disagreement? Rabbi Yochanan says that since small amounts do add to the amount which is prohibited by the Torah, it must be that these small amounts are themselves prohibited, for otherwise, where does the prohibition come from? However, Resh Lakish says that eating a small amount is not called “eating,” Thus, it is simply not included in the prohibition.

So how is one supposed to “afflict his soul?” Perhaps it means sitting in the sun on a hot day or in the shade on a cold one? - No, the nature of the required suffering is such that one refrain from such activities as eating, drinking, etc., but not that one actively seeks out to increase his suffering.

Art: Thirst By William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Yoma 73 - Urim VeTumim

The same eight garments of the High Priest discussed so far were also needed when consulting Urim VeTumim. Incidentally, the Kohen appointed for battle would go with the Jews to war and wear the same eight garments. After the war, he continued to serve in the Temple in the same outfit. Others say that he does not serve in the Temple at all. We cannot permit him to be like the High Priest because the real High Priest will feel bad about it. Neither can he wear the garments of a regular Kohen because they only raise in the level of holiness but never bring down.

Back to Urim VeTumim, what was it? Some say that inside the High Priest's breastplate, they put a piece of parchment with the name of God written on it, others - that it refers to the precious stones on the breastplate. The High Priest would be wearing it, the king would ask a question, and the answer would be formed by the letters protruding forward. Some say that only a worthy High Priest could see them protrude and then interpreted the answer.

Art: To Decide the Question By John George Brown