Yoma 86 - Desecration of God's name

Desecration of God's name, or "Chillul Hashem," occurs when people say, "Look at what so-and-so did," and it reflects badly on God. For example, this is common when an observant Jew does something wrong. There are various means of atonement for it, such as Yom Kippur, suffering, death, or better, the study of the Torah and teaching it to others.

It also depends on the person. For example, Rav, a prominent Torah scholar in Babilonia, said that Hillul Hashem occurs when a scholar like him does not pay the butcher's bill on time. The reason is, such behavior will lead the butcher to suspect stealing. Abbaye said, "This applies only in the city where the customers bring money to the butcher. But if the custom is for the butcher to go and collect money owed, this is not a problem."

On the positive side, one should accumulate wisdom and deal with people pleasantly. What do the people then say? - Happy is the father who taught him Torah; happy is the teacher who taught him Torah. To him applies the phrase, "You are my servant, Israel, through whom I am glorified."

Art: A scholar in his Study by Thomas Wyck

Yoma 85 - For what does Yom Kippur forgive?

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. It is a means to achieve a clean slate. Other means for it are listed below.

If one does something listed as "Don't do it" in the Torah, and that is also qualified as "his soul will be cut off from the people" - then, if he did it inadvertently, he brings an offering in the Temple and is forgiven. When there is no Temple, his repentance is enough, and he is completely forgiven on Yom Kippur.

If it is a regular "Do it" or "Don't do it," and he violates it, then his repentance is effective right away, even before Yom Kippur.

If he tries to use this rule to his advantage and says, "I will do the wrong thing, but I will then repent," - a chance to repent may not happen. 

The above is true only in regards to himself. However, if he wrongs his fellow man, Yom Kippur does not atone until he pacifies his fellow.

Art: After the Misdeed by Jean Beraud

Yoma 84 - How Rabbi Yochanan fooled a sorceress

Rabbi Yochanan contracted an illness that results in throat pain. He went to a noblewoman who gave him the remedy on Thursday and on Friday. He asked about the Shabbat (when he was busy with the students and could not visit her), but she said he would not need it on Shabbat. He pressed her to tell him the medicine, and she said, "Swear that you will not reveal it." He said, "To the God of Israel, I will not reveal it." Then he went ahead and taught it publicly. How could he do it? - He meant, "To the God of Israel I will not reveal it, but to His people, I will." But she would still accuse him, and it would be bad publicity that a Rabbi did it!? - He told her immediately that his oath was not valid.

If a building collapsed on Shabbat and they don't know if somebody was trapped there, and furthermore if he was dead or alive - they violate Shabbat for any doubt about the life-threatening condition. If they find him alive, they keep clearing away the rubble even if it extends his life just a little, but if he is dead, they leave him there.

Art: The remedy by Benjamin West Clinedinst

Yoma 83 - Hand washing after the meal (maim acharonim)

Any possible danger to life supersedes the laws of Shabbat and the laws of Kashrut. For example, if one was seized by a fit called "bulmos," which reduces one's eyesight, he must be fed any food, non-kosher if it is closer. However, on Yom Kippur, they give it in small amounts.

Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yose were once on the road. Bulmos seized Rabbi Yehudah, and he ate all the food of a nearby shepherd. Rabbi Yose remarked, "You cleaned up this shepherd!' When they arrived at a city, bulmos seized Rabbi Yose. The city residents surrounded him with all kinds of dishes. Now Rabbi Yehudah said, "I cleaned up a shepherd, but you clean up the city."

The same Rabbis were once traveling with Rabbi Meir. They arrived at an inn whose owner's name was Kidor. Rabbi Meir considered this a bad name because of the phrase "Kidor" - because they are a generation that cannot be trusted and did not trust Kidor with his purse. Instead, Rabbi Meir hid the purse at the Kidor father's grave. Kidor's father appeared to his son in a dream and told him to go appropriate the purse. Kidor asked the Rabbis about the dream's meaning, and they told him that Friday night dreams mean nothing. Instead, Rabbi Meir guarded his purse all of Shabbat.

The other two Rabbis did trust Kidor with their purses, and the next day he denied getting them. They saw some lentils on his beard (because he did not do washing hands after the meal.) They went to Kidor's wife and told her that Kidor instructed to give them their purses, and as proof, they said that she fed him lentils. She gave them the purses, and Kidor killed his wife. 

Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Yehudah then asked Rabbi Meir why he did not warn them. He said that the name is enough for one to be suspicious but not to tell bad things to others.

Art: The Shepherd’s Meal by George Morland

Yoma 81 - How to eat on Yom Kippur and not bear responsibility

If one eats excessively on Yom Kippur, stuffing himself with food, he is not liable. The Torah prohibited eating to alleviate hunger, but what he is doing cannot be properly called eating, but rather damaging, both his body and food.

If one both ate and drank, in the same period of forgetfulness - either he forgot it was Yom Kippur or forgot that it is not allowed to eat or drink - it counts as only one transgression. That is because both eating and drinking are covered by the same prohibition of "afflicting oneself by hunger." When he realizes what he has done, he would have to bring one sin-offering.

However, if he ate and worked, these are two separate prohibitions, and for this, he will have to bring two sin-offerings. If he ate something that people normally don't eat (like spoiled meat) or drank something that people normally don't drink (like fish brine), he is not liable to any sacrifice.

When one prepares for Yom Kippur on the day before, he gets a double reward. The Torah said, "You will fast on the ninth of the month." But the fast is on the tenth! This shows you that the one who eats and drinks on the ninth gets a reward as if he fasted for two days in a row.

Art: Il Mangiafagioli by Annibale Carracci's

Yoma 82 - Children do not fast on Yom Kippur

Children are not required to fast on Yom Kippur; in fact, the adults do not allow them to fast. However, they are trained one or two years before their Bar or Bat mitzvah by delaying the day's first meal.

If a pregnant woman craves a certain food on Yom Kippur, we assume that the baby wants it and that withholding it puts her and the fetus in danger. Therefore, they feed her that food until she feels better. 

A sick person on Yom Kippur - if the experts say that he would be in danger if he does not eat, they give him food. If there are no experts there - they ask him. If there is a disagreement between him and the experts, his opinion wins.

In general, one can violate any Torah's prohibition to save a life - with three exceptions: idol worship,  illicit relations, and murder. Where do we learn this from?

Idol worship. The words of the "Shema" - "You shall love God your Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your possessions" mean that one should give up his soul or possessions but not worship idols.

Murder prohibition is derived from logic. If a governor tells one to kill a person or be killed himself, one should allow himself to be killed but not become a murderer. How does one know that his blood is redder than that of the other person?

Connected to murder is the law of prohibited relations: a betrothed maiden can be saved from rape at the cost of her pursuer's life. "The betrothed maiden cried out, but there was no rescuer" - had there been a rescuer, he would be allowed to save her even by killing the assailant. However, if he can stave the attacker without killing him, he would be obligated to do so.

Art: Children eating a pie by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

Yoma 65 - If the goat's blood spilled

In discussing the two goats - the subject of our last four pages - Rabbi Yehudah adds a rule: if the blood of the goat "for the Name" spilled, the goat that is sent away is left to die, and another one should be brought instead. The Talmud understands why this is: if the blood is spilled, new blood must be brought. This is impossible without drawing lots for the two new goats. Therefore, the goat "for Azazel" is rejected.

Suddenly, the Talmud finds a contradiction between this opinion of Rabbi Yehudah and another, in a completely different situation. In the laws of Shekalim, coin donations, if the coins from a certain city were lost and then found, they did not count for the next year. Rabbi Yehudah there thought that they could. So, Rabbi Yehudah, why can't we use the goat for Azazel for the next year's lottery, just as the Shekalim money could be used for the next year?

The Talmud tries a few answers and rejects them until it decides that it would be too dangerous to keep a sacrificial animal for a year because of the possibility of committing misappropriation (Meilah) with it.

Art: A trompe l'oeil of paper money and coins - French School