The Mishnah on daf TB Yoma 30a says “A person does not enter the Temple courtyard for the Temple service, even if he is pure, until he immerses.” (Sefaria.org translation) Ben Zoma holds that this immersion is a Torah requirement (דאורייתא) while Rabbi Yehuda believes that this immersion is only a rabbinic ordinance (דרבנן). According to Rashi, Abaye on today’s daf TB 31is asking a question on Rabbi Yehuda’s understanding[1]. Does Rabbi Yehuda require a person who only sticks a body part into the Temple’s courtyard need to immerse himself into a mikvah or not? Since this immersion is only a rabbinic enactment and most of the person’s body remains outside the Temple’s courtyard, perhaps Rabbi Yehuda might not demand of him to immerse.
“Abaye said to Rav Yosef: Is partial entry, when one enters a certain place with only part of his body, considered entry or not? Rav Yosef said to him: The thumbs of the leper will prove this point, as the leper (metzora) reaching his thumbs into the Temple constitutes partial entry, and it was taught in a baraita: A leper immerses and stands at the Gate of Nicanor, indicating that immersion is required before even partial entry.” (Sefaria.org translation
Before we begin our analysis, we have to remember that the translation of a metzora as a leper is wrong. Leprosy or Hansen’s disease is not how the Torah in Leviticus describes tzara-at, the disease and Hebrew. “The term ‘tzara-at’ probably designated a complex of various elements (effecting the skin, leather as well as plastered or mud covered building stones).” (Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, above the line commentary, page 651)
After the priest has declared that the metzora has recovered, he must wait seven full days. At the conclusion of the seventh day the metzora immerses into a mikvah. On the eighth day he must bring the required sacrifices to complete the process of becoming ritually ready (טהרה). The blood of the asham sacrifice is placed upon his right thumb, his right big toe, and his right earlobe. Since he is not completely ritually ready, he may not enter the Temple courtyard. Nicanor’s gate was technically outside the Temple courtyard so people like the metzora can become ritually ready and then enter the courtyard. Standing outside Nicanor’s gate, the metzora sticks his right thumb, his right big toe, and his right earlobe into the airspace of the courtyard. Because the metzora needs to immerse before standing at Nicanor’s gate proves that even according to Rabbi Yehuda a partial entry into the Temple’s courtyard still requires an immersion.
I was going to write about Ein Eitam, the spring from which water was supplied to the Temple because this water source had to be at least 23 amot[2] higher than the second floor mikvah on top of the Parva Hall. When I began my research I discovered that Shulie Miskin wrote where Ein Eitam is located on the Hadran website. Being a certified Israel tour guide and having an MA in Jewish history from Columbia University, she wrote a better description than I ever could. I highly recommend you go to https://hadran.org.il/author-post/going-with-the-flow/ and read her daf yomi entry for today’s daf.
[1]
Tosefot ד"ה חוצץ או אינו חוצץ argues that this
question can also be asked of Ben Zoma. They understand Ben Zoma’s position that
this requirement is only a Torah law when some aspect of the sacrificial cult
was being performed. If a person just want to enter the Temple's courtyard, his
immersion is only a rabbinic enactment.
[2] An
amah is somewhere between 1.5 feet to 2 feet long
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