A connection between Purim and Yom Kippurim TB Yoma 29

 I love the holiday Purim. Today’s daf TB Yoma 29 provides one more connection between Purim and Yom Kippurim, Here is my long introduction that explains how we got to Purim from Yom Kippur.

If the morning tamid is sacrificed while it is still nighttime, it becomes disqualified, must be disposed of appropriately, and a new tamid must be offered. Yesterday’s daf TB Yoma 28a begins with the curious requirement “The appointed priest said to the other priests: Go out and observe if it is day and the time for slaughter has arrived. (Sefaria.org translation) I’m a keen observer of the obvious. All I have to do is look outside and see whether or not day has broken. Why did the appointed priest have to ask this question? The Mishna provides the answer. “as once, the light of the moon rose, and they imagined that the eastern sky was illuminated with sunlight, and they slaughtered the daily offering before its appropriate time. The animal was later taken out to the place designated for burning and burned because it was slaughtered too early. In order to prevent similar errors in the future, the Sages instituted that they would carefully assess the situation until they were certain that it was day.” (Sefaria.org translation)

\Can sunlight in moonlight be confused? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi doesn’t think so. “Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: A column of the light of the moon is not similar to a column of the light of the sun; a column of the light of the moon rises like a staff in one column while a column of the light of the sun diffuses to here and to there…

“Apropos moonlight and sunlight discussed previously, Rabbi Abbahu said: What is the rationale for the statement of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi that sunlight diffuses and in that sense is dissimilar to moonlight? It is as it is written: “For the leader, about the morning hind (אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר¹ )” (Psalms 22:1); just as the antlers of a hind branch out to here and to there, so too, the light of dawn diffuses to here and to there.”(Sefaria.org translation)

Since the Gemara cites Psalm 22, it goes on a tangent by connecting this psalm to Queen Esther and Purim because she recited this psalm. Queen Esther is one of seven prophetesses in the Bible. “The verse states with regard to Esther: “And she stood in the inner court of the king’s house” (Esther 5:1). Rabbi Levi said: Once she reached the chamber of the idols, which was in the inner court, the Divine Presence left her. She immediately said: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalms 22:2).” (TB Megilah 15b, Sefaria.org translation)

Both Rabbi Zeira and Rabbi Elazar compare Esther to the hind. Rabbi Zeira’s interpretation is for mature adults only. So if you’re interested, go to our daf, “...the analogy between Esther and the hind in accordance with the statement that Rabbi Binyamin bar Yefet said that Rabbi Elazar said; as Rabbi Binyamin bar Yefet said that Rabbi Elazar said: Why are the prayers of the righteous likened to a hind? It is to tell you: Just as with regard to a hind, as long as it grows its antlers they continue to branch out; so too, with regard to the righteous, as long as they engage more in prayer their prayer is heard.” (Sefaria.org translation) This is why the hassidim believe that their rebbe’s prayers are more powerful than anybody else’s.

1The kibbutz Ayellet Hashakhar (אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר) in my humble opinion serves the most delicious blintzes in all of Israel.