With today’s daf TB Yoma 46 we finish the fourth chapter of our massekhet. This chapter discusses all of the Avodah the High Priest performs wearing his white linen clothing. The list of this section of the Avodah service includes making his first confession over the bull for his sins and the sins of his family, the lottery selecting which goat will go to Azazel and which goat will be offered up as a sacrifice, his second confession over the bull for his sins and the sins of his fellow priests, slaughtering the bull and collecting its blood, taking a shovelful of coal to burn the incense in the Holy of Holies, and finally sprinkling the mixture of the blood of the bull and goat in the Holy of Holies.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite 45s[1] was my father’s record of
Tennessee Ernie Ford singing “16 tons (of number nine coal).” I used to listen
to that record over and over again. The last sugiyah of our chapter reminded me of that song because it
discusses the halakhic definition of a
coal removed from the altar.
“The Torah prohibits the fire on the altar to be
extinguished: “A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, it shall
not go out” (Leviticus 6:6).
With regard to this prohibition, an amoraic dispute was stated: With
regard to one who extinguishes the fire of the coals that are taken with
the coal pan for the incense on Yom Kippur or the fire of
the coals that are taken in order to light the candelabrum, Abaye said: He is liable. Rava said: He is not liable.
“The
Gemara elaborates on the dispute: In a case where one extinguished a
coal while still standing upon the top of the altar, everyone agrees that he
is liable. This is because the verse explicitly is referring to
extinguishing a flame “upon the altar.” When they disagree, it is in a
case where he brought the coals down to ground level and
extinguished a coal there. Abaye
said: He is liable, since it is still considered fire of the altar. Rava said: He is not liable, because
once it has been removed from the altar it is considered removed
and no longer part of the altar’s fire. Therefore, the prohibition does not
apply to it.” (Sefaia.org translation)
The Gemara goes on to refine the disagreement between
Abaye and Rava. Everybody agrees that one is forbidden to extinguish a coal
while it is still standing upon the top of the altar. Everybody agrees that if the
intended purpose of the removed coal was for a mitzvah like burning the
incense, but became extinguished the person is not liable. They only disagree
when somebody removes the coal without the intention of performing a mitzvah
with it. If the coal becomes extinguished Abaye says is still considered “a
flame upon the altar” and is liable. Rava disagrees and holds that once it is
removed from the altar the coal is no longer considered “a flame upon the altar”
and the person is not liable.
Amongst the many disagreements between Rava and Abaye,
only six times does the halakha follow Abaye and this is not one of them. (see Mishneh Torah, Sefer Avodah, Hilkhot Temidin, chapter 2:halakha 6)
By the way, if you want to listen to a modern version
of the song 16 tons follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzlT80jQ3lo
[1] Ask
your grandfather or grandmother what was a 45. If you want to see photos of 45s
go to https://www.google.com/search?q=photo+of+a+45+record&sxsrf=ALeKk028dRlubN265RSlcnBLDksstXrxgA:1622147953803&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=NpaktJOMN-s3RM%252C63i3xvV-ibEhcM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTN82OXJ5oO88EzqTqw_bYqC5y6_Q&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjkpLyE3OrwAhVodt8KHcswD1EQ9QF6BAgSEAE&biw=1097&bih=535&dpr=1.75#imgrc=NpaktJOMN-s3RM
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