Siman - Yoma Daf 37
- מנין שבאנא ושבשם
The question was asked in a Baraisa, ומנין שבאנא – And from where do we know that the Yom Kippur viduy begins with the word “Please”? נאמר כאן כפרה ונאמר להלן בחורב כפרה – Because “kaparah” is stated here, regarding the Kohen Gadol’s par, and “kaparaht” is stated there, regarding Moshe’s confession at Chorev after the Jew’s worship of the eigel hazahav. Just as there at Chorev, the viduy began with the word “אנא,” so too here, the viduy begins with the word “אנא”.
The Baraisa continues, ומנין שבשם – And from where do we know that the viduy is recited with the Divine Name? נאמר כאן כפרה ונאמרה בעגלה ערופה כפרה – Because “kaparah” is stated here, regarding the bull, and “kaparah” is mentioned regarding the eglah arupha. Just as there, the viduy began with the Divine name, so too here, the viduy is said with the Divine Name.
- המהלך לימין רבו הרי זה בור
Rav Yehudah said, המהלך לימין רבו הרי זה בור – If one walks to the right of his Rebbe he is a boor. The Meiri explains that by walking next to his Rebbe he appears to equate himself to him. Secondly, the Meiri says, that he should walk to the left of his Rebbe, so that if he needs to assist his Rebbe, his right hand will be available to help him. The Gemara questions this, based on a number of sources: The next Mishnah states that when the Kohen Gadol walks to do the service with the two goats, הסגן מימינו וראש בית אב בשמאלו – the s’gan walks to his right and the Rosh Beis Av walks to his left. Secondly, it was taught in a Baraisa regarding three who are walking along the road, הרב באמצע גדול בימינו וקטן משמאלו – the Rav should be in the middle, with the greater talmid to his right and lesser one to his left, which we find with the three malachei hashareis who visited Avraham, מיכאל באמצא גבריאל בימינו ורפאל בשמאלו – Michoel was in the middle, Gavriel was to his right and Raphael was to his left. How then could Rebbe Yehudah disparage someone who walks to the left of his Rebbe?
When the initial answer that he was walking behind his Rebbe is rejected, since someone who does so is considered מגסי הרוח – from among the arrogant, the Gemara concludes that the Baraisa meant דמצדד אצדודי – that the talmid should be diagonally to the side of his Rebbe.
- טבלה של זהב שפרשת סוטה כתובה עליה
The Mishnah stated that Helene, the mother of Munbaz HaMelech, עשתה טבלה של זהב שפרשת סוטה כתובה עליה – made a golden tablet upon which the parsha of Sotah was written. Rashi explains she made this to avoid opening a Sefer Torah in order for a sofer to copy the oaths. The Gemara says that one can learn from this כותבין מגילה לתינוק להתלמד בה – that we may write a scroll that only contains a parsha from the Torah, from which a child may be taught. Reish Lakish refuted this, saying in the name of Rebbe Yannai, באלף בית – The parshah of Sotah was inscribed on the tablet in alphabet form, meaning only the first letter of each word was written. The Kohen viewed each letter and wrote the corresponding word. This would avoid violating the prohibition against writing a portion of the Torah. When this is challenged from a Baraisa, the Gemara revises its answer and says the tablet contained the beginning words of each passuk, and the rest of the words were written in alphabet form.
