Siman - Yoma Daf 72
- Prohibitions related to the bigdei kehunah and aron
Rachava said in the name of Rav Yehudah, המקרע בגדי כהונה לוקה – One who tears one of the bigdei kehunah, receives malkus, as it says in the passuk, "…there shall be a hem for its opening around… לא יקרע – it shall not be torn". Rav Acha bar Yaakov challenged this teaching and suggested that the Torah is saying that one should make a hem for it so that it will not tear, rather than stating a prohibition, and the Gemara answered that if this was true, the passuk should have written, שלא יקרע – so that it shall not be torn.
Similarly, Rebbe Elazar said, המזיח חושן מעל האפוד והמסיר בדי ארון לוקה – One who loosens the choshen from its moorings on the ephod, or one who removes the poles of the aron, receives malkus, for it says in one passuk, "לא יזח" ו"לא יסרו" – and the choshen shall not be detached from upon the ephod, and it says in another passuk, in the rings of the aron shall be the poles, they shall not depart from it.
- שלשה זירים הן
Rebbe Yochanan said, שלשה זירים הן של מזבח ושל ארון ושל שלחן – There are three crowns that adorn three keilim in the Beis Hamikdash: the crown of the mizbayach, the crown of the aron, and the crown of the shulchan . של מזבח זכה אהרן ונטלו – The crown of the mizbayach, Aharon merited and took it. של שלחן זכה דוד ונטלו – The crown of the shulchan, Dovid merited and took it. של ארון עדיין מונח הוא כל הרוצה ליקח יבא ויקח – But the crown of the aron is still at rest. Anyone who wishes to take it may come and take it. שמא תאמר פחות הוא – Lest you say that it is inferior to the other crowns, the Torah therefore states, "בי מלכים ימלכו" – Through me, kings will reign. Rashi explains that the Torah is greater than kingship, for one who appoints a king is more exalted than the king himself.
- וזאת התורה אשר שם משה
Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi said, what is the meaning of that which is written, "וזאת התורה אשר שם משה" – And this is the Torah that Moshe put (sam) before Bnei Yisroel?”. This alludes to the following, זכה נעשית לו סם החיים לא זכה נעשית לו סם המיתה – If one is deserving, the Torah becomes a drug (sam) of life to him. But if he is not deserving, it becomes a drug of death to him.
The Gemara brings another expression of this idea. Rebbe Shmuel bar Nachmani said: Rebbe Yonasan contrasted these passukim. It is written, "פקודי ה' ישרים משמחי לב" – The orders of Hashem are upright, gladdening the heart. But it is also written, "אמרת ה' צרופה" – the word of Hashem smelts, זכה משמחתו לא זכה צורפתו – If one is deserving, the Torah gladdens him, but if he is not deserving, it smelts him. Rashi explains that this means that the word of Hashem smelts people with afflictions and Gehinnom.
