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Sanhedrin

Daf 22a

נְעוּרֶיךָ״. אֲמַר לוֹ: כְּגוֹן מַאן? אָמַר לוֹ: כְּגוֹן אִמְּךָ.

your youth” (Proverbs 5:18). Rav Yitzḥak, his son, said to him: Such as whom? Rav Yehuda said to him: Such as your mother.

אִינִי? וְהָא מַקְרֵי לֵיהּ רַב יְהוּדָה לְרַב יִצְחָק בְּרֵיהּ: ״וּמוֹצֶא אֲנִי מַר מִמָּוֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר הִיא מְצוֹדִים וַחֲרָמִים״. וְאֲמַר לוֹ: כְּגוֹן מַאן? וְאָמַר לוֹ: כְּגוֹן אִמְּךָ! מִיתְקַף תַּקִּיפָא, עִיבּוּרֵי מְעַבְּרָא בְּמִלָּה.

The Gemara wonders: Is that so? But didn’t Rav Yehuda once read to Rav Yitzḥak, his son, from the verse: “And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets” (Ecclesiastes 7:26)? And Rav Yitzḥak said to him: Such as whom? And Rav Yehuda said to him: Such as your mother. The Gemara responds: This is not a contradiction. Granted, she is difficult and angry, but afterward she is conciliatory, so she is both more bitter than death and a source of calmness and joy for him, at different times.

RASHI

עבורי מעברא במלה מעברת על מדותיה:

אָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר אוּנְיָא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב: אִשָּׁה גּוֹלֶם הִיא, וְאֵינָהּ כּוֹרֶתֶת בְּרִית אֶלָּא לְמִי שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ כְּלִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי בֹּעֲלַיִךְ עֹשַׂיִךְ ה׳ צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ״.

Rav Shmuel bar Unya says in the name of Rav: A woman is raw material, like a vessel that has not been completed, and makes a covenant, becoming truly connected, only to the one who made her a vessel through her first act of sexual intercourse, as it is stated: “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name” (Isaiah 54:5).

RASHI

גולם היא קודם שנבעלה:

גולם כלי שלא נגמר קרוי גולם כדתנן גולמי כלי עץ טמאין:

תָּנָא: ״אֵין אִישׁ מֵת אֶלָּא לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְאֵין אִשָּׁה מֵתָה אֶלָּא לְבַעְלָהּ״. אֵין אִישׁ מֵת אֶלָּא לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיָּמָת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ אִישׁ נָעֳמִי״. וְאֵין אִשָּׁה מֵתָה אֶלָּא לְבַעְלָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַאֲנִי בְּבֹאִי מִפַּדָּן מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל״.

It is taught in a baraita : A man dies only to his wife, i.e., it is primarily she who suffers the pain and sadness resulting from his death, and a woman dies only to her husband. A man dies only to his wife, as it is stated: “And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died” (Ruth 1:3), and a woman dies only to her husband, as it is stated in Jacob’s parting words to Joseph: “And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me” (Genesis 48:7).

״אֵין רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ״ כו׳. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״מֶלֶךְ מִסְתַּפֵּר בְּכָל יוֹם. כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת. כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט אֶחָד לִשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם״.

§ The mishna teaches: One may not see the king when he is having his hair cut. The Sages taught in a baraita : A king has his hair cut every day. A High Priest waits from the eve of Shabbat to the eve of Shabbat between haircuts. An ordinary priest has his hair cut once every thirty days.

״מֶלֶךְ מִסְתַּפֵּר בְּכָל יוֹם״. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מֶלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ תֶּחֱזֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ״. ״כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת״. אָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: הוֹאִיל וּמִשְׁמָרוֹת מִתְחַדְּשׁוֹת.

The Gemara explains: A king has his hair cut every day, as it is stated: “Your eyes should see the king in his beauty” (Isaiah 33:17), so his beauty must be tended to daily. A High Priest waits from the eve of Shabbat to the eve of Shabbat, as Rav Shmuel bar Naḥman says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Since new priestly watches begin every week on the eve of Shabbat, the High Priest must have his hair cut in order to look his best when the new watch arrives.

RASHI

משמרות מתחלפות ומתחדשות בשבת זו יוצאה וזו נכנסת וצריך להסתפר מפני משמרת חדשה זו הנכנסת שיראוהו ביופי:

״כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט אֶחָד לִשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם״. דִּכְתִיב: ״וְרֹאשָׁם לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ וּפֶרַע לֹא יְשַׁלֵּחוּ כָּסוֹם יִכְסְמוּ אֶת רָאשֵׁיהֶם״. וְיָלֵיף ״פֶּרַע״ ״פֶּרַע״ מִנָּזִיר. כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״פֶּרַע לֹא יְשַׁלֵּחוּ״. וּכְתִיב הָתָם ״גַּדֵּל פֶּרַע שְׂעַר רֹאשׁוֹ״ מַה לְּהַלָּן שְׁלֹשִׁים – אַף כָּאן שְׁלֹשִׁים, וּתְנַן נַמִי: סְתָם נְזִירוּת שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם.

The Gemara continues its explanation of the baraita : An ordinary priest has his hair cut once every thirty days, as it is written with regard to the priests: “They shall not shave their heads, and long hair they shall not grow out; they shall trim only their heads” (Ezekiel 44:20), and derive by verbal analogy “long hair” in this verse from “long hair” in the verse written with regard to the nazirite. It is written here, with regard to the priests: “And long hair they shall not grow out,” and it is written there, with regard to the nazirite: “Long hair growing on his head” (Numbers 6:5). Just as there, nazirite hair growth is at least thirty days, so too here, it is thirty days, and the priest must cut his hair before it is called long. And we also learn in a mishna ( Nazir 5a): A term of naziriteship of unspecified length is thirty days.

וְהָתָם מְנָא לָן? אָמַר רַב מַתָּנָה: דְּאָמַר קְרָא, ״קָדֹשׁ יִהְיֶה״ – בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא תְּלָתִין הָווּ.

The Gemara asks: And there, in the verse about the nazirite, from where do we derive that thirty days is the minimum length of a term? Rav Mattana says: As the verse states: “He shall be [ yihye ] holy” (Numbers 6:5): The word “ yihye has the numerical value of thirty.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב פַּפָּא לְאַבַּיֵי: אֵימָא לָא לִירְבוּ כְּלָל? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִי כְּתִיב ״לֹא יְשַׁלֵּחוּ פֶּרַע״ – כִּדְקָאָמְרַתְּ, הָשְׁתָּא דִּכְתִיב ״וּפֶרַע״ – פֶּרַע לֶיהֱוֵי, שַׁלּוֹחֵי לָא לִישְׁלְחוּ.

Rav Pappa said to Abaye: Say that the priests should not grow their hair at all, but shave their heads instead. Abaye said to him: Had it been written: They shall not grow long hair, it would be as you said, but now that it is written: “And long hair” (Ezekiel 44:20), it can be somewhat long hair, but they should not grow it out very long.

RASHI

לא לירבו כלל ואפי' עד שלשים:

אמר ליה פרע מקרי בשלשים יום:

אי הוה כתיב לא ישלחו פרע הוה משמע לא יגדלו פרע עד שיעור פרע השתא דכתיב ופרע לא ישלחו דקאמר פרע והדר לא ישלחו משמע פרע דשלשים יום ליהוי אבל שלוחי טפי לא לשלחו:

TOSAFOT

ואימא לא לירבו כלל תימה דפרע פרע במאי מוקי לה אלא נראה לומר דה"פ אימא לא לירבו שלשים דהיינו שיעור פרע אלא יגלחו בכ"ט ומשני אי כתיב לא ישלחו פרע משמע לא ישלחו שיעור פרע אבל השתא דכתיב פרע קמא לא ישלחו משמע טפי מפרע לא ישלחו:

אִי הָכִי, הָאִידָנָא נַמִי: דּוּמְיָא דְּיַיִן. מַה יַּיִן – בִּזְמַן בִּיאָה הוּא דְּאָסוּר, שֶׁלֹּא בִּזְמַן בִּיאָה שָׁרֵי; אַף פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ – בִּזְמַן בִּיאָה אָסוּר, שֶׁלֹּא בִּזְמַן בִּיאָה שָׁרֵי.

The Gemara asks: If so, that the restriction on priests growing long hair is a mitzva by Torah law and not just a regulation for its time, now too, after the destruction of the Temple, priests should be required to have their hair cut every thirty days. The Gemara responds: The prohibition against priests growing long hair is similar to the prohibition against their drinking wine. Just as with regard to wine, only at the time of their entering the Temple is it forbidden to the priests, but when it is not the time of their entering the Temple it is permitted, so too, with regard to those with long hair, at the time of their entering the Temple, prohibited, but when it is not the time of their entering the Temple, it is permitted.

RASHI

דומיא דיין דסמוך ליה ויין לא ישתו בבואם וגו' מקיש פרועי ראש לשתויי יין וכתיב ביין בבואם:

וְיַיִן שֶׁלֹּא בִּזְמַן בִּיאָה שָׁרֵי? וְהָתַנְיָא: ״רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: אוֹמֵר אֲנִי: כֹּהֲנִים אֲסוּרִין לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן לְעוֹלָם, אֲבָל מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה שֶׁתַּקָּנָתוֹ קַלְקָלָתוֹ״. וְאָמַר אַבַּיֵי: כְּמַאן שָׁתֵי כָּהֲנֵי חַמְרָא הָאִידָּנָא? כְּרַבִּי. מִכְּלָל דְּרַבָּנַן אָסְרִי!

The Gemara challenges this comparison: And is wine permitted when it is not the time of their entering the Temple? But isn’t it taught in a baraita : Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: I say that actually, it is always prohibited for priests to drink wine, even since the destruction of the Temple, but what can I do, as his repair is his ruin, meaning that it is the same destruction of the Temple that ruined and confused all priestly regulations and that also improved priests’ lifestyle by enabling them to drink. And Abaye said: In accordance with whose opinion do priests drink wine nowadays? In accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. The Gemara concludes by inference that if Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi is singled out as a lone opinion, then the Rabbis prohibit it.

RASHI

רבי אומר אומר אני כהן אסור לשתות יין לעולם רישא דברייתא קתני כהן המכיר משמרתו ומשמרת בית אב שלו אסור ביין כל אותו היום אף בזמן הזה מכיר משמרתו ואינו מכיר בית אב שלו אסור כל אותו שבת אינו מכיר לא משמרתו ולא משמרת בית אב שלו אסור לשתות יין לעולם שמא עכשיו זמנו הוא ויש לחוש שמא יבנה בית המקדש:

רבי אומר אומר אני אם באנו לחוש שמא יבנה אסור ביין לעולם ואפילו הוא מכיר שאינו עכשיו זמן משמרתו שמא יבנה וכל הקודם ואישתכח עייל ועביד:

אבל מה אעשה שתקנתן קלקלתן חורבן הבית שקלקלן ועירבב סדר' משמרותיהן שהיה אוסרן ביין בזמן משמרתן ומתירן שלא בזמן משמרתן הוא תיקנן עכשיו לשתות יין לעולם דלא חייש שמא יבנה פתאום:

כמאן שתו האידנא כהני חמרא כרבי שהרי רוב כהנים אינן בקיאין בזמן משמרותיהן ואסורין לעולם לרבנן:

הָתָם הַיְינוּ טַעְמָא: מְהֵרָה יִבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וּבָעֵינַן כֹּהֵן הָרָאוּי לַעֲבוֹדָה, וְלֵיכָּא. הָכָא נַמִי בָּעֵינָא כֹּהֵן הָרָאוּי לַעֲבוֹדָה, וְלֵיכָּא!

The Gemara responds: There, with regard to drinking wine, this is the reason for the prohibition: The Temple will speedily be built, and we need a priest who is fit for the Temple service; and if the priests drink wine there are none. Therefore, none of them may drink wine. The Gemara objects: If so, here too, with regard to growing hair long, I need a priest who is fit for performing the Temple service as soon as the Temple is rebuilt, and if the priests grow their hair long, there are none.

RASHI

התם היינו טעמא כו' שינויא היא ובניחותא גרסינן לה כלומר מדאוריי' שרי ורבנן הוא דגזור:

ופרכינן הכא נמי מהרה יבנה וכו':

הָכָא אֶפְשָׁר דְּמִסַּפֵּר וְעָיֵיל. הָתָם נַמִי אֶפְשָׁר דְּנָיֵים פּוּרְתָּא וְעָיֵיל, דְּאָמַר רַב אַחָא: דֶּרֶךְ מִיל וְשֵׁינָה כָּל שֶׁהוּא מְפִיגִין אֶת הַיַּיִן! וְלָאו אִיתְּמַר עֲלָהּ: אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר אֲבוּהּ: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁשָּׁתָה כְּדֵי רְבִיעִית. אֲבָל יוֹתֵר מִכְּדֵי רְבִיעִית, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹרַדְתּוֹ וְשֵׁינָה מְשַׁכַּרְתּוֹ.

The Gemara responds: Here it is possible for him to cut his hair and enter the Temple immediately. The Gemara objects: There too, it is possible for him to sleep a little and go in, as Rav Aḥa says: Walking the distance of a mil or sleeping even a minimal amount will dispel the effect of wine that one has drunk. The Gemara responds: But wasn’t it stated with regard to Rav Aḥa’s statement: Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says: They taught that the wine’s effect is dispelled in such a way only when he drank a quarter- log , but if he drank more than a quarter- log , all the more so that walking that distance disturbs him and sleep makes him more drunk, unless he sleeps for a long time.

רַב אַשִׁי אֲמַר: שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן דִּמְחַלֵּי עֲבוֹדָה, גָּזְרוּ בְּהוּ רַבָּנַן. פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ דְּלָא מְחַלֵּי עֲבוֹדָה, לָא גָּזְרוּ בְּהוּ רַבָּנַן.

Rav Ashi said: The difference between drinking wine and growing hair is this: Concerning priests drunk on wine, who desecrate the Temple service when they perform it while intoxicated, the Sages decreed about them not to drink even after the Temple was destroyed. With regard to long-haired priests, who do not desecrate Temple service by performing it with hair that is too long, the Sages did not decree about them not to grow their hair long after the Temple was destroyed.

RASHI

שתויי יין דמחלי עבודה דכתיב (ויקרא י׳:י׳) יין ושכר וגו' וסמיך ולהבדיל בין הקדש ובין החול משמע בין עבודה קדושה לעבודה מחוללת גזרו בהו רבנן בזמן הזה משום מהרה יבנה:

מֵיתִיבִי: ״וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁבְּמִיתָה: פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ, וּשְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן״.

The Gemara raises an objection to Rav Ashi’s distinction from a baraita ( Tosefta , Karetot 1:2): And these are they who are sentenced to death at the hand of Heaven: Priests who enter the Temple with long hair or drunk on wine.

בִּשְׁלָמָא שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן – דִּכְתִיב: ״יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ״. אֶלָּא פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ מְנָא לָן?

The Gemara comments: Granted, priests entering the Temple drunk on wine are liable for death, as it is written: “Drink no wine nor strong drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, that you not die; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations” (Leviticus 10:9). But as for priests with long hair, from where do we derive that they are punished with death at the hand of Heaven?

דְּאִיתְקַשׁ שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן לִפְרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ. כְּתִיב: ״וְרֹאשָׁם לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ וּפֶרַע לֹא יְשַׁלֵּחוּ״. וּכְתִיב: ״וְיַיִן לֹא יִשְׁתּוּ״ וגו׳. מַה שְּׁתוּיֵי יַיִן בְּמִיתָה, אַף פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ בְּמִיתָה.

The Gemara responds: It is from the fact that priests drunk on wine were juxtaposed to those with long hair. It is written: “They shall not shave their heads, and long hair they shall not grow out” (Ezekiel 44:20), and it is written in the next verse: “Neither shall any priest drink wine when they enter the inner court” (Ezekiel 44:21). Just as priests drunk on wine are liable to receive death at the hand of Heaven, so too, those with long hair are liable to receive death at the hand of Heaven.

וּמִינָּהּ, מַה שְּׁתוּיֵי יַיִן דִּמְחַלֵּי עֲבוֹדָה, אַף פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ דִּמְחַלֵּי עֲבוֹדָה! קַשְׁיָא.

And if so, from this very juxtaposition one may learn that just as priests drunk on wine desecrate the Temple service, so too, those with long hair desecrate the Temple service, which poses a difficulty for Rav Ashi’s statement. The Gemara acknowledges: This poses a difficulty.

RASHI

ה"ג אף פרועי ראש מחלי עבודה קשיא:

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבִינָא לְרַב אַשִׁי: הַאי, עַד דְּלָא אֲתָא יְחֶזְקֵאל מַאן אֲמַרָהּ? וְלִיטַעְמִיךְ, הָא דְּאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: דָּבָר זֶה מִתּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ לֹא לָמַדְנוּ, עַד שֶׁבָּא יְחֶזְקֵאל וְלִימְּדָנוּ: ״כָּל בֶּן נֵכָר עֶרֶל לֵב וְעֶרֶל בָּשָׂר לֹא יָבוֹא אֶל מִקְדָּשִׁי לְשָׁרְתֵנִי״. עַד דְּלֹא בָּא יְחֶזְקֵאל, מַאן אֲמַרָהּ? אֶלָּא, גְּמָרָא גְּמִירִי לָהּ, וַאֲתָא יְחֶזְקֵאל וְאַסְמְכָהּ אַקְּרָא. הָכָא נַמִי, גְּמָרָא גְּמִירִי לָהּ, וַאֲתָא יְחֶזְקֵאל וְאַסְמְכָהּ אַקְּרָא.

Ravina said to Rav Ashi: This halakha , until Ezekiel came and taught it, who said it? How can a halakha by Torah law be derived from the juxtaposition of verses in Ezekiel? Rav Ashi responds: And according to your reasoning, then, with regard to this statement that Rav Ḥisda says: We did not learn this following matter from the Torah of Moses, our teacher, until Ezekiel came and taught it to us: “No stranger, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My Sanctuary to serve Me” (Ezekiel 44:9), until Ezekiel came and taught it, who said it? Rather, this halakha is learned as a tradition and therefore was observed for generations, and Ezekiel came and gave it support by writing a verse. Here too, this halakha is learned as a tradition, and Ezekiel came and gave it support by writing a verse.

RASHI

הא עד דלא אתא יחזקאל ואקשינהו:

מאן אמרה פירוש מהיכא נפקא לן פרועי ראש במיתה:

הא דאמר רב חסדא בזבחים בפ' שני דבר זה דכהן ערל פסול לעבודה:

כל בן נכר כהן שנתנכרו מעשיו לאביו שבשמים ונערל לבו או ערל בשר שמתו אחיו מחמת מילה:

TOSAFOT

אלא גמרא גמירי לה ואתא יחזקאל ואסמכה אקרא וקשה הרי רב אשי עצמו סותר דבריו ומיישב הך הקישא דיחזקאל שסותר דבריו הראשונים דאמר רב אשי לעיל פרועי ראש דלא מחלי עבודה וי"ל ממה שרב אשי אמר גמרא גמירי ואתא יחזקאל ואסמכה אקרא מתרצי שתי הקושיות דעד דאתי יחזקאל מאן אמרה ומתרצה קושיא דלעיל דכיון דגמרא היא מצינו למימר הכי גמירי הלכתא למיתה ואחולי עבודה לא גמירי ויחזקאל אסמכה אקרא מענין ההלכה אסמכה וא"כ לא אסמכינן לעשות ההקישא רק לענין מיתה אבל לעיל דלא ידע דגמיר הלכה סבר הוא לעשות הקישא מפרועי ראש לשתויי יין מכל וכל דאין היקש למחצה:

וְכִי גָּמְרִי הֲלָכָה – לְמִיתָה. לְאַחוּלֵי עֲבוֹדָה – לָא גְּמִירִי.

The Gemara comments: And when they learned this halakha , it was to teach that a priest who violates the restriction is liable to receive death at the hand of Heaven. But the fact that it is considered desecration of the Temple service is not learned as a tradition.

מַאי ״כָּסוֹם יִכְסְמוּ אֶת רָאשֵׁיהֶם״? תָּנָא: ״כְּמִין תִּסְפּוֹרֶת לוּלְיָינִית״. מַאי תִּסְפּוֹרֶת לוּלְיָינִית? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: תִּסְפּוֹרְתָּא יְחִידָאָה. הֵיכִי דָּמֵי? אָמַר רַב אַשִׁי: רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל זֶה בְּצַד עִיקָּרוֹ שֶׁל זֶה.

The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of “they shall trim only their heads” (Ezekiel 44:20)? taught in a baraita : Like a lulyanit haircut. The Gemara asks: What is a lulyanit haircut? Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: A unique haircut. The Gemara asks again: What is it like? Rav Ashi says: The hair is cut so that the head of the hair in this row is at the side of the bottom of that row.

RASHI

יחידאה נאה ואין דוגמתה:

TOSAFOT

כסום יכסמו פי' כעין כוסמת הגדל כך שבלין ראשו של זה בצד עיקרו של זה:

שָׁאֲלוּ אֶת רַבִּי: אֵיזֶהוּ תִּסְפּוֹרֶת שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל? אָמַר לָהֶן: צְאוּ וּרְאוּ מִתִּסְפּוֹרֶת שֶׁל בֶּן אֶלְעָשָׂה. תַּנְיָא: ״רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: לֹא עַל חִנָּם פִּיזֵּר בֶּן אֶלְעָשָׂה אֶת מָעוֹתָיו, אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לְהַרְאוֹת בּוֹ תִּסְפּוֹרֶת שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל״. הדרן עלך כהן גדול

The Sages asked Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: What was the haircut of the High Priest? He said to them: Go out and see the haircut of ben Elasa, who was the son-in-law of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and who sported the High Priest’s hairstyle. It is taught in a baraita : Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: Not for nothing did ben Elasa disburse his money on his haircuts, but in order to demonstrate on himself the haircut of the High Priest.

RASHI

בן אלעשה חתנו של רבי היה ונתן ממון ולמדו לו אותה תספורת:

SUMMARY

This chapter discussed several of the halakhot of the High Priest and the king. Since the primary function of the High Priest is the performance of the sacrificial rites, in particular the sacrificial rites of Yom Kippur, the halakhot pertaining to him are addressed primarily in the tractates in the order of Kodashim and in tractate Yoma. Here, in tractate Sanhedrin, the Gemara clarifies what unique halakhot are applicable to the High Priest within the domain of civil law. It was concluded that with regard to most matters, the High Priest is in fact treated no differently from any Jew. Only with regard to matters that potentially involve court-imposed capital punishment is the High Priest accorded unique status, in that his case is heard by the Great Sanhedrin of seventy-one judges. The Gemara details the halakhot that apply with regard to the High Priest when he is in mourning as well as when he goes to comfort other mourners. He is restricted in terms of what mourning practices he may perform, even for his closest relatives. He does not participate in their burials, and it is the people who take on the role as mourners and bury his dead, as indicated in the verse concerning the death of the sons of Aaron: “But let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled” (Leviticus 10:6). In this chapter, a distinction was made between kings who observe the Torah, referred to as the kings of the house of David, and kings who do not, e.g., the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel and the kings of the Hasmonean dynasty in the Second Temple period. The former are accorded unique status in court proceedings only in that in matters that potentially involve court-imposed capital punishment their cases are heard by the Great Sanhedrin of seventy-one judges. The latter kings are treated differently under halakha in additional ways, due to the concern that they would not abide by the standard rulings and would perhaps exact retribution from those who found them liable. For example, these kings are exempted from the requirement to stand before the judges when being judged. The rights and obligations that apply to a king can be divided into two categories: Those that apply to a king as a person, and those that apply to his ruling of the people. In the first category are the prohibition against his taking more than eighteen wives and the positive mitzva for him to write a Torah scroll in addition to the Torah scroll that every Jew must write. This special scroll was to be kept with the king at all times. The prohibitions against a king’s amassing a great quantity of horses or collecting large amounts of silver and gold are also to be seen in this light, as it was determined that these prohibitions apply only to amassing them for his personal needs, not for the needs of the people, e.g., to supply the army. Since many of the halakhot concerning a king are enumerated in the book of I Samuel (8:11–19), the Gemara here does not specify all of these halakhot. In addition, the requirement that all Jews treat the king with awe and reverence is alluded to in the Torah (Deuteronomy 17:15) and mentioned explicitly in the Prophets (Joshua 1:18). This positive mitzva is to be understood not only as a way to exhibit respect for the person of the king, but for his office. It is understood that the king has the administrative authority to lead the people in the manner he sees fit, though it is not possible to specify exactly what is included in this authority, as circumstances are ever-changing. Therefore, the Torah grants the king broad powers to act, including the ability to administer extrajudicial sanctions, even death, and to confiscate property belonging to the citizenry. He can impose order when needed in circumstances where the courts are technically proscribed from acting.