Keritot 28B

בקינוח סעודה. אמרו, כל ימיו לא היה נותר בעזרה.

for dessert. They said: Throughout all the days of Yoḥanan ben Nedavai there was never sacrificial meat left over in the Temple courtyard, as he would ensure that it was eaten.

צווחה שלישית: שאו שערים ראשיכם ויכנס אלישמע בן פיכאי תלמידו של פנחס וישמש בכהונה גדולה.

The third cry was: Lift your heads, O gates, and let Elishama ben Pikai, the student of Pineḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, enter and serve as High Priest, as he is worthy.

צווחה רביעית: פתחו שערים והוציאו יששכר איש כפר ברקאי, שמכבד עצמו ומבזה קדשי שמים. מאי הוי עביד? הוה כריך שיראי על ידיה והוה עביד עבודה.

The 4th cry was: Open the gates and expel Yissakhar from the village of Barkai, as he honors himself and desecrates items consecrated to Heaven. What would he do to deserve such a reputation? He would wrap silk [shira’ei] over his hands and perform the Temple service, as he was unwilling to dirty his hands.

מאי סליקא ליה? ינאי מלכא ומלכתא הוו יתבין. מלכא אמר: גדיא יאי, ומלכתא אמרה: אימרא יאי, אמרו: נשייליה ליששכר איש כפר ברקאי, דכהן גדול הוא וקים ליה קדירה.

The Talmud asks: What ultimately happened to Yissakhar from the village of Barkai? Yannai the king, and the queen were sitting and discussing food. The king said that goat meat is better food than lamb meat, and the queen said lamb meat is the better food. They said: Let us ask Yissakhar from the village of Barkai, as he is the High Priest and is very familiar with various dishes.

שיילוהו, אמר להו: אי גדיא יאי ייסק לתמידא. בהדי דאמר אחוי בידיה, אמר להון מלכא: הואיל ואחוי בידיה, קוצו לידיה דימינא. יהיב שוחדא, קציוה לידיה שמאלא. שמע מלכא, אמר: ליקצ[יוה] נמי לידיה דימינא. אמר רב יוסף: בריך רחמנא דשקליה (ל)יששכר איש כפר ברקאי למטרפסיה.

They asked him, and he said to them: If goat meat were better, it would be sacrificed as the daily offering. The fact that the daily offering is lamb proves that its meat is preferable to that of goat. As he spoke, he signaled contemptuously with his hand. The king said to his attendants: Since he signaled contemptuously with his hand, sever his right hand. Yissakhar gave a bribe, and the official severed his left hand instead. The king heard that Yissakhar had deceived him, and said: Let the official sever his right hand as well. Rav Yosef said: Blessed is God, who took retribution [lematrapsei] on Yissakhar of the village of Barkai. His punishment fit his crime; since he would not dirty his hands with sacrificial blood, both his hands were severed.