Study Nazir folio 47B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ומרובה בגדים — משוח בשמן המשחה עדיף, דאילו משוח בשמן המשחה — מביא פר הבא על כל המצות, ואילו מרובה בגדים — אין מביא.
and a High Priest of many garments, i.e., one who was not anointed with oil but who was sanctified by wearing the 8 garments of a High Priest, it is preferable that the one who was anointed with the anointing oil remain ritually pure. The Talmud explains: As a High Priest anointed with the anointing oil brings the bull brought for all the mitzvot, i.e., if an anointed priest ruled erroneously with regard to a prohibition that if a Jew transgressed it he would be liable to bring a sin-offering, he brings a bull for his sin-offering (see Leviticus 4:3–12), while a High Priest of many garments does not bring a bull.
משוח שעבר ומרובה בגדים — מרובה בגדים עדיף, דמרובה בגדים — עביד עבודה, ואילו משוח שעבר — לאו בר עבודה הוא.
In a case where a former anointed High Priest, i.e., a priest who had temporarily substituted for a High Priest, is walking together with one of many garments, it is preferable that the one who wears many garments remain ritually pure. The reason is that a High Priest of many garments still performs the service, whereas a former anointed High Priest is no longer able to perform the service.
עבר מחמת קירויו ועבר מחמת מומו — עבר מחמת קירויו עדיף, דאילו האי חזי לעבודה למחר, ואילו עבר מחמת מומו לא חזי לעבודה.
In a case where an anointed High Priest who temporarily left his role due to his seminal emission is walking with a former anointed High Priest who left his role due to his blemish, it is preferable that the former High Priest who left due to his seminal emission remain ritually pure, as this one, the High Priest who experienced an emission, is fit for the Temple service the following day, while the former anointed High Priest who left due to his blemish is no longer fit for the service at all (see Leviticus 21:16–24).