Study Yoma folio 30B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
באחולי עבודה קא מיפלגי. לבן זומא, מחיל עבודה. לרבי יהודה לא מחיל עבודה.
It is with regard to whether the Temple service is desecrated and disqualified if the priest failed to immerse before its performance that they disagree. According to the opinion of ben Zoma, this immersion is for the purpose of sanctification and is an integral part of the service; consequently, if the priest failed to immerse he desecrates the service. According to the opinion of R' Yehuda he does not desecrate the service, because the immersion is merely a precautionary measure.
ולבן זומא מי מחיל? והתניא: כהן גדול שלא טבל ולא קידש בין בגד לבגד ובין עבודה לעבודה — עבודתו כשרה. אחד כהן גדול ואחד כהן הדיוט שלא קידש ידיו ורגליו שחרית ועבד עבודה — עבודתו פסולה.
The Talmud wonders: And according to ben Zoma, is the service desecrated? But wasn’t it taught in a baraita: With regard to a High Priest who did not immerse and did not sanctify his hands and feet between donning the golden garments and the white linen garments, and similarly, with regard to a High Priest who did not immerse between performance of one service and another service, his service is valid. However, both a High Priest and a common priest who did not sanctify his hands and feet at all in the morning and performed the service, his service is disqualified. If the High Priest’s failure to immerse between services does not desecrate the service, all the more so that failure to perform the first immersion would not desecrate the service, as ben Zoma derives the first immersion from the immersion of the High Priest. Apparently, that is not the basis of their dispute.
אלא: למיקם בעשה קא מיפלגי. לבן זומא קאי בעשה, לרבי יהודה לא קאי בעשה.
Rather, it is with regard to whether one who fails to immerse before service stands in violation of a positive mitzva that they disagree. According to ben Zoma, he stands in violation of a positive mitzva because there is a special requirement to perform this immersion for the purpose of sanctification. According to R' Yehuda, he does not stand in violation of a positive mitzva.