Study Yoma folio 37B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אמר אביי: בידות סכינין. מיתיבי: אף הוא עשה כני כלים, ואוגני כלים, וידות כלים, וידות סכינין של יום הכפורים של זהב. תרגמה אביי: בקתתא דנרגי וחציני.
Abaye said: Although gold is not suitable for knife blades, as it is too soft for use in slaughter, the Mishnah is referring to knife handles. The Talmud raises an objection from a different baraita: King Munbaz also made the bases of vessels, the grips of vessels, the handles of vessels, and the handles of knives of Yom Kippur of gold. Apparently, knives are not categorized as vessels; therefore, the handles of the Yom Kippur vessels that Munbaz donated were not knife handles. The Talmud answers: Abaye interpreted that Munbaz donated gold for the handles of axes and hatchets. The blades of these implements cannot be made of gold; rather, like knives, they require stronger material.
הילני אמו עשתה נברשת של זהב וכו׳. תנא: בשעה שהחמה זורחת ניצוצות יוצאין ממנה, והכל יודעין שהגיע זמן קריאת שמע.
§ The Mishnah continues: Queen Helene, his mother, fashioned a decorative gold chandelier above the entrance of the Sanctuary. It was taught in a Mishnah: When the sun rose, sparks of light would emanate from the chandelier, which was polished, and everyone knew that the time to recite Shema had arrived. The ideal time to recite Shema is at the moment of sunrise.
מיתיבי: הקורא את שמע שחרית עם אנשי משמר, ואנשי מעמד — לא יצא, מפני שאנשי משמר משכימין ואנשי מעמד מאחרים! אמר אביי: לשאר עמא דבירושלם.
The Talmud raises an objection: One who recites Shema in the morning with the men of the priestly watch, who served in the Temple during a given week, or with the men of the non-priestly watch, designated groups of Israelites who accompanied the priestly watch to Jerusalem that week, did not fulfill his obligation. That is because the men of the priestly watch recite Shema too early so that they will have sufficient time to perform the Temple service, and the men of the non-priestly watch, who recite lengthy prayers and stand over the daily morning offering when it is sacrificed, postpone reciting Shema. For whom, then, did the emanating sparks signal the time to recite Shema? Abaye said: It was an indicator for the rest of the people in Jerusalem, who recited Shema at the appropriate time to recite Shema.