Study Yoma folio 5A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אמר רב יוסף: סמיכה איכא בינייהו. למאן דאמר כל הכתוב בהן מעכב בהן — סמיכה מעכבא, למאן דאמר דבר שאין מעכב לדורות אין מעכב בהן — סמיכה לא מעכבא.
Rav Yosef said: The practical difference between them relates to the question of placing hands on the head of an animal brought as an offering. According to the one who said: Failure to perform all the details that are written in its regard, including details that do not invalidate offerings throughout the generations, invalidates the inauguration, failure to perform the placing of hands on the head of the animal also invalidates the inauguration. According to the one who said: A matter that does not invalidate offerings throughout the generations does not invalidate the inauguration, failure to perform the placing of hands on the head of the animal does not invalidate the inauguration.
ולדורות מנא לן דלא מעכבא? דתניא: ״וסמך״ ״ונרצה״. וכי סמיכה מכפרת? והלא אין כפרה אלא בדם, שנאמר: ״כי הדם הוא בנפש יכפר״!
And with regard to the halakhot of offerings that apply throughout the generations the Talmud asks: From where do we derive that failure to place hands on the head of the animal does not invalidate the offering? The Talmud answers: As it was taught in a baraita that the verse states: “And he should place his hand on the head of the burnt-offering, and it should be accepted for him to atone on his behalf” (Leviticus 1:4). Does the placing of hands atone for one’s sins? Isn’t atonement accomplished only by the sprinkling of the blood, as it is stated: “For it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life” (Leviticus 17:11)?
ומה תלמוד לומר ״וסמך״ ״ונרצה״? שאם עשאה לסמיכה שירי מצוה — מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו לא כפר, וכפר!
And for what purpose, then, does the verse state: “And he should place…and it should be accepted”? It teaches that if one deemed the ritual of placing hands to be a peripheral aspect of the mitzva and consequently failed to perform it, the verse ascribes to him status as though he did not achieve optimal atonement; and nevertheless, the offering atones for his sins. Apparently, failure to lay hands on the head of the offering does not invalidate the offering throughout the generations, as atonement can be achieved without it. Nevertheless, according to the opinion of R' Yoḥanan, failure to lay hands on the offering invalidates the offerings brought during the inauguration.