Study Yoma folio 66A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ואם נתעברה — נתעברה למוכר. התינח שעיר, פר מאי איכא למימר? גזירה פר אטו שעיר.
And if the year was extended and made into a leap year, it is extended for the benefit of the seller, and according to the rabbis he has an additional month in which to redeem his house. The Talmud asks: This works out well with regard to the goat, but with regard to the bull, what is there to say? The bull remains valid even if it is more than a year old. The Talmud answers: There is a rabbinic decree with regard to the bull due to the goat.
ומשום גזירה ימות?! ועוד, חטאת שעברה שנתה — לרעיה אזלא! דאמר ריש לקיש: חטאת שעברה שנתה, רואין אותה כאילו היא עומדת בבית הקברות ורועה.
The Talmud asks: Is it right that due to a rabbinic decree the offerings should be left to die instead of being left to graze? And furthermore, a sin-offering whose year has passed is not left to die but rather goes to graze. As Reish Lakish said: We consider a sin-offering whose year has passed as though it stands in a cemetery, and the priest cannot take it out in order to sacrifice it because he is not permitted to become ritually defiled. Therefore, it grazes until it becomes unfit and is then sold.
אלא אמר רבא: גזירה משום תקלה. אין מקדישין, ואין מעריכין, ואין מחרימין בזמן הזה.
Rather, Rava said: The bull and goat of Yom Kippur may not be left from one year to the next by rabbinic decree due to a concern that a mishap may occur. As it was taught in a baraita: One may neither consecrate objects, nor valuate, i.e., take a vow to donate one’s value to the Temple treasury, nor dedicate items for sacred use at this time, when the Temple no longer exists.