Study Yoma folio 7B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
הא אינו נושא אלא עון טומאה שהותרה מכללה בציבור. וקשיא לרב ששת! תנאי היא. דתניא: ציץ, בין שישנו על מצחו בין שאינו על מצחו — מרצה, דברי רבי שמעון.
Apparently, the frontplate gains forgiveness only for the sin of impurity, which was exempted from its general prohibition in cases involving the public. This poses a difficulty to the opinion of Rav Sheshet, who said that the prohibition of impurity is overridden in cases involving the public, as the baraita clearly states that impurity is permitted. The Talmud responds: According to Rav Sheshet, the question of whether the prohibition of impurity is permitted or overridden in cases involving the public is the subject of a dispute between tanna’im, as it was taught in a baraita: The frontplate effects acceptance whether it is on the High Priest’s forehead or whether it is not on the High Priest’s forehead when the offering becomes impure. This is the statement of R' Shimon.
רבי יהודה אומר: עודהו על מצחו — מרצה. אין עודהו על מצחו — אינו מרצה. אמר לו רבי שמעון: כהן גדול ביום הכפורים יוכיח, שאין עודהו על מצחו, ומרצה!
R' Yehuda says: As long as it is on his forehead it effects acceptance; if it is no longer on his forehead it does not effect acceptance. R' Shimon said to R' Yehuda: The case of the High Priest on Yom Kippur can prove that your statement is incorrect, as on Yom Kippur when the High priest wears only 4 linen garments the frontplate is no longer on his forehead, and it still effects acceptance.
אמר לו רבי יהודה: הנח לכהן גדול ביום הכפורים, שטומאה הותרה לו בציבור. מכלל דרבי שמעון סבר טומאה דחויה היא בציבור.
R' Yehuda said to him: Leave the case of the High Priest on Yom Kippur, as the atonement of the frontplate is unnecessary because the prohibition of performing the Temple service in impurity is permitted in cases involving the public. Learn by inference that R' Shimon holds that impurity is overridden in cases involving the public, and that is why the atonement of the frontplate is necessary. The dispute between Rav Sheshet and Rav Naḥman is based on a tannaitic dispute, and the baraita cited above is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda.