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Text Excerpt
שזה פרישתו לקדושה ואחיו הכהנים נוגעין בו, וזה פרישתו לטהרה ואין אחיו הכהנים נוגעין בו. כמאן — או רבי מאיר או רבי יוסי. דאי רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים — הא איכא נמי הא.
that the sequestering of this High Priest prior to Yom Kippur is for the purpose of sanctity, i.e., to ensure that he appreciates the gravity of the occasion and to fill him with reverence in preparation for entering the Holy of Holies. His brothers, the priests, may touch him, as the objective of his sequestering is unrelated to any concern of impurity. In contrast, the sequestering of that priest who burns the heifer is for the purpose of purity, and his brothers, the priests, may not touch him. In accordance with whose opinion is this baraita? It is in accordance with the opinion of either R' Meir or R' Yosei. As, if it were in accordance with the opinion of R' Ḥanina, the deputy High Priest, isn’t there also this difference between the two priests: One sprinkles purification waters on the priest who burns the heifer all 7 days that he is sequestered, whereas one sprinkles purification waters on the High Priest before Yom Kippur only on the third and 7th days?
מתקיף לה רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא: בשלמא ראשון — שמא שלישי. שני — שמא שלישי. שלישי — שמא שלישי. חמישי — שמא שביעי. ששי — שמא שביעי. שביעי — שמא שביעי.
§ R' Yosei, son of R' Ḥanina, strongly objects to the opinion that one sprinkles purification waters on the priest who burns the heifer all 7 days because those days may be the third or 7th day of his impurity. Granted, on the 1st day of the 8 sprinkles the water, as perhaps it is the 3rd day of his impurity; and on the 2nd day of the 8 sprinkles the water, as perhaps it is the 3rd day of his impurity, if he became impure the day before he was sequestered. The same is true for the 3rd day; one sprinkles the water, as perhaps that is the 3rd day of his impurity. By the same token, on the 5th day one sprinkles the water, as perhaps that is the 7th day of his impurity if he became impure two days before he was sequestered. On the 6th day one sprinkles the water, as perhaps that is the 7th day of his impurity if he became impure the day before he was sequestered. On the 7th day one sprinkles the water, as perhaps that is the 7th day of his impurity.