Yoma 35 a, b

Today's daf includes a number of distinct sections.  The first is the shortest amud (a) I have read since masechet Bereshit.  We learn about the word Parva.  Yesterday we had learned that the High Priest is to enter the Chamber of Parva, a sacred, outdoor chamber, as part of his Yom Kippur ritual.  The rabbis seem to believe that the word Parva refers to a Persian sorcerer.  Perhaps a Zoroastrian priest, the Parva was thought to be eager to watch the High Priest's rituals and so this sorcerer even dug a tunnel beneath the Temple to follow the High Priest.  The importance of fine linen is also discussed in this first amud.

Amud (b) begins with some interesting anecdotes regarding the linen tunic of the High Priest.  This clothing was sacred and only to be worn at specific times; the linen garments themselves had the power to sanctify members of the community.  The Gemara teaches that one rabbi's mother made him a tunic worth a large amount of money, 100 maneh.  Although it was a privately donated garment, the tunic belonged to the community following the High Priest's tasks.  Another rabbi's mother constructed a tunic that was worth 20,000 dinars.  However, it was see-through; his skin could be seen beneath the threads, though the threading was thick.  He was not permitted to wear the tunic.

The daf continues with three stories that demonstrate the importance of learning Torah.  We are told that poverty, wealth, and wickedness cannot be used as impediments to Torah study.  The connection between these two sections is via Elazar Ben Charsum whose mother made the see-through tunic.  His wealth is used as an example.

If asked in the court of Heaven why s/he didn't study more Torah, a person might say that he was too poor to study Torah.  Members of the court will ask if s/he was poorer than Hillel (the elder).  Hillel worked all day for only one-half of a dinar and then gave half of his earnings to his family and the other half to the person guarding the study hall doors.  One Shabbat eve, Hillel had had no work and thus had no money to give to the guard, and so he was turned away from the study hall.  Hillel climbed to the roof and listened at the skylight, hoping to hear words of Torah.  Much later, the rabbis in the hall noticed that the skylight was dark.  Upon the roof they found Hillel covered in three cubits of snow, a rarity in Jerusalem.  They revived him and commented on the importance of breaking Shabbat halachot for saving the life of any man - and especially Hillel.

If asked in the court of Heaven why he didn't study more Torah, a person might say that he was too wealthy to study Torah, as there were too many properties to manage.  Members of the court will ask if s/he was richer than Rabbi Elazar Ben Charsum, who was given one thousand villages.  Rabbi Eleazar travelled from town to town learning Torah; he was not known by his employees.  On one occasion, Rabbi Elazar was brought into service by his own servants.  They told him that they were arresting him in the name of Elazar Ben Charsum.

If asked by the Heavenly Court why s/he didn't study more Torah, a person might say that s/he is too wicked to study Torah - the evil inclination and his/her good looks took up too much energy and time for Torah study.  But is he more attractive than Joseph?  The Gemara tells us that Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph daily with seductive clothing changed morning and evening, with threats of jail time, with physical punishments including that which would bend him and that which would blind him.  She even offers one thousand silver coins.  For each of these, the Gemara tells us that Joseph speaks of G-d's might.  And the Gemara tells us that Joseph chooses not to submit because he knew that if he was with her in this world, he would be with her in the World-to-Come, as well.

Thus we learn that "Hillel obligates the poor, Rabbi Elazar Ben Charsum obligates the wealthy, and Joseph obligates the wicked" to study Torah.  I find it interesting that none of these people are averse to learning Torah.  Hillel craved more learning, as did Rabbi Elazar Ben Charsum.  According to the rabbis, Joseph was not overtly eager to learn Torah.  However, it would seem that he was not interested in intimacy with Potiphar's wife.

None of these examples show us the types of temptation that people typically face today. If Hillel was not interested in studying Torah but he studied nonetheless, his example would be more easily transferable.  Similarly, if Rabbi Elazar wanted to read comic books all day but instead walked from town to town studying Torah, his choices might be more inspiring. And if Joseph wanted to be intimate with Potiphar's wife - if he actually found her attractive - his resistance to temptation might be more motivational.

We end the daf with a new Mishna that describes what should be said when the bull is sacrificed.  Interestingly, the words of this Mishna are very similar to those words of the Kol Nidre prayer, which is still recited today.  I'm looking forward to learning where this is going.