משנה: מִנַּיִין לְפוֹלֶטֶת שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי שֶׁהִיא טְמֵאָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הֱיוּ נְכוֹנִים לִשְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים אַל תִּגְשׁוּ אֶל אִשָּׁה. מִנַּיִין שֶׁמַּרְחִיצִין אֶת הַקָּטָן בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בַּשַּׁבָּת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיוֹתָם כֹּאֲבִים. מִנַּיִין שֶׁקּוֹשְׁרִים לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל זְהוֹרִית בְּרֹאשׁ שָׂעִיר הַמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ וגו׳: MISHNAH: From where that one8Human semen is impure (Lev. 15:16–17 and sexual intercourse makes impure, v. 18. Semen which no longer can fertilize is not impure. The question is how long after intercourse must one suspect that semen released by the female still produces impurity? The answer which is given here states that semen may stay alive inside the woman’s body for three days. who loses semen on the third day is impure? For it is said9Ex. 19:15., be prepared for three days, do not touch a woman. From where that one washes10A male baby on the third day after circumcision with warm water, heated for the purpose even on the Sabbath, because it is a medical necessity. The entire series of deductions from Scripture is introduced here because of this rule of the Sabbath. a baby on the third day if it falls on a Sabbath? For it is said11Gen. 34:25., it was on the third day when they hurt. From where that one ties a crimson band to the head of the scapegoat12Mishnah Yoma 4:2 requires that a crimson band be tied to the horns of the goat sent to the cliff.? For it is said13Is. 1:18., if your sins were like scarlet they will be snow white, etc.
הלכה: ג׳. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. מִסִּינַי לָֽמְדוּ. יָרַד מֹשֶׁה בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי בַשַּׁבָּת. אָמַר לָהֶן. הֱי֥וּ נְכוֹנִים לִשְׁל֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים אַֽל־תִּגְּשׁ֖וּ אֶל־אִשָּֽׁה׃ כָּל־מִי שֶׁפִּירֵשׁ בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי. יֵשׁ כָּאן (שְׁלִישִׁי) לֵיל רְבִיעִי וּרְבִיעִי לֵיל חֲמִישִּׁי וַחֲמִישִּׂי. בַּשִּׁישִׁי פָּֽלְטָה בַלַּיְלָה טְמֵאָה בַיּוֹם טְהוֹרָה. כָּל־מִי שֶׁפִּירֵשׁ בָּֽרְבִיעִי. יֵשׁ כָּאן רְבִיעִי לֵיל חֲמִישִּׁי וַחֲמִישִּׂי. בַּשִּׁישִׁי פָּֽלְטָה בַלַּיְלָה טְמֵאָה בַיּוֹם טְהוֹרָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. זוֹ בְסִינַי. אֲבָל לְדוֹרוֹת אוֹ בְאַרְבַּע אוֹ בְשֵׁשׁ. רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר. לְעוֹלָם הֵן חָמֵשׁ. וְכֵן לְדוֹרוֹת. HALAKHAH: 3. 88Here starts discussion of Mishnah 3, although the reference is not to the statement of R. Aqiba in that Mishnah but to Mishnah Miqwaot 8:3, quoted in the next paragraph, to which the present is an introduction. Rebbi Joḥanan said, they learned from Sinai89The rules of impurity of semen lost by a woman days after intercourse are derived from Ex. 19.. Moses came down on the third day of the week90Tuesday. In this interpretation there were three days of preparation and the revelation on Sinai took place on the Sabbath. If one deletes “of the week”, the reference is to the day of the Month. and told them, be prepared for three days, do not approach a woman91Ex. 19:15.. For any one who separated on the third day, there is (the third)92This word was written by the scribe, then (wrongly) deleted by the corrector, and therefore missing in the printed editions., the night of the fourth, and the fourth, the night of the fifth, and the fifth. On the sixth, if she ejected in the night she was impure, during the day pure93The times elapsed in the matter of women’s purity are always counted in “terms” of 12 hours each. If a woman had sex in the night from Monday to Tuesday, then six terms have elapsed by Friday, and she can purify herself in a miqweh without problems.. For any one who separated on the fourth day, there is the fourth, the night of the fifth, and the fifth. On the sixth, if she ejected in the night she was impure, during the day pure94In this case, four terms have elapsed, as stated as possibility by R. Ismael in Mishnah Miqwaot 8:3.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, this was on Sinai. But for future generations either four or six95Mishnah Miqwaot 8:3.; Rebbi Aqiba says, forever there are five, also for future generations.
תַּמָּן תַּנִּינָן. הַפּוֹלֶטֶת שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי טְהוֹרָה. דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה. רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר. פְּעָמִים שֶׁהֵן אַרְבַּע עוֹנוֹת. פְּעָמִים שֶׁהֵן חָמֵשׁ. פְּעָמִים שֶׁהֵן שֵׁשׁ. רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר. לְעוֹלָם הֵן חָמֵשׁ: אִם יָצָאת מִקְצַת עוֹנָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה מַשְׁלִימִין לָהּ מִקְצַת עוֹנָה שִׁשִּׁית. הָא רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל עֲבַד יוֹם עוֹנָה וְלַיְלָה עוֹנָה. רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה עֲבַד יוֹם עוֹנָה וְלַיְלָה עוֹנָה. מַה בֵינֵיהוֹן. עוֹנוֹת שְׁלֵימוֹת בֵּינֵיהוֹן. רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל עֲבַד מִקְצַת עוֹנָה כְכוּלָּהּ. וְרִבִּי עֲקִיבָה לָא עֲבַד מִקְצַת עוֹנָה כְכוּלָּהּ. וְתַנֵּי כֵן עַל דְּרִבִּי עֲקִיבָה. לְפִיכָךְ אִם נִכְנְסָה מִקְצַת עוֹנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה מַשְׁלִימִין לָהּ מִקְצַת עוֹנָה שִׁשִּׁית. תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אוֹמֵר. יוֹם וְלַיְלָה עוֹנָה. וּמִקְצַת עוֹנָה כְכוּלָּהּ. וְתַנֵּי כֵן עַל דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה. פְּעָמִים יֵשׁ שָׁם יוֹם וְכָל־שֶׁהוּא וְהִיא טְהוֹרָה. שְׁנֵי יָמִים וְחָסֵר כָּל־שֶׁהוּא וְהִיא טְמֵיאָה. יוֹם וְכָל־שֶׁהוּא וְהִיא טְהוֹרָה הֵיךְ עֲבִידָא. שִׁימְּשָׁה אֶת בֵּיִתָהּ עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת קוֹדֶם לִשְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה וּפָֽלְטָה בְמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת לְאַחַר שְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה. הֲרֵי יֵשׁ כָּאן יוֹם וְכָל־שֶׁהוּא וְהִיא טְהוֹרָה. שְׁנֵי יָמִים וְחָסֵר כָּל־שֶׁהוּא וְהִיא טְמֵיאָה הֵיךְ עֲבִידָה. שִׁימְּשָׁה אֶת בֵּיתָהּ עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְאַחַר שְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה וּפָֽלְטָה בְאֶחָד בַּשַּׁבָּת קוֹדֶם לִשְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה. הֲרֵי יֵשׁ כָּאן שְׁנֵי יָמִים חָסֵר כָּל־שֶׁהוּא וְהִיא טְמֵיאָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. מִדִּבְרֵי כולָּם. טְבוּלֵי יוֹם קִיבְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. הָדָא דְאַתְּ אָמַר בַּנָּשִׁים. אֲבָל בָּאֲנָשִׁים כְּבָר טִהֲרוּ. מַה טַעַם. וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ם הַיּ֖וֹם וּמָחָ֑ר וְכִבְּס֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָֽם: אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. זוֹ דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה וְרִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְרִבִּי עֲקִיבָה. אֲבָל דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים. עַד שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים. מִיכָּן וָהֵילַךְ הִיא נִסְרַחַת. וְאַתְיָא כְּהַהִיא דְאָמַר רִבִּי זְעוּרָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. זֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הַזָּ֑ב וַֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר תֵּצֵ֥א מִמֶּ֛נּוּ שִׁכְבַת־זֶרַ֖ע. מַה תּוֹרַת הַזָּב עַד שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים. אַף תּוֹרַת שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע עַד שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים. There96Mishnah Miqwaot 8:3., we have stated: “One who loses semen8Human semen is impure (Lev. 15:16–17 and sexual intercourse makes impure, v. 18. Semen which no longer can fertilize is not impure. The question is how long after intercourse must one suspect that semen released by the female still produces impurity? The answer which is given here states that semen may stay alive inside the woman’s body for three days. on the third day is pure, the words of Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah97As explained later in the Halakhah, he strictly goes by the count of days, not measuring the time elapsed.. Rebbi Ismael says, sometimes they are four terms, sometimes they are five, sometimes they are six98He essentially accepts R. Eleazar ben Azariah’s interpretation; only he quantifies it in “terms”. A term is either a night, from sundown to sunrise, or a day, from sunrise to sundown. Six terms are required if the woman had intercourse at sundown or sunrise, when it is not clear whether ejaculation occurred before or after the start of a new term.. Rebbi Aqiba says, always they are five99In fact he always requires 60 hours elapsed after ejaculation.. If part of the first term had elapsed, one completes it by the sixth term100This sentence is not in the Mishnah mss., but since it also is quoted in the Babli 86a as appendix to this Mishnah and clarifies the statement of R. Aqiba, it should be considered part of the Mishnah..” Therefore Rebbi Ismael makes the day one term and the night one term; Rebbi Aqiba makes the day one term and the night one term. In what do they differ? They differ in complete terms. Rebbi Ismael treats part of a term like the whole, but Rebbi Aqiba does not treat part of a term like the whole. It was stated so about Rebbi Aqiba: “Therefore if part of the first term had elapsed, one completes it by the sixth term”101In order to complete the 60 hrs. required by R. Aqiba. The computation of R. Ismael is the same as that of R. Eleazar ben Azariah explained in the sequel.. It was stated: Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah says, day and night each are a term, and part of a term is like the whole. It was stated so about Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah: Sometimes after slightly more than a day she is pure; sometimes after slightly less than two days she is impure. How does it happen that after slightly more than a day she is pure? She had intercourse Friday afternoon before sundown and lost Saturday night after nightfall; there is slightly more than a day she is pure102For R. Eleazar ben Azariah the day of intercourse is day 1; she is pure if she loses some semen on day 3. The day starts at sundown. Let ε be a small fraction. If she had intercourse ε hours before sundown and then lost semen the next evening ε hours after sundown it already is the third day and she is pure after 24+2 ε hours.. How does it happen that after slightly less than two days she is impure? She had intercourse Friday night after sundown and lost Sunday night before nightfall; there is slightly less than two days she is impure103If she had intercourse ε hours after sundown then the next 24 - ε still are day 1; if she loses semen ε hours before the end of day 2 she still is impure even though 48 – 2ε hrs. have elapsed.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, from the words of all of them, Israel received the Torah as immersed on the same day104Babli 86b. For profane matters, a person either is pure or impure. But for sancta, the purification occurs in two stages. Impurity is removed by immersion in a miqweh but purity is acquired only at sundown (Lev. 22:6–7). In the meantime, the ṭevul yom person does not contaminate anything by his touch but is not permitted any sanctified food (cf. Berakhot 1:1 Note 3).. That is, the women; but the men already were purified. What is the reason? Sanctify them today and tomorrow and let them wash their garments105Ex. 19:10. A man may immerse himself immediately after intercourse and become completely pure after the next sundown.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, these are the words of Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah, and Rebbi Ismael, and Rebbi Aqiba. But the word of the Sages is, up to three days; after that it decayed. This parallels what Rebbi Zeˋira said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: This are the instructions for the sufferer from gonorrhea and from whom semen is ejaculated106Lev. 15:32.. Since the instructions of the sufferer from gonorrhea are based on three days107A sufferer from gonorrhea is impure, but he becomes severely impure requiring purification in flowing water only if he had three emissions within a three-day period (Mishnah Zavim 1:1)., also the instructions for semen are up to three days108Babli 86b. While the day of intercourse is counted as day 1, the woman does not become impure by losing semen only on day 4. The derivation of these laws from Sinai is rejected since before the theophany at Sinai the people were not obligated to follow the rules promulgated there.
Here starts a Genizah fragment edited by L. Ginzberg (p. 87–88), G..
אֲנָן תַּנִּינָן. מַרְחִיצִין אֶת הַקָּטָן. תַּנֵּיי דְבֵית רַב. מַרְחִיצִין אֶת הַמִּילָה. רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. הֲלָכָה כְּמִי שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר. מַרְחִיצִין אֶת הַקָּטָן. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵה. עַל כּוֹרְחָךְ אַתְּ אוֹמֵר. מַרְחִיצִין אֶת הַקָּטָן. תַּנֵּי שְׁמוּאֵל. לְעוֹלָם אֵין מוֹנְעִין לֹא שֶׁמֶן וְלֹא חַמִּין מֵעַל גַּבֵּי מַכָּה בַשַּׁבָּת. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵה. כָּל־שָׁעָה הֲוָה רִבִּי זְעִירָא רִבִּי אוֹמֵר לִי. תְּנִי מַתְנִיתָךְ. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁמְזַלְּפִין חַמִּים עַל גַּבֵּי מַכָּה בַשַּׁבָּת. אִם אוֹמֵר שֶׁמַּרְחִיצִין אֶת הַמִּילָה. מַה בֵּין מַכָּתוֹ שֶׁלְּגָדוֹל לְמַכָּתוֹ שֶׁלְּקָטָן. 109This paragraph and the next really are not about Mishnah 9:3 but Mishnah 19:3, which is quoted in the first sentence. The text there was omitted by the scribe and added by the corrector, whose text (19) seems to be a copy of the text here, only slightly careless at the end. In addition to G, there also is a slightly enlarged version in Gen. rabba 80(8), on Gen. 43:25. We have stated: “One washes the baby.” It was stated in the House of (Rav) [Rebbi]110The text in (parentheses) is from the ms., the one in [brackets] from G and 19 seems to be the correct one; cf. Tosephta 15:4.: “One washes the circumcision.”111But not the entire body of a newly circumcised baby. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Practice follows him who says, “one washes the baby”112Babli 134b.. Rebbi Yose said, you are forced to say, one washes the baby. 113All this is R. Yose’s argument that in Mishnah 19:3 one must state “the baby” since for “the circumcision” the statement would be superfluous. Samuel stated, one never witholds either oil or warm water from a wound on the Sabbath. Rebbi Yose said, my teacher Rebbi Zeˋira always was saying to me, state in your Mishnah, not only this but one sprinkles warm water on a wound on the Sabbath. If you are saying, “one washes the circumcision”, what is the difference between an adult and a baby?
רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה. רִבִּי אַבִּין בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ. טַעֲמָא דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה. וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֣ם כּוֹאֲבִים. בִּהְיוֹתוֹ כוֹאֵב אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן. אֶלָּא בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֣ם כּוֹאֲבִים. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁכָּל־אֵיבָרֵיהֶם כּוֹאֲבִים עֲלֵיהֶם. רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אָחָא אָמַר. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן מְפַקְּדִין לַחַייָתָא. כָּל־שִׁיקּוּיִין דְּאַתּוּן עָֽבְדִין בְחוֹלָא עָֽבְדִין בְּשׁוּבְתָא. לָכֵן צְרִיכָה. אֲפִילוּ בַיּוֹם הְשְּׁלִישִׁי שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בַּשַּׁבָּת. שְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר. מִפְּנֵי הַסַּכָּנָה. רִבִּי יוֹסֵה בָעֵי. אִם מִפְּנֵי סַכָּנָה מְחַמִּין לוֹ חַמִּין. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי בּוּן בְשֵׁם רַבָּנִן תַּמָּן. מְחַמִּין לוֹ חַמִּין בַּשַּׁבָּת. וְתַנֵּי כֵן. מְחַמֵּם הוּא אָדָם לוּנְטִית וְנוֹתְנָהּ עַל גַּבֵּי מַכָּה בַשַּׁבָּת. לֹא יִטּוֹל אָדָם עֲרִיבָה מְלֵיאָה חַמִּין וְיִתְּנֶינָּה עַל גַּבֵּי מֵעָיו בַּשַּׁבָּת. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר. לֵית כָּאן אֶלָּא מוֹתָּר. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Eleazar. Practice follows Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah114Who states in Mishnah 19:3 that on the third day after circumcision the boy is considered in mortal danger and therefore everything necessary for his care must be done on the Sabbath. Babli 134b.. Rebbi Abbin in the name of Rebbi Abbahu, the reason of Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah: it was on the third day when they hurt11Gen. 34:25.. It does not say, “when it hurt”, but when they hurt, at a time when all their limbs hurt them. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa said, Rebbi Eleazar and Rebbi Joḥanan ordered for the women having newborns, that all treatments which you give on a weekday should be given on the Sabbath. This is necessary for the case that the third day falls on a Sabbath. Samuel said, because of the danger. Rebbi Yose asked, if it is because of the danger one heats hot water for him115If there is danger one has to do everything necessary; there seems to be no need to single out heating water.! Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of the rabbis there: One heats hot water for him. And it was stated thus: A person heats a linen cloth and puts it on (a wound) (his belly)116The first version is that of the ms. and Gen. r.; G has a lacuna at this place. The second version is that of 19 and the Babli (40b). on the Sabbath117Tosephta 3:7.. A person may not take a bottle full of hot water and put it on his belly on the Sabbath. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, on the contrary it is permitted.118Babli 40b.
בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ קוֹשְׁרִין אוֹתוֹ בַחֲלוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם. וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁהָיָה מַלְבִּין וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶם שֶׁהָיָה מַאֲדִים. וְהָיוּ מִתָבַּייְשִׁין אֵילּוּ מֵאֵילּוּ. חָֽזְרוּ לִהְיוֹת קוֹשְׁרִים אוֹתוֹ בְפִתָחוֹ שֶׁלְהֵיכָל. וְיֵשׁ שָׁנִים שֶׁהָיָה מַלְבִּין וְיֵשׁ שָׁנִים שֶׁהָיָה מַאֲדִים. חָֽזְרוּ וְקָשְׁרוּ אוֹתוֹ בַסֶּלַע. 119This is the discussion of the last part of Mishnah 3, the crimson band which was tied to the head of the scapegoat, or, as noted in Mishnah Yoma 6:6, half of which was tied to the cliff from which the scapegoat was pushed down. The first paragraph is a baraita also reproduced in the Babli, Yoma 67a, Roš Haššanah 31b. Both paragraphs are copied (the second incompletely) in Yoma 6:5 (ו). Originally they were tying it to their windows; some of them were turning white and some turning red; these were ashamed in front of the others. They changed and tied it to the door of the Sanctuary. Some years it was turning white, in others turning red. They changed and tied it to the rock.
כְּתִיב לְכוּ־נָ֛א וְנִוָּֽכְחָה֭ יֹאמַ֣ר יְי וגו׳. תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר. אִם־יִֽהְי֙וּ חֲטָֽאֵיכֶ֤ם כַּשָּׁנִים֙ וגו׳. כַּשָּׁנִים שֶׁבֵּין שָׁמַיִם לָאָרֶץ. כַּשֶּׁ֣לֶג יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ. יֶתֶר מִיכֵּן כַּצֶּ֥מֶר יִהְיֽוּ׃ רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר. אִם־יִֽהְי֙וּ חֲטָֽאֵיכֶ֤ם כַּשָּׁנִים֙. כִּשְׁנֵי אָבוֹת. כַּשֶּׁ֣לֶג יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ. יֶותֶר מִיכֵּן כַּצֶּ֥מֶר יִהְיֽוּ׃ אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן בַּר פָּזִי. אִם־יִֽהְי֙וּ חֲטָֽאֵיכֶ֤ם כַּשָּׁנִים֙ כַּשֶּׁ֣לֶג יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ. בָרִאשׁוֹן. וְאִם יַאְדִּ֥ימוּ כַתּוֹלָע֭ כַּצֶּ֥מֶר יִהְיֽוּ׃ בַּשֵּׁינִי. וְרַבָּנִן אָֽמְרֵי. אִם יִהְיוּ חַטָּאָיו שֶׁלְּאָדָם כְּפִי שָׁנָיו. כַּשֶּׁ֣לֶג יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ. יֶתֶר מִיכֵּן כַּצֶּ֥מֶר יִהְיֽוּ׃ אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן עַנְתֹדְרַייָא. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעֲווֹנוֹת קַלִּין כַּשֶּׁ֣לֶג יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהֵן כְּבֵידִין כַּצֶּ֥מֶר יִהְיֽוּ׃ It is written13Is. 1:18., let us go and argue, says the Eternal, etc. It was stated, Rebbi Eliezer said, If your sins were like years120The plural שָׁנִים is derived from שָׁנָה “year”, not from שָׁנִי “scarlet”. For the other occurrence in Prov. 31:21, Midrash Mishle (ed. S. Buber, p. 110, Note ל) reads the word as שְׁנַיִם “two, double”. The only rabbinic source which recognizes שָׁנִים as “scarlet” is in Midrash Mishle (loc. cit. p. 112)., etc., like the years from Heaven to Earth121The numbers given by RR. Eliezer and R. Joshua are identical, 500. Cf. Berakhot 1:1, Note 83., they will be snow white; more than that, they shall be like wool. Rebbi Joshua said, if your sins were like years, like the years of the patriarchs, they will be snow white; more than that, they shall be like wool. Rebbi Yudan bar Pazi said, If your sins were like years they will be snow white, the first time, if they were like purple they shall be like wool, the second time. But the rabbis said, If the sins of a person are like his years, they will be snow white; more than that, they shall be like wool. Rebbi Yudan Antordiyya said, at a time when a person’s sins are light, they will be snow white; at a time when they are serious, they shall be like wool.