Jerusalem Talmud Yoma 5:2

משנה: הַחִיצוֹנָה פְרוּפָה מִן הַדָּרוֹם וְהַפְּנִימִית מִן הַצָּפוֹן וּמְהַלֵּךְ בֵּינֵיהֶן עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לַצָּפוֹן. הִגִּיעַ לַצָּפוֹן וְהָפַךְ פָּנָיו לַדָּרוֹם הָלַךְ לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ עִם הַפָּרוֹכֶת עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לָאָרוֹן הִגִּיעַ לָאָרוֹן נוֹתֵן אֶת הַמַּחְתָּה בֵּין שְׁנֵי הַבַּדִּים צָבַר אֶת הַקְּטוֹרֶת עַל גַּבֵּי גֶחָלִים וְנִתְמַלֵּא הַבַּיִת עָשָׁן. יָצָא וּבָא לוֹ דֶרֶךְ כְּנִיסָתוֹ. מִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה קְצָרָה וְלֹא הָיָה מַאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לְהַבְעִית אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ MISHNAH: The outer one was tied open from South and the inner one from North. He walks between them until he arrives at the North end. When he arrived at the North end he turns his face to the South; he walks with his left along the gobelin⁴The Holiest of Holies being very dark, he guides his way along the inner gobelin with his left hand in which he holds the cold incense powder. until he arrives at the Ark. When he came to the Ark he puts the fire-pan between the two beams⁵With which the Ark was carried (Ex.25:13–15). For the Second Temple, where there was no Ark, see Mishnah 3., he piles the incense on the coals and the entire House is filled with smoke. He leaves and returns in the way he entered⁶He walks backwards with his face towards the Ark inside the Holiest of Holies and towards the North between the two gobelins.. He prays a short prayer⁷In the main Temple Hall. but not prolonging his prayer so as not to frighten Israel⁸Who might be afraid that something had happened to him..

הלכה: תַּנֵּי. מִן הַמְּנוֹרָה וּלְדָרוֹם הָיָה נִכְנַס. דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי מֵאִיר. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר. מִן הַשּׁוּלְחָן וּלְצָפוֹן הָיָה נִכְנַס. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. מִמִּזְבֵּחַ הַזָּהָב וְלַמְּנוֹרָה הָיָה נִכְנַס. מְהַלֵּךְ בֵּינֵיהֶן עַד שֶׁהוּא מַגִּיעַ לַצָּפוֹן. דּוֹחֵק הָיָה בָאַצִּילֵי יָדָיו כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּֽׁרְפוּ הַפָּרֹכוֹת. הִגִּיעַ לַצָּפוֹן וְהָפַךְ פָּנָיו לַדָּרוֹם. חוֹזֵר הָיָה לַאֲחוֹרָיו כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא נִרְאֶה כְּמַפְסִיעַ בֵּין הַבַּדִּים. כֵּיצַד הוּא עוֹשֶׂה. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. מַנִּיחַ אֶת הַכַּף בָּאָרֶץ וְזוֹרְקְהּ בָּאַוֵּיר וְקוֹלְטָהּ בַמַּחֲתָה. שְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר. בּוֹדְדָהּ בְרַגְלוֹ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. מְעָרֶה מִתּוֹךְ הַכַּף וְהִיא מְתַמֶּרֶת וְעוֹלְה. וְאַחַר כָּךְ הִיא פוֹסָה וְיוֹרֶדֶת. HALAKHAH: ⁶⁴Starting discussion of Mishnah 2. It was stated: He enters South of the candelabrum,⁶⁵Which is standing at the South wall of the Sanctuary, Ex. 40:24, 2.5 cubits from the wall, Tosephta 2:12. the words of Rebbi Meïr; Rebbi Yose says, he enters North of the Table⁶⁶R. Yose admits only one gobelin. The table was at the North wall, Ex. 40:22.. Some Tannaim state, he was entering between the golden altar and the candelabrum⁶⁷Somewhat North of the candelabrum Tosephta 2:12, Babli 51b.. He walks between them until he reaches the North. He pushes with his elbows so that the gobelins should not be burned. When he arrives at the North he turns his face to the South. He retraces his steps lest he be seen as striding between the beams. How does he do it? Rebbi Ḥanina said, he puts the bowl on the ground, throws it in the air and catches it with the fire-pan⁶⁸He and Samuel read the requirement that the High Priest put “his full fistfuls” of incense into the fire that in the Holiest of Holies he also has to use both his hands to put the incense in the fire, which leaves no hand free to hold the cup, forcing an acrobatic feat. Differently Babli 49b.. Samuel said, he pushes it with his hands. Rebbi Joḥanan said, he empties the cup⁶⁹He holds that the biblical requirement is satisfied by using his fists in putting the incense into the cup. Having deposited the fire pan, the High Priest may take the cup into his right hand and empty it into the fire-pan. Opinion not mentioned in the Babli. and it rises straight up, then it expands and descends.

יָצָא וּבָא לֹו כְּדֶרֶךְ כְּנִיסָתוֹ. כְּרִבִּי יֹוסֵה. בְּרַם כְּרִבִּי מֵאִיר אֲפִילוּ בָעֵי לָא יְכִיל. לָמָּה. שֶׁלֹּא יִתֵּן אֲחוֹרָיו לַקּוֹדֶשׁ. “He leaves and returns in the way he entered.” Following Rebbi Yose, but following Rebbi Meïr, even if he wants he cannot do it. Why? Not to have his back turned to the Holiness⁷⁰There is no problem walking backwards according to R. Yose since he simply backs out. But for R. Meïr when he passes back between the gobelins from the North end to the middle he would turn his back towards the Ark, which is a sign of disrespect. Therefore R. Meïr should require that he back out until he is between the gobelins, then go forward until he is close to half way to the South, turn right (West) to face the Ark, and a little later make another 90° turn and walk backwards until he exits into the Temple hall..

כְּתִיב וַיָּבֹ֨א שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה לַבָּמָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־בְּגִבְעוֹן֙ יְרֽוּשָׁלַ֔ם. מָה נָן קַייָמִין. אִם מִירוּשָׁלֵם הָיָה בָא. נֵימַר מִירוּשָׁלֵם לַבָּמָה. אִם מִבָּמָה הָיָה בָא. נֵימַר מִבָּמָה לִירוּשָׁלֵם הָיָה בָא. אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר אֶבְוּדָמָא. לַבָּמָה הָיָה בָא שֶׁלֹּא לִיתֵּן אֲחוֹרָיו לַקּוֹדֶשׁ. It is written⁷¹2Chr. 1:13. In the description of the Chronicler, the Ark was in Jerusalem in a tent erected by David but the Tent of Meeting and Bezalel’s altar were in Gibeon. Since the verse is written at the end of the description of Solomon’s visit to Gibeon, one would have expected “from the high place” מִבָּמָה (as read by LXX, most modern translators, and the Babli 53a), not “to the high place”, לַבָּמָה., Solomon came to the high place in Gibeon to Jerusalem. Where do we hold? If he came from Jerusalem, we should say “from Jerusalem to the high place.” If he came from the high place, we should say, “he came from the high place to Jerusalem.” Rebbi Samuel bar Eudaimon said, he came to the high place not to turn his back to the Holiness⁷²Going to Gibeon from Jerusalem he had his face always turned to face the Ark..

וּמִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִילָּה קְצָרָה בַבַּיִת הַחִיצוֹן. וְכָךְ הָֽיְתָה תְפִילָּתוֹ שֶׁלְכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל בְּיוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים בְצֵאתוֹ בְשָׁלוֹם מִן הַקּוֹדֶשׁ. יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ י״י אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁלֹּא תֵצֵא עָלֵינוּ גָלוּת לֹא בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וְלֹא בַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת. וְאִם יָֽצְאָה עָלֵינוּ גָלוּת בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה אוֹ בַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת תְּהָא גָלוּתֵינוּ לְמָקוֹם שֶׁלְתּוֹרָה. יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ י״י אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא עָלֵינוּ חִסָּרוֹן לֹא בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וְלֹא בַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת. וְאִם יָצָא עָלֵינוּ חִסָּרוֹן בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה אוֹ בַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת יְהֵא חֶסְרוֹנֵינוּ בְחִסָּרוֹן שֶׁלְמִצְווֹת. [יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ וֵאלֹקֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁתְּהֵא הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת שְׁנַת זוֹל. שְׁנַת שׂוֹבַע. שְׁנַת מַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן. שְׁנַת גְּשׁוּמָה וּשְׁחוּנָה וּטְלוּלָה. וְשֶׁלֹּא יִצְטָֽרְכוּ עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵלּוּ לָאֵלּוּ. וְאַל תִּפְנֵה לִתְפִילַּת יוֹצְאֵי דְרָכִים. רַבָּנִן דְּקַסָרִין אָֽמְרִין. וְעַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא יִגְבְּהוּ שְׂרָרָה זוּ עַל גַּב זוּ]. וְעַל אַנְשֵׁי הַשָּׁרוֹן הָיָה אוֹמֵר. יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ י״י אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יֵעָשׂוּ בָתֵּיהֶן קִבְרֵיהֶן. “He prays a short prayer.” And this was the High Priest’s prayer on the Day of Atonement when he left the Holiness in peace: “May it be the will before You, Eternal our God and God of our fathers, that there shall be no exile decreed over us, not today and not this year. But if exile was decreed over us today or this year that our exile be at a place of Torah. May it be the will before You, Eternal our God and God of our fathers, that there shall be no loss decreed over us, not today and not this year. But if loss was decreed over us today or this year that it be loss for good deeds. [May it be the will before You, Eternal our God and God of our fathers, that this year be a year of cheapness, a year of satiety, a year of trade, a year of rains, sunshine, and dew, and that your people Israel should not need one another, and do not turn to the prayer of travellers. The rabbis of Caesarea are saying, and on your people Israel that they not erect dominion one over the other.]⁷³The text in brackets is a corrector’s addition; it is from a source close to Lev. rabba 20(4). Since there, instead of “The rabbis of Caesarea are saying, and on your people Israel that they not erect dominion one over the other” one reads, “the rabbis of Caesarea were saying about our brothers in Caesarea, that they should not be oppressed by officials,” it seems that both the original Yerushalmi text as quite certainly the corrector’s addition (and similarly the Babli’s text in Taˋanit 24b) are not meant to prescribe a prayer text to the High Priest but indicate the text of the High Priest’s prayer in the re-enactment of his service in the Musaf-prayer of the Day of Atonement and describe the political situation in the 4^th Cent. C. E..
The undesirable prayer of travellers is one for absence of rains in the rainy season. And for the people of Sharon he was saying, may it be the will before You, Eternal our God and God of our fathers, that their houses not turn into their graves⁷⁴Their adobe houses are in danger of collapse during the rainy season. In Lev. rabba 20(4) the text reads: “The rabbis of the South (meaning of Lydda) said about our brethren in the Sharon, that their houses should not turn into their graves.” This also is from the Yerushalmi Musaf service.”.

וְלֹא הָיָה מַאֲרִיךְ שֶׁלֹּא לְהַבְעִית אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַעֲשֶׁה בְאֶחָד שֶׁהֶאֱרִיךְ וְגָֽמְרוּ לִהִיכָּנֵס אַחֲרָיו. אָֽמְרוּ. שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. לָמָּה הֶאֱרַכְתָּה. אָמַר לָהֶן. מִתְפַּלֵּל הָיִיתִי עַל מִקְדַּשׁ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם שֶׁלֹּא יֵיחָרֵב. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. אַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא הָיִיתָ צָרִיךְ לְהַאֲרִיךְ. “He was not prolonging his prayer not to frighten Israel.” ⁷⁵Babli 53b It happened that one prolonged and they decided to enter after him⁷⁶To search for his corpse.. One said, it was Simeon the Just. They said to him, why did you prolong? He answered them, I was praying for the Sanctuary of your God that it should not be destroyed. They said to him, nevertheless, you should not have prolonged.

אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שִׁימֵּשׁ שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּכְהוּנָּה גְדוֹלָה. וּבַשָּׁנָה הָאַחֲרוֹנָה אָמַר לָהֶן. בַּשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת אֲנִי מֵת. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. מֵאֵיכַן אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ. אָמַר לָהֶן. כָּל־שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה שֶׁהָיִיתִי נִכְנָס לְבֵית קוֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדָשִׁים הָיָה זָקֵן אֶחָד לְבוּשׁ לְבָנִים וְעָטוּף לְבָנִים נִכְנָס עִמִּי וְיוֹצֵא עָמִּי. וּבַשָּׁנָה הַזּוֹ נִכְנָס עִמִּי וְלֹא יָצָא עִמִּי. בְּעוֹן קוֹמֵי רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ. וְהָכְתִיב וְכָל אָדָ֞ם לֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֣ה ׀ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד בְּבֹא֛וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר בַּקּוֹדֶשׁ עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ. אֲפִילוּ אוֹתָן שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶן וּדְמ֣וּת פְּנֵיהֶם֘ פְּנֵ֣י אָדָם֒ לֹא יִהְיוּ בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. אָמַר לוֹן. מַה אֲמַר לִי דַהֲוָה בַּר נַשׁ. אֲנִי אוֹמֵר. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה. ⁷⁷Babli 39b, Menaḥot109b; Tosephta Sotah 13:8.. The first sentence is quoted in the next Chapter, 6:3. Simeon the Just served Israel as High Priest for forty years, and in the last year he told them, in this year I am going to die. They asked him, from where do you know? He said to them, every year when I entered the Holiest of Holies, an old man dressed in white and his head wrapped in white entered with me and left with me. But this year he entered with me but did not leave with me. ⁷⁸Cf Chapter 1, Notes 220 ff. They asked before Rebbi Abbahu: Is it not written⁷⁹Lev. 16:17., nobody shall be in the Tent of Meeting during his coming to atone in the sanctuary until he leaves, not even those about whom it is written⁸⁰Ez. 1:10., the shapes of their faces are human shapes shall not be in the Tent of Meeting? He answered them, who tells me that it was a person? I am saying that it was the Holy One, praise to Him⁸¹In the apparition known as Shekhina..