Yoma 77

שם מושב סמל הקנאה המקנה ויבא אותי אל חצר בית ה׳ הפנימית והנה פתח היכל ה׳ בין האולם ובין המזבח כעשרים וחמשה איש אחוריהם אל היכל ה׳ ופניהם קדמה והמה משתחוים קדמה לשמש ממשמע שנאמר ופניהם קדמה איני יודע שאחוריהם אל היכל ה׳ אלא מה תלמוד לומר אחוריהם אל היכל ה׳ מלמד שהיו פורעין עצמן והיו מתריזין כלפי מטה

there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes jealousy” (Ezekiel 8:3). “And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s House, and behold at the opening of the Entrance Hall of the Sanctuary of God, between the porch and the altar were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun toward the east” (Ezekiel 8:16). The Gemara explains: From the fact that it is stated “and their faces toward the east,” is it not clear that their backs were to the Sanctuary, which is in the west? Rather, what is the meaning when the verse states “their backs toward the Temple of the Lord”? This teaches that they would uncover themselves and defecate downward, toward the Divine Presence. The verse used a euphemism to refrain from vulgar language.

אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא למיכאל מיכאל סרחה אומתך אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם דיו לטובים שבהם אמר לו אני שורף אותם ולטובים שבהם מיד ויאמר (לאיש) לבוש הבדים ויאמר בוא אל בינות לגלגל אל תחת לכרוב ומלא חפניך גחלי אש מבינות לכרובים וזרוק על העיר ויבא לעיני מיד וישלח הכרוב את ידו מבינות לכרובים אל האש אשר בינות הכרובים וישא ויתן אל חפני לבוש הבדים ויקח ויצא

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Michael, the ministering angel of the Jewish people: Michael, your nation has sinned (see Daniel 10:21). He replied: Master of the Universe, may it be enough for the good people among them to save them from destruction. He said to him: I will burn them and the good among them because the good do not rebuke the wicked. Immediately, God spoke to Gabriel: “He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said: Go in between the wheelwork and beneath the cherub, and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubs, and scatter them over the city; and he came before my eyes” (Ezekiel 10:2). Immediately: “And the cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubs into the fire that was between the cherubs, and took and put it into the hands of him that was clothed in linen, who took it and went out” (Ezekiel 10:7).

אמר רב חנא בר ביזנא אמר רבי שמעון חסידא אילמלא לא נצטננו גחלים מידו של כרוב לידו של גבריאל לא נשתיירו משונאיהן של ישראל שריד ופליט

Rav Ḥana bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said: If it were not for the fact that the embers cooled as they were passed from the hand of the cherub to the hand of Gabriel, instead of Gabriel taking the embers directly himself as he had been told, not a remnant or a refugee of the enemies of the Jewish people, a euphemism for the Jewish people themselves, would have survived. The cooling of the embers limited the punishment.

וכתיב והנה האיש לבוש הבדים אשר הקסת במתניו משיב דבר לאמר עשיתי כאשר צויתני אמר רבי יוחנן באותה שעה הוציאו לגבריאל מאחורי הפרגוד ומחיוהו שיתין פולסי דנורא אמרו ליה אי לא עבדת לא עבדת אי עבדת אמאי לא עבדת כדפקדוך ועוד דעבדת לית לך אין משיבין על הקלקלה

The Gemara continues. And it is written: “And behold, the man clothed in linen with the slate by his side, reported the matter saying: I have done as You have commanded me” (Ezekiel 9:11). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: At that moment, they cast out Gabriel from behind the curtain [pargod], where the inner angels reside, and they struck him with sixty blows [pulsei] of fire. They said to him: If you did not do it, you did not do it; if you did do it, why did you not do it according to what you were commanded but deviated from what you were instructed to do? Moreover, after you already did it, do you not have knowledge of the principle: One should not deliver a report about destruction? If one is sent on a mission of destruction, he should not deliver a detailed report of its success but should only hint at it.

אייתוה לדוביאל שרא דפרסאי ואוקמיה בחריקיה ושמש עשרים ואחד יום היינו דכתיב ושר מלכות פרס עומד לנגדי עשרים ואחד יום והנה מיכאל אחד השרים הראשונים בא לעזרני ואני נותרתי שם אצל מלכי פרס יהבו ליה עשרין וחד מלכי ופרוותא דמשהיג

They then brought Dubiel, the ministering angel of the Persians and put him in the place of [baḥarikei] Gabriel and he served for twenty-one days. As it is written: “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia stood opposed to me for twenty-one days, but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me and I remained there beside the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:13). Corresponding to those twenty-one days, they gave him, the ministering angel of Persia, twenty-one kings who ruled and the seaport of Mashhig.

אמר כתיבו לי לישראל באכרגא כתבו ליה כתיבו לי רבנן באכרגא כתבו ליה בעידנא דבעו למיחתם עמד גבריאל מאחורי הפרגוד ואמר שוא לכם משכימי קום מאחרי שבת אוכלי לחם העצבים כן יתן לידידו שנא מאי כן יתן לידידו שנא אמר רבי יצחק אלו נשותיהן של תלמידי חכמים שמנדדות שינה בעולם הזה וזוכות לעולם הבא ולא השגיחו עליו

The ministering angel of the Persians said: Write for me that the Jews must pay taxes [akarga] to the Persians. They wrote it for him as he asked. He said: Write for me that the Sages must pay taxes. They wrote this for him. When they wanted to sign the documents, Gabriel stood from behind the curtain and said: “It is vain for you who rise early who sit up late to eat the bread of sorrow, for He gives His beloved sleep” (Psalms 127:2). What does “for He gives His beloved sleep” mean? Rav Yitzḥak said: These are the wives of Torah scholars who disturb their sleep in this world by staying up waiting for their husbands, who rise early and return late from learning Torah, and they thereby merit the World-to-Come. Gabriel asked: Is this the reward they deserve, to pay more taxes? They did not listen to Gabriel.

אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם אם יהיו כל חכמי אומות העולם בכף מאזנים ודניאל איש חמודות בכף שניה לא נמצא מכריע את כולם אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא מי הוא זה שמלמד זכות על בני אמרו לפניו רבונו של עולם גבריאל אמר להם יבא שנאמר ואני באתי בדבריך אמר להו ליעול אעיילוהו

He said before Him: Master of the Universe, if all the wise men of other nations were placed on one side of the scale, and Daniel the beloved man were on the other side, would he not outweigh them? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Who is the one who teaches the virtue of My children? They said to Him: Master of the Universe, it is Gabriel. He said to them: Let him come from behind the partition, as it is stated: “And I have come due to your words” (Daniel 10:12), meaning that Gabriel was permitted to enter from behind the partition because he mentioned Daniel’s name. God then said to the other angels: Let him ascend. They brought him up.

אתא אשכחיה לדוביאל דנקט ליה לאיגרתיה בידיה בעא למרמא מיניה בלעה איכא דאמרי מיכתב הוה כתיבא מיחתם לא הוי חתמא איכא דאמרי אף מיחתם נמי הוה חתמא כדבלעיה מחיק לה מיניה היינו דבמלכותא דפרס איכא דיהיב כרגא ואיכא דלא יהיב כרגא ואני יוצא והנה שר יון בא עוי עוי וליכא דאשגח ביה

He came and found Dubiel the ministering angel of the Persians holding the letter in his hand. Gabriel wanted to take the letter from him, but Dubiel swallowed it. Some say the letter was written, but it was not signed. Some say it was also signed, but when he swallowed it, the signature was erased. The Gemara comments: This is why, in the kingdom of Persia, there are those who pay taxes and there are those who do not pay taxes, as the decree was not finalized. It also states there: “And when I depart from him, the prince of Greece comes” (Daniel 10:20). Gabriel screamed and screamed that the kings of Greece should not rule over the Jews, but no one listened to him.

ואי בעית אימא רחיצה דאיקרי ענוי מנא לן מהכא דכתיב ולאביתר הכהן אמר המלך ענתות לך על שדך כי איש מות אתה וביום הזה לא אמיתך כי נשאת [את] ארון ה׳ לפני דוד אבי וכי התענית בכל אשר התענה אבי וכתיב ביה בדוד כי אמרו העם רעב ועיף וצמא במדבר רעב מלחם וצמא ממים עיף ממאי לאו מרחיצה ודילמא מנעילת הסנדל

§ The Gemara returns to the issue of whether refraining from bathing is considered affliction. If you wish, say instead: The fact that bathing is considered affliction, from where do we derive this? As it is written: “And to Ebiathar the priest the king said: Get to Anatoth to your fields, for you are deserving of death. But I will not put you to death today, because you carried the Ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you have been afflicted in all that my father was afflicted” (I Kings 2:26). And it is written with regard to David: “For they said the people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness” (II Samuel 17:29). Hunger means from lack of bread to eat, and thirst means from lack of water to drink. The word weary means lack from what? Is it not from bathing? The comparison of the verses suggests that that too is affliction. The Gemara challenges: And perhaps “weary” means from lack of wearing shoes? Therefore, this does not teach us that refraining from bathing is considered an affliction.

אלא אמר רבי יצחק מהכא מים קרים על נפש עיפה ודילמא משתיה מי כתיב בנפש עיפה על נפש עיפה כתיב

Rather, another source needs to be found. Rav Yitzḥak said: It can be derived from here: “As cold water on a weary soul, so is good news from a far country” (Proverbs 25:25). This implies that the word weary is used to describe someone who has not bathed. The Gemara asks: But perhaps the verse is referring to weariness from not drinking? The Gemara rejects this: Is it written: As cold water in a weary soul? That would mean that it entered one like a drink. Rather, “on a weary soul” is written, which implies bathing.

ונעילת הסנדל מנא לן דכתיב ודוד עולה במעלה הזיתים עולה ובוכה וראש לו חפוי (והולך) יחף יחף ממאי לאו מנעילת הסנדל ודילמא מסוסיא ומרטקא

§ The Gemara clarifies the next point in the mishna: The fact that not wearing shoes is considered an affliction, from where do we derive this? As it is written: “And David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up, and he had his head covered, and was walking barefoot” (II Samuel 15:30). Barefoot implies a lack of what? Is it not a lack of wearing shoes? All these deprivations are described as affliction. The Gemara rejects this: No, perhaps he was barefoot from a horse and whip. Even if he was wearing shoes, a king without a horse and whip was considered as if he were going barefoot.

אלא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מהכא לך ופתחת השק מעל מתניך ונעלך תחלוץ מעל רגלך וכתיב ויעש כן הלוך ערום ויחף יחף ממאי לאו מנעילת הסנדל ואימא במנעלים המטולאים דאי לא תימא הכי ערום ערום ממש אלא בבגדים בלויים הכא נמי במנעלים המטולאים

Rather, Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: We learn it from here, as it states: “Go and loose the sackcloth from your loins, and remove your shoe from your foot” (Isaiah 20:2). And it is written: “And he did so, walking naked and barefoot” (Isaiah 20:2). Barefoot implies a lack of what? Is it not a lack of wearing shoes? The Gemara challenges: And say that perhaps the meaning of barefoot is that Isaiah walked with patched shoes. Because if you do not say this, but you claim that the verse is to be understood literally, does “naked” mean actually naked? Rather, the meaning is that Isaiah walked in ragged garments. Here too, the meaning is that he walked in patched shoes.

אלא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מהכא מנעי רגלך מיחף וגרונך מצמאה מנעי עצמך מן החטא כדי שלא יבא רגלך לידי יחוף מנעי לשונך מדברים בטלים כדי שלא יבא גרונך לידי צמאה

Rather, a different source must be found. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said that we derive it from here: It states: “Withhold your foot from being barefoot, and your throat from thirst” (Jeremiah 2:25), meaning: Keep yourself from sin, so that your feet will not come to be barefoot; keep your tongue from idle talk, so that your throat will not come to be thirsty. Consequently, we learn that being barefoot is considered an affliction.

תשמיש המטה דאיקרי ענוי מנא לן דכתיב אם תענה את בנותי ואם תקח נשים

§ The Gemara continues to clarify another of the afflictions of Yom Kippur: From where do we derive the halakha that refraining from conjugal relations is called affliction? As it is written, Laban said to Jacob: “If you shall afflict my daughters, and if you shall take other wives beside my daughters” (Genesis 31:50).

אם תענה מתשמיש ואם תקח מצרות ואימא אידי ואידי מצרות מי כתיב אם תקח ואם תקח כתיב

This can be explained as: “If you shall afflict my daughters” by refraining from conjugal relations, “and if you shall take other wives” causing them to suffer from additional rival wives. The Gemara objects: And say that this phrase and that phrase are both referring to taking rival wives. The Gemara rejects this: Is it written: If you take? “And if you shall take” is written. Therefore, the clauses must be referring to two different kinds of affliction.

ואימא אידי ואידי מצרות חד לצרות דידיה וחד לצרות דאתיין ליה מעלמא דומיא דאם תקח מי כתיב אם תקח ואם תענה אם תענה ואם תקח כתיב

The Gemara challenges further: And say that this phrase and that phrase are referring to taking rival wives. One phrase is referring to his wives’ current rivals. “If you shall afflict” means that Jacob should not elevate the position of the two maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah, to the status of wife, which would make them co-wives with Laban’s daughters. And one phrase is referring to rivals who might come to him from the world at large, which would be similar in meaning to “if you shall take.” The Gemara rejects this: Is it written: If you take and if you afflict? It is logical to first state the more severe warning and then the less severe one. But according to this proposed reading that “take” refers to rivals from the world at large and “afflict” refers to elevating the status of maidservants, the text would have first mentioned the less painful affliction of elevating the maidservants and then followed it with a warning about taking new rival wives, as “if you shall afflict and if you shall take” is written.

אמר ליה רב פפא לאביי הא תשמיש גופה איקרי ענוי דכתיב וישכב אותה ויענה אמר ליה התם שעינה מביאות אחרות

Rav Pappa said to Abaye: But conjugal relations themselves are called affliction, as it is written: “And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her; and he took her, and he lay with her and afflicted her” (Genesis 34:2). If so, how can it be said that the affliction is in withholding conjugal relations? He said to him: There, Shechem afflicted her from different relations, meaning he slept with her in an unnatural way. That type of relations is clearly an affliction.

תנו רבנן אסור לרחוץ מקצת גופו ככל גופו ואם היה מלוכלך בטיט ובצואה רוחץ כדרכו ואינו חושש אסור לסוך מקצת גופו ככל גופו ואם היה חולה או שהיו לו חטטין בראשו סך כדרכו ואינו חושש

§ The Gemara clarifies some of the prohibitions relating to Yom Kippur. The Sages taught: It is prohibited to bathe part of the body just as it is prohibited to bathe the whole body. But if one is dirty from mud or excrement, he may bathe in his usual manner, and he need not be concerned about transgressing, since his goal is not pleasure. Similarly, it is prohibited to smear oil on part of the body just as it is prohibited to smear oil on the whole body. But if one was sick and needed to smear oil on his body for medicinal purposes, or if one had scabs on his head that would hurt if he did not smear oil on himself, he may smear oil in his usual manner, and he need not be concerned about transgressing.

תנא דבי מנשה רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר מדיחה אשה ידה אחת במים ונותנת פת לתינוק ואינה חוששת

The school of Menashe taught that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: A woman may rinse one hand in water, so that she does not touch food before she has washed her hands in the morning, and give bread to her child, and she need not be concerned about violating the prohibition of bathing on Yom Kippur.

אמרו עליו על שמאי הזקן שלא רצה להאכיל בידו אחת וגזרו עליו להאכיל בשתי ידים מאי טעמא אמר אביי משום שיבתא

They said about Shammai the Elder that he did not want to feed his children with one hand, to avoid having to wash it. This prevented the children from eating during all of Yom Kippur. Due to concerns about the health and the suffering of his children, they decreed that he must feed them with two hands, forcing him to wash both hands. What is the reason that they also said in general that one must wash his hands before touching food? Abaye said: Due to an evil spirit named Shivta, who resides on hands that have not been washed in the morning.

תנו רבנן ההולך להקביל פני אביו או פני רבו או פני מי שגדול ממנו עובר עד צוארו במים ואינו חושש

§ The Sages taught: One who goes to greet his father or his teacher, or to greet one who is greater than him in wisdom, and has to cross a river on the way, may cross the water until his neck is in the water, and he need not be concerned that he is violating the prohibition against bathing on Yom Kippur.

איבעיא להו הרב אצל תלמיד מאי תא שמע דאמר רב יצחק בר בר חנה אנא חזיתיה לזעירי דאזל לגבי רב חייא בר אשי תלמידיה רב אשי אמר ההוא רב חייא בר אשי הוא דאזל לגביה דזעירי רביה

A dilemma was raised before them, i.e., the students discussing this question: What is the law concerning a teacher going to visit his student? May he enter the water in order to teach his student? The Gemara tries to bring a proof: Come and hear from what Rav Yitzḥak bar bar Ḥana said: I saw Ze’iri, who went through a river on his way to Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi, his student. Rav Ashi said: This was not the case. Rather, in that case, it was the student Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi who went to Ze’iri, his teacher. Therefore, this incident does not answer the question.

רבא שרא לבני עבר ימינא למעבר במיא לנטורי פירי אמר ליה אביי לרבא תניא דמסייע לך שומרי פירות עוברין עד צוארן במים ואין חוששין

Rava permitted those who lived on the right side of the Euphrates to pass through the water to guard the fruit in their fields on Yom Kippur. Abaye said to Rava: A baraita was taught that supports your opinion. We learned: Guards of fruit may cross the river until their necks are in the water, and they need not be concerned that they are violating the prohibition against bathing on Yom Kippur.

רב יוסף שרא להו לבני בי תרבו למיעבר במיא למיתי לפירקא למיזל לא שרא להו אמר ליה אביי אם כן אתה מכשילן לעתיד לבא איכא דאמרי שרא להו למיתי ושרא להו למיזל אמר ליה אביי בשלמא למיתי לחיי אלא למיזל מאי טעמא כדי שלא תהא מכשילן לעתיד לבא

Rav Yosef permitted the people of the village of Bei Tarbu to cross in the water to come to the lecture he delivered on Yom Kippur. He did not, however, permit them to go back home through the water. Abaye said to him: If so, you are obstructing them from coming in the future. They will not come to the lecture knowing they will be prohibited from returning home. Some say the incident happened differently: Rav Yosef permitted them to come and permitted them to go back through the water. Abaye said to him: Granted, you allow them to come, that is well. But what is the reason you allow them to go back? He said to him: So as not to obstruct them from coming in the future.

רב יהודה ורב שמואל בר רב יהודה הוו קיימי אגודא דנהר (פפא) אמברא דחצדד והוה קאי רמי בר פפא מהך גיסא רמא להו קלא מהו למיעבר למיתי לגבייכו למשאל שמעתא אמר ליה רב יהודה רב ושמואל דאמרי תרוייהו עובר ובלבד שלא יוציא ידו מתחת חפת חלוקו איכא דאמרי אמר ליה רב שמואל בר רב יהודה תנינא עובר ובלבד שלא יוציא ידו מתחת חפת חלוקו

It is told: Rav Yehuda and Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yehuda were standing on the bank of the Pappa River next to the Ḥatzdad crossing, and Rami bar Pappa was standing on the other side of the river. He raised his voice to them and asked: What is the ruling with regard to crossing over to come to you to ask a halakha? Rav Yehuda said to him: It is Rav and Shmuel who both say: One may cross in the water, provided that he does not remove his hand from under the hem of his cloak. One may not raise the hems of his cloak to his shoulders to keep them dry, since this form of carrying renders one liable to bring a sin-offering. Rather, one should walk normally and get his clothes wet in the water. Some say this is not how the incident happened. Rather, Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yehuda said to him: We learned in a baraita: One may cross over, provided that he does not remove his hand from the hem of his cloak.

מתקיף לה רב יוסף ובחול כי האי גונא מי שרי והכתיב וימד אלף באמה ויעבירני במים מי אפסים מכאן שמותר לעבור עד אפסיים

Rav Yosef strongly objects to this: And on a weekday is it permitted to walk in such deep water that it presents a danger of drowning? But isn’t it written with regard to the river that, in the future, will issue forth from the Holy of Holies: “He measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water; the water was ankle deep” (Ezekiel 47:3); from here it is derived that one is permitted to pass through water that reaches up to the ankles.

וימד אלף ויעבירני במים מים ברכים מכאן שמותר לעבור עד ברכים וימד אלף ויעבירני מי מתנים מכאן שמותר לעבור עד מתנים מכאן ואילך וימד אלף נחל אשר לא אוכל לעבור

Rav Yosef continues explaining the verse: “Again he measured a thousand and he led me through the water, the water was knee deep” (Ezekiel 47:4); from here it is derived that one is permitted to pass through water that reaches up to the knees. “He measured a thousand and led me through the water up to the waist” (Ezekiel 47:4); from here it is derived that one is permitted to pass through water that reaches up to the waist. From this point forward: “And he measured a thousand, a river that I could not pass through” (Ezekiel 47:5). This implies that one is never permitted to pass through water that is more than waist high, because it is dangerous.

אמר אביי שאני נחל דרדיפי מיא

Abaye said: That is not a proof, because a river with fast flowing water is different. If it is higher than one’s waist, he could drown. However, one is permitted to cross still water even if it is deeper than that.

יכול יעבירנו בסיחוי תלמוד לומר כי גאו המים מי שחו מאי מי שחו שיוטא שכן קורין לשייטא סייחא יכול יעבירנו בבורני קטנה תלמוד לומר בל תלך בו אני שיט יכול יעבירנו בבורני גדולה תלמוד לומר וצי אדיר לא יעברנו מאי משמע כדמתרגם רב יוסף לא תזיל ביה בספינת ציידין ובורני רבתי לא תגוזינה

§ Apropos the river that will flow in the future, the Gemara explains additional verses in Ezekiel. One might think that Ezekiel could cross the river by swimming. The verse states: “For the water had swollen into saḥu waters” (Ezekiel 47:5). What does “saḥu waters” mean? Water that can be traversed only with a boat [shiyuta], as sailing [shayta] is sometimes called swimming [sayḥa]. I might have thought Ezekiel could pass across in a small boat [burni]. Therefore, the verse states: “No galley with oars shall go” (Isaiah 33:21). I might have thought he could pass through in a large boat. Therefore, the verse states: “Neither shall a fishing boat [tzi adir] be able to cross it” (Isaiah 33:21). The Gemara asks: From where can it be inferred that the words tzi adir mean fishing boat? The Gemara explains: This is how Rav Yosef translated this verse: A fishing boat [sfinat tzayyadin] will not travel on it and a large ship will not cross it.

אמר רבי יהודה בן פזי אף מלאך המות אין לו רשות לעבור בתוכו כתיב הכא בל תלך בו אני שיט וכתיב התם משוט בארץ

The Gemara continues its discussion of the river that will in the future come out of the Holy of Holies. Rabbi Yehuda ben Pazi said: Even the Angel of Death does not have permission to pass through it to the other side of this river, and proof of this is in the verse, as it is written here: “No galley with oars [ani shayt] can travel” and as it was written there: “Then Satan answered the Lord and said: From going to and fro [mishut] the earth and from walking up and down in it” (Job 1:7). Even Satan, who is also the Angel of Death, cannot cross through this river.

אמר רבי פנחס משום רב הונא צפוראה מעין היוצא מבית קדשי הקדשים בתחילה דומה לקרני חגבים כיון שהגיע לפתח היכל נעשה כחוט של שתי כיון שהגיע לאולם נעשה כחוט של ערב כיון שהגיע אל פתח עזרה נעשה כפי פך קטן והיינו דתנן רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר מים

The Gemara cites more midrashim about the river that will flow from the Holy of Holies. Rabbi Pineḥas said in the name of Rav Huna of Tzippori: The spring that comes forth from inside the Holy of Holies is at first very narrow and resembles grasshoppers’ antennae in width. Once it reaches the opening of the Sanctuary it becomes as thick as the thread of the warp; once it reaches the Entrance Hall of the Sanctuary, it becomes as thick as the thread of the woof, which is wider than the warp thread. Once it reaches the opening of the Temple courtyard it becomes like the mouth of a small jug. This is as we learned in a mishna: Rav Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: Water,