Taanit 17b

כְּרַבִּי, מִכְּלָל דְּרַבָּנַן אָסְרִי! מַאי טַעְמָא: מְהֵרָה יִבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וּבָעֵינַן כֹּהֵן הָרָאוּי לָעֲבוֹדָה וְלֵיכָּא, הָכָא אֶפְשָׁר דִּמְסַפַּר וְעָיֵיל.

It is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. From the fact that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi permits priests to drink wine, it may be inferred that the Rabbis prohibit it even nowadays. Why, then, isn’t it prohibited for priests to grow their hair as well? The Gemara explains: What is the reason for the prohibition? It is due to the hope: May the Temple be speedily rebuilt, and we will require a priest who is fit for the Temple service, and there will be none available, as they have all imbibed wine. The time that it will take for the effects of the wine to wear off will delay the Temple service considerably. Here, however, with regard to hair, it is possible for a priest to cut his hair and be ready to enter and perform the Temple service with minimal delay.

אִי הָכִי, שְׁתוּי יַיִן נָמֵי — אֶפְשָׁר דְּגָנֵי פּוּרְתָּא וְעָיֵיל, כִּדְרָמֵי בַּר אַבָּא. דְּאָמַר רָמֵי בַּר אַבָּא: דֶּרֶךְ מִיל, וְשֵׁינָה כׇּל שֶׁהוּא — מְפִיגִין אֶת הַיַּיִן! לָאו מִי אִיתְּמַר עֲלַהּ, אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר אֲבוּהּ: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁשָּׁתָה שִׁיעוּר רְבִיעִית, אֲבָל שָׁתָה יוֹתֵר מֵרְבִיעִית — כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ מַטְרִידָתוֹ וְשֵׁינָה מְשַׁכַּרְתּוֹ.

The Gemara asks: If so, with regard to those who have drunk wine too, it is possible for him to sleep a little and then enter, in accordance with the opinion of Rami bar Abba, as Rami bar Abba said: Walking a distance of a mil , and similarly, sleeping even a minimal amount, will dispel the effect of wine that one has drunk. The Gemara rejects this proof: Wasn’t it stated about this halakha that Rav Naḥman said that Rabba bar Avuh said: They taught this only with regard to one who has drunk the measure of a quarter- log of wine, but with regard to one who has drunk more than a quarter- log , walking this distance will preoccupy and exhaust him all the more, and a small amount of sleep will further intoxicate him. For this reason, it is prohibited for priests to drink wine, lest no suitable priest will be ready for the Temple service.

רַב אָשֵׁי אָמַר: שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן, דְּמַחֲלִי עֲבוֹדָה — גְּזַרוּ בְּהוּ רַבָּנַן. פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ, דְּלָא מַחֲלִי עֲבוֹדָה — לָא גְּזַרוּ בְּהוּ רַבָּנַן.

Rav Ashi said that there is a different way to distinguish between these two halakhot . In the case of those who have drunk wine, who desecrate the Temple service, the Sages issued a decree concerning them, that priests should not drink wine even nowadays. However, with regard to those who have long hair, who do not desecrate the Temple service, the Sages did not issue a decree concerning them.

מֵיתִיבִי, וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵן בְּמִיתָה: שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן, וּפְרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ. בִּשְׁלָמָא שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן — בְּהֶדְיָא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ: ״יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ״, אֶלָּא פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ מְנָלַן?

The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita : And these are the transgressors who are punished by death at the hand of Heaven: Priests who enter the Temple to serve who have drunk wine, and those priests who have long hair while they serve. The Gemara asks: Granted, those who have drunk wine are punished by death, as it is explicitly written: “Drink no wine nor strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, that you should not die” (Leviticus 10:9). However, with regard to those priests who have long hair, from where do we derive that they are punishable by death?

דִּכְתִיב: ״וְרֹאשָׁם לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ וּפֶרַע לֹא יְשַׁלֵּחוּ״, וּכְתִיב בָּתְרֵיהּ: ״וְיַיִן לֹא יִשְׁתּוּ כׇּל כֹּהֵן בְּבוֹאָם אֶל הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית״, וְאִיתַּקּוּשׁ פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ לִשְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן: מָה שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן בְּמִיתָה — אַף פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ בְּמִיתָה.

The Gemara answers that this is as it is written: “Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks [ pera ] to grow long” (Ezekiel 44:20), and it is written immediately afterward: “Neither shall any priest drink wine when they enter the inner courtyard” (Ezekiel 44:21). And in this manner the prohibition concerning those who have long hair is juxtaposed with the prohibition concerning those who have drunk wine, to teach the following: Just as those who have drunk wine and perform the Temple service are subject to death, so too, those who have long hair are punishable by death.

וּמִינַּהּ: אִי מָה שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן דְּמַחֲלִי עֲבוֹדָה — אַף פְּרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ דְּמַחֲלִי עֲבוֹדָה! לָא: כִּי אִיתַּקּוּשׁ — לְמִיתָה הוּא דְּאִתַּקּוּשׁ, אֲבָל לְאַחוֹלֵי עֲבוֹדָה — לָא אִתַּקּוּשׁ.

The Gemara raises a difficulty: And from this comparison one can also argue as follows: If so, just as those who have drunk wine desecrate the Temple service, so too, those who have long hair desecrate the service. The Gemara rejects this contention: No, when the two cases were juxtaposed, it was with regard to death that they were juxtaposed. However, as for desecrating the Temple service, in this regard they were not juxtaposed. Consequently, Rav Ashi’s distinction concerning the practical application of these two halakhot still applies.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבִינָא לְרַב אָשֵׁי: הָא, מִקַּמֵּי דַּאֲתָא יְחֶזְקֵאל, מַאן אַמְרַהּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וּלְטַעְמָיךְ, הָא דְּאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: דָּבָר זֶה מִתּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה לֹא לָמַדְנוּ, וּמִדִּבְרֵי קַבָּלָה לָמַדְנוּ: ״כׇּל בֶּן נֵכָר עֶרֶל לֵב וְעֶרֶל בָּשָׂר לֹא יָבוֹא אֶל מִקְדָּשִׁי״ — הָא, מִקַּמֵּי דַּאֲתָא יְחֶזְקֵאל, מַאן אַמְרַהּ?

On this issue, Ravina said to Rav Ashi: Before Ezekiel came and stated this halakha , who said it? From where was it derived before Ezekiel that priests may not serve with long hair? This prohibition, which is not mentioned in the Torah, could not have been innovated by Ezekiel, as prophets may not enact new halakhot . Rav Ashi said to him: And according to your reasoning, there is a similar difficulty with that which Rabbi Ḥisda said: This matter, that an uncircumcised priest may not serve in the Temple, we did not learn it from the Torah of Moses, but we learned it from the text of the tradition, i.e., Prophets and Writings: “No stranger, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter my Temple” (Ezekiel 44:9). Before Ezekiel came, who said that it is prohibited for an uncircumcised priest to serve?

אֶלָּא גְּמָרָא גְּמִירִ[י] לַהּ, וַאֲתָא יְחֶזְקֵאל וְאַסְמְכַהּ אַקְּרָא. הָכָא נָמֵי: גְּמָרָא גְּמִירִ[י] לַהּ, וַאֲתָא יְחֶזְקֵאל וְאַסְמְכַהּ אַקְּרָא, כִּי גְּמִירִי הֲלָכָה — לְמִיתָה, לְאַחוֹלֵי עֲבוֹדָה — לָא גְּמִירִי.

Rather, you must say that it is learned as a definite tradition, like the rest of the Oral Torah, and Ezekiel came and supported it by means of a verse in his book. He did not, however, teach this halakha anew. Here too, with regard to a priest with long hair, it is learned as a tradition, and Ezekiel came and supported it by a verse. And when they learned this halakha , they learned only that one is punishable by death; however, with regard to desecrating the Temple service, they did not learn this halakha .

כׇּל הַכָּתוּב בִּמְגִילַּת תַּעֲנִית ״דְּלָא לְמִיסְפַּד״ — לְפָנָיו אָסוּר, לְאַחֲרָיו מוּתָּר. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אִלֵּין יוֹמַיָּא דְּלָא לְהִתְעַנָּאָה בְּהוֹן, וּמִקְצָתְהוֹן דְּלָא לְמִיסְפַּד בְּהוֹן: מֵרֵישׁ יַרְחָא דְנִיסָן וְעַד תְּמָנְיָא בֵּיהּ אִיתּוֹקַם תְּמִידָא, דְּלָא לְמִיסְפַּד בְּהוֹן. מִתְּמָנְיָא בֵּיהּ עַד סוֹף מוֹעֲדָא אִיתּוֹתַב חַגָּא דְשָׁבוּעַיָּא, דְּלָא לְמִיסְפַּד בְּהוֹן.

§ The mishna teaches: Any day concerning which it is written in Megillat Ta’anit not to eulogize on that day, it is also prohibited to eulogize on the day before, but it is permitted to do so on the following day. The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit : These are the days on which fasting is prohibited, and on some of them eulogizing is prohibited as well: From the New Moon of Nisan until the eighth of the month, the proper sacrifice of the daily offering was established, and therefore it was decreed not to eulogize on these dates. From the eighth of Nisan until the end of the festival of Passover, the festival of Shavuot was restored and it was likewise decreed not to eulogize during this period.

אָמַר מָר: מֵרֵישׁ יַרְחָא דְנִיסָן עַד תְּמָנְיָא בֵּיהּ אִיתּוֹקַם תְּמִידָא, דְּלָא לְמִיסְפַּד. לְמָה לִי מֵרֵישׁ יַרְחָא? לֵימָא מִתְּרֵי בְּנִיסָן, וְרֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ גּוּפֵיהּ יוֹם טוֹב הוּא וְאָסוּר! אָמַר רַב: לֹא נִצְרְכָה אֶלָּא לֶאֱסוֹר יוֹם שֶׁלְּפָנָיו.

The Gemara seeks to clarify these statements by comparing them to the ruling of the mishna. The Master said above: From the New Moon of Nisan until the eighth of the month, the daily offering was established, and therefore it was decreed not to eulogize on these dates. The Gemara asks: Why do I need Megillat Ta’anit to say: From the New Moon? Let it say: From the second of Nisan, as the New Moon is itself a holiday, and it is already prohibited to eulogize on that day. Rav said: It is necessary to mention the New Moon of Nisan only to prohibit eulogizing on the day before, in accordance with the statement in Megillat Ta’anit that fasting on the day before any of the specified commemorative days is also prohibited.

וְשֶׁלְּפָנָיו נָמֵי, תִּיפּוֹק לֵיהּ דְּהָוֵה לֵיהּ יוֹם שֶׁלִּפְנֵי רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ! רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא הוּא, וּדְאוֹרָיְיתָא לָא בָּעֵי חִיזּוּק.

The Gemara asks: And with regard to the day before the New Moon of Nisan as well, one can derive the prohibition against eulogizing on this day from the fact that it is the day before the New Moon. Since it is prohibited to fast on the New Moon, it is likewise prohibited on the day before. The Gemara answers that as the New Moon is by Torah law and a Torah law requires no reinforcement, it is permitted to fast on the previous day.

דְּתַנְיָא: הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה הַכְּתוּבִין בִּמְגִילַּת תַּעֲנִית — לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם אֲסוּרִין, שַׁבָּתוֹת וְיָמִים טוֹבִים, הֵן — אֲסוּרִין, לִפְנֵיהֶן וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶן — מוּתָּרִין. וּמָה הֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּין זֶה לָזֶה? הַלָּלוּ — דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה אֵין צְרִיכִין חִיזּוּק, הַלָּלוּ — דִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים, וְדִבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים צְרִיכִין חִיזּוּק.

As it is taught in a baraita : With regard to these days that are written in Megillat Ta’anit , it is prohibited to fast before them and after them. However, concerning Shabbatot and Festivals, fasting on those days is prohibited, but before them and after them fasting is permitted. And what is the difference between this and that? These, Shabbat and Festivals, are statements of Torah, and statements of Torah do not require reinforcement, whereas these days mentioned in Megillat Ta’anit are statements of rabbinic law, and statements of rabbinic law require reinforcement.

אָמַר מָר: מִתְּמָנְיָא בֵּיהּ עַד סוֹף מוֹעֲדָא אִיתּוֹתַב חַגָּא דְשָׁבוּעַיָּא, דְּלָא לְמִיסְפַּד. לְמָה לִי עַד סוֹף מוֹעֵד, לֵימָא עַד הַמּוֹעֵד, וּמוֹעֵד גּוּפֵיהּ יוֹם טוֹב הוּא וְאָסוּר! אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: כִּדְאָמַר רַב — לֹא נִצְרְכָא

§ The Master said above: From the eighth of Nisan until the end of the festival of Passover, the festival of Shavuot was restored and it was decreed not to eulogize. The Gemara asks: Why do I need Megillat Ta’anit to say: Until the end of the Festival? Let it say: Until the Festival, as it is anyway prohibited to eulogize on the festival of Passover. Rav Pappa said that this, too, should be explained as Rav said: It is necessary to mention the first of Nisan