Yoma 88 - July 8, 28 Tamuz

Study Guide Yoma 88

The Siyum of Masechet Yoma is dedicated by Esti Ben-David and Rachel Keren – neés Urbach "In memory of our parents who opened the gates of Torah for us and guided us through them. In memory of our late Father, Ephraim Elimelech Urbach z”l, whose 30th Yahrzeit we have just commemorated. During his lifetime, our father never stopped learning and teaching generations of students. Through his research, he developed new, extensive and diverse fields of learning and research, as testified by his numerous books and academic papers: The Sages – Concepts and Beliefs, The Tosafists (Baalei HaTosafot), The Halakha – Its Sources and Developments, Arugat Ha’Bosem and many others. And in honor of our dear mother, Channa Urbach, may she live a long life, who is currently celebrating her 103rd birthday (til 120!) and who has been throughout her life a model for all her descendants of the love of the Torah, its study and practice."

Rav held that if one prays neila, one is exempt from ma'ariv, the prayer said at night. The gemara raises an additional question from a braita against him. In order to answer the question, the gemara concludes that it is an issue that is debated by tannaim as can be found in another braita which discusses one who has to go to the mikveh on Yom Kippur from a seminal emission - can one go in the afternoon of Yom Kippur after mincha? This would depend on whether neila was said in the afternoon or at night. If it was said in the afternoon, one could go to the mikveh after mincha to allow one to pray. However, if neila was recited in the afternoon, one would not be able to fulfill one's obligation for ma'ariv. Once the gemara resolves the difficulty, another braita is brought which contradicts this braita. The contradiction is resolved as well. What happens when someone has a seminal emission on Yom Kippur? Is it seen as a bad sign or perhaps it is a good sign?