וְהָיְתָ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לְחֻקַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַ֠שְּׁבִיעִי בֶּֽעָשׂ֨וֹר לַחֹ֜דֶשׁ תְּעַנּ֣וּ אֶת־נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֗ם וְכָל־מְלָאכָה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ הָֽאֶזְרָ֔ח וְהַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃
Y esto tendréis por estatuto perpetuo: En el mes séptimo, a los diez del mes,<span class="x" onmousemove="Show('perush','Estas palabras sirvieron al Rambam como referencia al <b>164to Precepto Positivo</b> y al <b>327mo Precepto Negativo</b> enumerados en el Prefacio a Mishné Torá, su “Compendio de la Ley Hebrea” para todo el Pueblo de Israel.',event);" onmouseout="Close();">afligiréis vuestras almas, y ninguna obra haréis</span>, ni el natural ni el extranjero que peregrina entre vosotros:
English Explanation of Mishnah Yoma
Introduction The eighth chapter of Yoma is the chapter that is still relevant in halakhah today. It discusses how we understand the biblical command to “afflict oneself” (see Leviticus 16:29-31; 23:26-32) as well as the rules and concepts regarding atonement. Our mishnah begins this discussion by teaching the five/six prohibitions that all fit under the category of “afflictions.”
Ramban
THAT HE COME NOT AT ALL TIMES INTO THE HOLY PLACE WITHIN THE VEIL. The meaning of the expression at all times is that since He had already mentioned the Day of Atonement, saying, And Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of it [i.e., the golden altar which stood within the Sanctuary] once in the year,20Exodus 30:10. therefore He stated here that Aaron is not to come at any time into the holy place [within the Veil], except with this21Verse 3 here. [procedure], that is to say, on the day that he brings these offerings to effect atonement. Later on in this section He explains with what Aaron shall enter, just as He said, and he shall bring it within the Veil,22Verse 12. and then He specifies the day, that it be in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month,23Verse 29. and then He states again that it be [only] once in the year.24Verse 34.
Rabbeinu Bahya
חקת התורה, “a statute of the Torah.” The various commentators understand the word as meaning: ‘statute; royal decree.’ In other words, a law which defies understanding by the subject to whom it is applied. People asked to obey it constantly wonder why they have to obey such a law. The details of the red heifer legislation are not only devoid of logic but appear to defy logic in that contact with that cow defiles the ritually pure while purifying the ritually impure.
The truth is that the red heifer is one of the statutes which defies our understanding. Still, the principal meaning of the word חק is derived from the word חקיקה, something that is “indelibly engraved in a rock.” like a picture. G’d hinted to the Children of Israel that their image is indelibly engraved in the celestial regions. In other words, seeing there are no rocks to inscribe things on in the celestial regions, the word חקיקה is a simile for immutable concepts, as basic to G’d’s legislation as if their counterpart had been engraved in rock in our terrestrial universe (compare author’s comment on Leviticus 19,19). This is why a certain group of the commandments is known under the heading of חקים. It is significant that the expression חקת התורה appears in connection with our legislation here, whereas in connection with the legislation involving the scape-goat the Torah defines this as חקת עולם, whereas in connection with kilayim, the prohibition to mix species which G’d wanted to keep separate, the Torah simply writes את חקותי תשמורו, “observe My statutes.” Whenever the Torah refers to a commandment as having an aspect of חוק, this is its way of reminding us of the immutability of such a commandment.
Another reason why the term חק is applied to certain laws is that the word means גבול, “limitation,” such as when the prophet Jeremiah 15,22 describes the sand on the beaches of the sea as the limit to the ocean’s power of expanding into the area designated as “the dry land.” The wording there is: אשר שמתי גבול לים חק עולם ולא יעברנהו, “who set the sand as a boundary for the sea as a limit for all time not to be transgressed.” Other examples of the meaning of the word חק being “boundary,” are Jeremiah 31,35: חקות ירח וכוכבים לאור לילה, “the laws of moon and stars for light by night.” In other words, sun and moon respectively serve as boundaries of day and night respectively (compare the whole verse in Jeremiah).
The philosophical aspect of the meaning of “boundary” for the word חק in connection with this legislation is that there are limits, boundaries, to the extent to which we may employ our investigative faculties in probing its meaning. We have to discipline ourselves in acknowledging that G’d clearly did not want us to probe beyond a certain point.
The truth is that the red heifer is one of the statutes which defies our understanding. Still, the principal meaning of the word חק is derived from the word חקיקה, something that is “indelibly engraved in a rock.” like a picture. G’d hinted to the Children of Israel that their image is indelibly engraved in the celestial regions. In other words, seeing there are no rocks to inscribe things on in the celestial regions, the word חקיקה is a simile for immutable concepts, as basic to G’d’s legislation as if their counterpart had been engraved in rock in our terrestrial universe (compare author’s comment on Leviticus 19,19). This is why a certain group of the commandments is known under the heading of חקים. It is significant that the expression חקת התורה appears in connection with our legislation here, whereas in connection with the legislation involving the scape-goat the Torah defines this as חקת עולם, whereas in connection with kilayim, the prohibition to mix species which G’d wanted to keep separate, the Torah simply writes את חקותי תשמורו, “observe My statutes.” Whenever the Torah refers to a commandment as having an aspect of חוק, this is its way of reminding us of the immutability of such a commandment.
Another reason why the term חק is applied to certain laws is that the word means גבול, “limitation,” such as when the prophet Jeremiah 15,22 describes the sand on the beaches of the sea as the limit to the ocean’s power of expanding into the area designated as “the dry land.” The wording there is: אשר שמתי גבול לים חק עולם ולא יעברנהו, “who set the sand as a boundary for the sea as a limit for all time not to be transgressed.” Other examples of the meaning of the word חק being “boundary,” are Jeremiah 31,35: חקות ירח וכוכבים לאור לילה, “the laws of moon and stars for light by night.” In other words, sun and moon respectively serve as boundaries of day and night respectively (compare the whole verse in Jeremiah).
The philosophical aspect of the meaning of “boundary” for the word חק in connection with this legislation is that there are limits, boundaries, to the extent to which we may employ our investigative faculties in probing its meaning. We have to discipline ourselves in acknowledging that G’d clearly did not want us to probe beyond a certain point.
Rashi
'בזאת יבא אהרן וגו WITH THIS SHALL AARON COME [INTO THE HOLY PLACE] etc. — And this, also, shall not be at any time he pleases, but on the day of Atonement, as it is explicitly stated at the end of this section (vv. 29—34). “In the seventh month on the tenth day of the month [ye shall fast … And the priest … shall make expiation]".