Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Embroidered Parokhet from the Altneushul in Prague, Czech Republic. Patchwork embroidery depicting an Ark of the Law with a Torah curtain.

Yoma 51: The Dual Nature of the Parochet

jyungar June 1, 2021

For the source text click/tap here: Yoma 51

To download, click/tap here: PDF

An interesting possibility regarding the expression of the dual role of the parokhet in reality arises from a mishna in Massekhet Yoma (5:1) that describes the manner in which the Kohen Gadol would enter the Kodesh Kodashim on Yom Kippur:

He walked through the Sanctuary until he reached the place between the two parokhets which separated between the Kodesh and the Kodesh Kodashim, with one cubit separating them. [But] R. Yossi said: There was only one parokhet, as it is written, β€œAnd the parokhet shall separate for you between the Kodesh and the Kodesh Kodashim."

The mishna records a disagreement among the Tannaim as to whether there was just one parokhet in the Temple, as R. Yossi deduces from the specifications concerning the Mishkan, or whether there were in fact two.

This leads us to an examination of the function of the Parochet and its dual role in creating sacred spaces.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​