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1) THE READING OF THE KOHEN GADOL

(a) (Mishnah): He reads from the Parshiyos "Acharei Mos" and "Ach be'Asor."
(b) Contradiction (Mishnah): One may skip from Parsha to Parsha when reading (for the congregation) from the prophets, but not when reading the Torah.
(c) Answer #1 (Abaye): One may skip (when reading the Torah) only if the Torah can be rolled to the next Parsha within the time that the translator translates the last verse.
(d) Objection (Beraisa): One may skip when reading from the prophets, but not when reading the Torah; the skip must be so short that the Sefer can be rolled to the next Parsha within the time that the translator translates the last verse.

1. This implies that even such skipping is not allowed in the Torah!

(e) Answer #2 (Abaye): One may skip to a related Parsha, not to an unrelated Parsha.

1. Support (Beraisa): One may skip in the Torah to a related Parsha; in the prophets, even to an unrelated Parsha; in both cases, we must be able to roll the Sefer to the next Parsha within the time to translate the last verse;
2. We may not skip from 1 prophet to another; this is only allowed within the 12 minor prophets, and only from an earlier prophet to a later one.

(f) (Mishnah): He rolls the Torah (and says 'There is more written...).
(g) Question: Why must he say this?
(h) Answer: So people should not say that the Sefer Torah is missing Parshiyos.
(i) He reads by heart the Parsha in Sefer Bamidbar about the sacrifices of Yom Kipur.
(j) Question: Why not roll the Sefer Torah and read from it?
(k) Answer (Rav Sheshes): We do not roll a Sefer Torah in a congregation.
(l) Question: Why not bring a 2nd Sefer Torah and read from it?
(m) Answer #1 (Rav Huna bar Yehudah): Lest people say that the brought a 2nd Sefer because the 1st is invalid.
(n) Answer #2 (Reish Lakish): This would case an unnecessary blessing (on reading from the 2nd Sefer).
(o) Question (on Rav Huna bar Yehudah): Are we really concerned that people will say that the Sefer is invalid?!

1. (R. Yitzchak Nafcha): When Rosh Chodesh Teves falls on Shabbos, 3 Sifrei Torah are taken out. In 1 we read from the usual weekly Parsha; in 1, the sacrifice of Rosh Chodesh; in 1, the reading appropriate to that day of Chanukah.

(p) Answer: People will not say that the Sefer is invalid if 3 people read from 3 Sefarim, but they will say so if 1 person reads from 2 Sefarim.

(a) (Mishnah): He would bless 8 blessings ...
(b) (Beraisa): He blesses on reading the Torah, as we do in synagogue; on the Temple service, of thanks, of forgiveness of sin, as enacted (to say in the Amidah prayer); a special blessing for the Mikdash; a special blessing for the Kohanim; a special blessing for Yisrael; and a special blessing for Yerushalayim;
(c) (Mishnah): And the rest of the prayer.
(d) (Beraisa): The rest of the prayer - supplication, joyous song, and request, that your nation Yisrael needs salvation; he concludes, 'He who hears prayer'.

1. After this, everyone brings his Sefer Torah from his house and reads in it.
2. Question: Why?
3. Answer: So all will see its beauty.

(a) (Mishnah): The king's reading was the night after the 1st day of Sukos, in the 8th (year of the Shemitah cycle), the year after Shemitah - "At the end of 7 years, in the festival...".
(b) They make a podium of wood in the courtyard, and he sits on it.
(c) The overseer of the synagogue would give the Sefer Torah to the head of the synagogue; he would give it to the vice-Kohen Gadol; he would give it to the Kohen Gadol, who would give it to the king.
(d) The king stands up and receives the Torah and sits down and reads; King Agripas read standing, and Chachamim praised him for this.

1. When he read "You may not put a foreigner (as king) upon yourselves", tears flowed from his eyes.
2. Chachamim told him: 'Don't worry - you are our brother!'

(e) He reads from the beginning of Sefer Devarim until Shema Yisrael; the Parshiyos of Shema Yisrael and "If you will hear"; "Tithe" and "When you will finish tithing"; the Parsha of the king; and the blessings and curses (on Har Gerizim and Har Eival, and the other curses in Ki Savo).
(f) The king makes the same blessings as the Kohen Gadol, except that he substitutes a blessing for the festival in place of the blessing for forgiveness of sin.
(g) (Gemara) Question: Can it really be b'Shmini (the 8th, masculine, implying the 8th day of Sukos)?!
(h) Answer: Rather, b'Shminis (the 8th, feminine, implying the 8th year of the Shemitah cycle).
(i) Question: Why does the Torah say - "At the end of 7 years, in the festival, the Shemitah year, on the festival of Sukos"- some of this is unnecessary!
(j) Answer: If the Torah only wrote "At the end of 7 years", one might have thought that the Parsha is read 7 years after Moshe said this (in Arvos Mo'av), even though Shemitah did not yet apply - therefore, it says "the Shemitah year".
(k) If the Torah only wrote "In the Shemitah year", one might have thought at the end of the year - therefore, it says "in the festival".
(l) If the Torah only wrote "In the festival", one might have thought on Rosh Hashanah - therefore, it says "On Sukos".
(m) If the Torah only wrote "On Sukos", one might have thought even the last day of Yom Tov - therefore, it says "When all of Yisrael comes", i.e. at the beginning of the festival.

(n) (Mishnah): The overseer of the synagogue would give the Sefer Torah to the head of the synagogue ...

1. Suggestion: We learn from this that one may honor a Talmid in front of his Rebbi.

(o) Rejection (Abaye): No, this is all done to honor the king.
(p) (Mishnah): The king stands up and receives the Torah and sits down and reads; King Agripas read standing ...
(q) Objection: 'He stands' - this implies, he was sitting - but only kings of the Davidic line may sit in the Mikdash!
(r) Answer: This takes place in the women's courtyard (where sitting is allowed), as Rav Chisda said to answer a different question.
(s) (Mishnah): Chachamim praised him for this.
(t) Question: But Rav Ashi taught, even the opinion that says that a Nasi (the theocratic head of Yisrael) may pardon the honor due to himself, a king may not!

1. "Put, You will place a king upon yourself" - his fear must be upon you.

(u) Answer: A king may pardon his honor for a Mitzvah.

(a) (Mishnah): When he read "You may not put..."
(b) (Beraisa - R. Noson): When they told him that he was their brother (i.e. fit to be king), the haters of (a euphemism) Yisrael deserved to be destroyed for flattering him.
(c) (R. Shimon ben Chalifta): From the day that flattery became rampant, judgments became distorted, deeds became spoiled, and no one can say 'My deeds are better than yours'.
(d) (R. Yehudah bar Ma'arava): It is permitted to flatter the wicked in this world - "(in the world to come) a base person will not be called generous, the drunkard will not be called 'master'".

1. This implies, this is permitted in this world.

(e) (Reish Lakish): We learn this from Yakov - "(Seeing you (Esav)) is as seeing an angel, and I found favor with you".
(f) This is unlike R. Levi.

1. (R. Levi): What Yakov told Esav is as a man that was invited to eat, and sensed that his host wanted to kill him. He told his host 'This food tastes like what I ate by the king'.

i. The host thought that the king knows his guest, and he was afraid to kill him.

(g) (R. Elazar): Any flatterer brings anger to the world - "Flatterers at heart put anger".

1. Also - his prayer is not heard - "They will not be saved when afflicted".

(h) (R. Elazar): Any person that flatters, even fetuses in the womb curse him.
(i) (R. Elazar): Any person that flatters falls into Gehinom, even fetuses in the womb curse him.
(j) (R. Elazar): If Reuven flatters Shimon, he will eventually fall into Shimon's hands; if not, then into the hands of Shimon's sons; if not, in the hands of his grandsons.

1. We learn from Yirmeyahu, who supported Chananyah's false prophecy; Chananyah's grandson later seized Yirmeyahu and handed him over to the Babylonian officials.