From Silken Hands to Severed Hands: The Four Cries of the Temple Courtyard, and the Sins and Eventual Downfall of the High Priest Yissakhar of Barkai (Keritot 28a-b = Pesachim 57a-b)
The passage
Keritot.28a.31-28b.5 (with parallel in Pesachim.57a.9-57b.1)
The four cries of the Temple courtyard
This Talmudic passage discusses four cries (צווחות) of the Temple courtyard, each related to different High Priests in its history.
The first cry is about the the Biblical Ḥofni and Pineḥas, sons of the famous Eli the priest (עלי הכהן), who lived around the 11th century BCE. They served in the Sanctuary in Shiloh (משכן שילה), before even the existence of the First Temple.
The next three cries are about High Priests who served over a thousand years later, at the end of the Second Temple period, meaning in the 1st century CE, before 70 CE.
The first cry demands the removal of Ḥofni and Pineḥas, for defiling the Sanctuary in Shiloh.
The second cry welcomes Yoḥanan ben Nedavai (יוחנן בן נדבאי), praising his capacity and worthiness to consume large amounts of bird sacrificial meat. His presence ensured that no sacrificial meat was left over (נותר).
The third cry calls for Elishama ben Pikai (אלישמע בן פיכאי - probably identical with ישמעאל בן פיאבי)1 to be allowed to serve as High Priest due to his worthiness.
Expulsion of Yissakhar of Barkai (יששכר איש כפר ברקאי): The fourth cry seeks to expel Yissakhar from Barkai “as he honors himself, and desecrates items consecrated to Heaven”.
תנו רבנן:
ארבע צווחות צווחה עזרה.
צווחה ראשונה: "הוציאו מיכן בני עלי, חפני ופנחס, שטימאו את ההיכל".
צווחה שניה: "פתחו שערים, ויכנס יוחנן בן נדבאי, תלמידו של פינקאי, וימלא כרסו מקדשי שמים". אמרו על בן נדבאי, שהיה אוכל ארבעים סאה גוזלות בקינוח סעודה. אמרו, כל ימיו לא היה נותר בעזרה.
צווחה שלישית: "שאו שערים ראשיכם, ויכנס אלישמע בן פיכאי, תלמידו של פנחס, וישמש בכהונה גדולה".
צווחה רביעית: "פתחו שערים, והוציאו יששכר איש כפר ברקאי, שמכבד עצמו, ומבזה קדשי שמים".
the Sages taught in a baraita:
The Temple courtyard cried four cries.
The first cry was: Remove Ḥofni and Pineḥas the sons of Eli the priest from here, as they have rendered the Sanctuary in Shiloh impure (see I Samuel 4:13–22).
The second cry was: Open the gates, and let Yoḥanan ben Nedavai, the student of Pinkai, enter and fill his belly with meat of offerings consecrated to Heaven, as he is worthy to eat offerings. They said about ben Nedavai that he would eat four se’a of doves for dessert. They said: Throughout all the days of Yoḥanan ben Nedavai there was never sacrificial meat left over in the Temple courtyard, as he would ensure that it was eaten.
The third cry was: Lift your heads, O gates, and let Elishama ben Pikai, the student of Pineḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, enter and serve as High Priest, as he is worthy.
The fourth cry was: Open the gates and expel Yissakhar from the village of Barkai, as he honors himself and desecrates items consecrated to Heaven.
The Sins and Eventual Downfall of the High Priest Yissakhar of Barkai
The anonymous Talmud clarifies the exact sin of Yissakhar from the village of Barkai: He would cover his hands with silk to avoid soiling them during Temple service.
The Talmud goes on to tell a dramatic story about how he faced a severe consequence for his actions. In a discussion about whether goat or lamb meat was superior, the king2 and his queen consulted Yissakhar, given his role as High Priest and his familiarity with sacrificial meats. Yissakhar opined that lamb meat was superior, as evidenced by its selection for the daily offering. He made a contemptuous gesture while explaining, which prompted the king to order the severance of his right hand. Yissakhar bribed the official to sever his left hand instead, but upon discovering the deceit, the king ordered his right hand to be cut off as well.
Rav Yosef remarked that Yissakhar's punishment of losing both hands was fitting, as he had previously avoided using them to handle sacrificial offerings.
מאי הוי עביד?
הוה כריך שיראי על ידיה, והוה עביד עבודה.
מאי סליקא ליה?
ינאי מלכא ומלכתא הוו יתבין.
מלכא אמר: גדיא יאי,
ומלכתא אמרה: אימרא יאי,
אמרו: נשייליה ליששכר איש כפר ברקאי, דכהן גדול הוא, וקים ליה קדירה.
שיילוהו,
אמר להו: אי גדיא יאי, ייסק לתמידא.
בהדי דאמר, אחוי בידיה,
אמר להון מלכא: הואיל ואחוי בידיה, קוצו לידיה דימינא.
יהיב שוחדא, קציוה לידיה שמאלא.
שמע מלכא, אמר: ליקצ[יוה] נמי לידיה דימינא.
אמר רב יוסף: בריך רחמנא, דשקליה (ל)יששכר איש כפר ברקאי למטרפסיה.
What would he do to deserve such a reputation?
He would wrap silk [shira’ei] over his hands and perform the Temple service, as he was unwilling to dirty his hands.
The Gemara asks: What ultimately happened to Yissakhar from the village of Barkai?
Yannai the king, and the queen were sitting and discussing food.
The king said that goat meat is better food than lamb meat,
and the queen said lamb meat is the better food.
They said: Let us ask Yissakhar from the village of Barkai, as he is the High Priest and is very familiar with various dishes.
They asked him,
and he said to them: If goat meat were better, it would be sacrificed as the daily offering. The fact that the daily offering is lamb proves that its meat is preferable to that of goat.
As he spoke, he signaled contemptuously with his hand.
The king said to his attendants: Since he signaled contemptuously with his hand, sever his right hand.
Yissakhar gave a bribe, and the official severed his left hand instead.
The king heard that Yissakhar had deceived him, and said: Let the official sever his right hand as well.
Rav Yosef said: Blessed is the Merciful One, who took retribution [lematrapsei] on Yissakhar of the village of Barkai. His punishment fit his crime; since he would not dirty his hands with sacrificial blood, both his hands were severed.
in the parallel in Tractate Pesachim, the name appears as ישמעאל בן פיאכי.
Here in Tractate Keritot, “King Yannai” appears (ינאי מלכא), but this is historically impossible; in the parallel in tractate Pesachim ibid., it simply states “King”, “Yannai” doesn’t appear.