On the eve of Yom Kippur, the elders of the Beit Din hand the Kohen Gadol over to the elders of the priesthood. They take him up to the upper room of the Beit Avtinas and adjure him, by Him who made His Name dwell in this house, to change nothing of all he has been told: “We are the messengers of the Beit Din, and you are our messenger and the messenger of the Beit Din.” Then they leave him. He turns aside and weeps, and they turn aside and weep.
Dimensions
- the upper room of the Beit Avtinas
- “we are the messengers of the Beit Din”
- he weeps, they weep
Sources
- Yoma 1:5“מְסָרוּהוּ זִקְנֵי בֵית דִּין לְזִקְנֵי כְהֻנָּה, וְהֶעֱלוּהוּ לַעֲלִיַּת בֵּית אַבְטִינָס, וְהִשְׁבִּיעוּהוּ”
- Yoma 1:5“הוּא פוֹרֵשׁ וּבוֹכֶה, וְהֵן פּוֹרְשִׁין וּבוֹכִין”
Project decisionTour's choice: two elders, east of the mortar, and he at the window over the Azara; the hand over the eyes. Off duty, they wear what the tour's Israelites wear.