Two small psychological observations from two different points discussed in the Gemara.

On Amud Beis the Gemara explains that they used a linen sheet as a mechitza between the Cohen Godol and the crowd, to cover him while he changed clothes for the service. The Gemara asks why specifically a sheet of linen? The Gemara answer that since the Yom Kippur avodah was with linen clothes, unlike all year round, they also used a linen sheet.

It’s not clear from the Gemara alone what is the exact reasoning for this. From the Bartenura commentary on the Mishna, it seems to be simply that this was a cue to remind the Cohen Godol to choose the linen clothes as he usually wore different clothes. This would seem odd that on the holiest day of the year, a relatively simple ritual cannot be properly remembered. However, if we take this at face value, that seems to be the concern. Maybe performing in front of everyone can cause stage fright. The Cohen Godol could, so to speak, forget his lines.

Further in the Gemara and Mishna we find that if the Cohen Godol was a person of delicate nature and could not bear the cold Mikvah waters, they would heat the water up for him, via an act that normally was rabbinically forbidden. Again, we must wonder, how on the holiest day of the year is the coldness of the Mikvah water a serious concern? Shouldn’t the Cohen Godol just be moiser nefesh (sacrifice) a little bit? Apparently not. Either we accept that he really can’t or the rabbis felt it was insensitive and discourteous to expect him to do so.

The common denominator in these two halakhic vignettes is that indeed there seems to be much allowance made for human weaknesses and foibles. It’s a different kind of lesson for the Day of Judgment, but undeniably expressed here.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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