Talmud: Yoma 23

After one finishes racing at top speed, one needs additional space to slow down. If the race finishes 4 amos from the end of the ramp, is one allowed to slow down to a stop upon the top of the mizbeach, or does one have to stop at the end of the ramp? Going onto the top of the mizbeach for a mundane reason of slowing down would not seem proper. However, if one has to slow down four amos after the end of the race, one would slow down prior to the end point.

Also, if I remember, there is a space between the end of the ramp and the mizbeach. Why were the Rabbis concerned people would injure themselves if they were still going faster than a walk, when the Cohen reached that space?

Why did the Rabbi choose the ramp for this race, in lieu of race, say from the doorway till the bottom of the ramp? The ramp also has a level of holiness, higher than the floor. Was the physical concept of an elevated run up the ramp important in a spiritual way? Reply