Oaths and Incense: Yoma 19b

The Mishnah states that the Jewish high court would make the High Priest swear on Yom Kippur morning that he would follow all instructions. The Gemara discusses the need for this oath. I find the discussion to especially interesting for reasons that I will explain after the text.

Why [make the High Priest swear this oath]? Lest the High Priest prepare the incense and light it on the outside [of the holiest part of the Temple] and then enter, for this is how the Saducees performed the ritual. [The Saducees were heretics, and this part of the ritual was performed by the High Priest alone.] Our Rabbis teach: Ones a Saducee [who had become High Priest] prepared and lit the incense [outside of the proper location] and then entered [the holiest part of the Temple.] [After completing the ritual] he exited feeling extremely joyous. The Saducee's father encountered him and said, 'My son, even though we are both Saducees, we are fearful of such actions.' [In other words, I hope you did not follow our customs just now!] The High Priest replied, 'All of my days I worried [about our interpretation of biblical verse related to the incense sacrifice]... now that I have the opportunity [to put it into action] how could I give up the opportunity?'

It was taught: Not many days passed before the High Priest died, was thrown in rubbish, and worms came out of his nose. [Note this was the same nose that smelled the prohibited incense.] Others teach that the High Priest was struck down as he exited the Temple, as Rabbi Hiya taught: A voice was heard in the Temple courtyard, and an angel came and kicked the High Priest in the face. The High Priest's fellows came and found a hoof print of a ox between the High Priest's shoulders. [According to biblical verse, angels had ox feet.]