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Week 144 - Shabbat - 31 August 2002

ZEVAHIM: CHAPTER 9: MISHNAH 4

Just as they do not descend once they ascended, so also do they not ascend once they descended. And all descend if they ascended to the top of the altar alive. A burnt-offering which ascended alive to the top of the altar, must descend. If he slaughtered it on the top of the altar, he must flay it and dismember it in its place.

Kehati

Just as they - the disqualified animals listed in mishnah 2 above do not descend once they ascended, and are offered up, so also do they not ascend the altar any more once they descended. And all descend and are not slaughtered since the altar does not sanctify live blemished animals (Gemara), if they ascended to the top of the altar alive - the preceding mishnah teaches: "R. Akiva declares blemished animals fit" (and once upon the altar they are not removed). We now learn that R. Akiva agrees that all blemished animals that reached the top of the altar alive, are taken down.

A fit burnt - or any other - offering - our mishnah specifies the burnt-offering because of the flaying and dismembering mentioned in the last section; which ascended alive to the top of the altar, must descend and may not be slaughtered there. Though the Torah explicitly permitted such, thus (Ex. 2:21): "An altar of earth shall you make to Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt-offerings and your peace-offerings", the Rabbis nevertheless forbade this practice on the top of the altar to prevent its pollution with excrement.

However, if he slaughtered it unlawfully on the top of the altar, it is not removed, rather he must flay it and dismember it in its place, thus, (Lev. 1:6): “And he shall flay the burnt-offering, and cut it into its pieces"; seeing that he slaughtered it on the top of the altar, let him flay it and dismember it there, and then burn it on top of the altar.

ZEVAHIM: CHAPTER 9: MISHNAH 5

And the following, if they ascended, come down: the flesh of the most holy sacrifices, the flesh of the lesser holy sacrifices, the remainder of the omer, the Two Loaves, the Shewbread, the remainder of the meal-offerings and the incense. The wool on the heads of the lambs, the hair of he-goats' beards, the bones, tendons, horns and hoofs, if they are attached, they go up, as it is written (Lev. 1:9): ".. and the priest shall burn all on the altar". If they were severed they do not go up, as it is written (Deut. 12:27): "And you shall offer your burnt-offerings, the meat and the blood".

Kehati

Our mishnah deals with the things totally excluded from the altar, since they are not offered up; hence if they are placed on the altar, they must be taken down.

And the following, if they ascended the altar, come down even if they are valid and ritually clean: the flesh of the most holy sacrifices, e.g., that of a sin- or guilt-offering, the flesh of the lesser holy sacrifices, e.g., that of a peace-offering, the remainder of the omer, - according to the Gemara (Menahot) the omer offered up on the 16th of Nissan consisted of an isaron (a tenth of an efah of barley) taken from three se'ahs (of barley that they cut and sifted thirteen times to attain one isaron of choice quality); the rest was redeemed and could be consumed by any person; the isaron was offered up like any meal-offering, i.e., a handful was burnt on the altar, and the remainder could be consumed by the priests (Men. 10:4); the Two Loaves offered on the Shavuot Festival; the twelve loaves of Shewbread that were placed every Sabbath on the golden table in the Sanctuary (Lev. 24:5-19); the remainder of the meal-offerings -all these are assigned for consumption and not for offering up on the altar, and the incense which must be burnt on the golden altar in the Sanctuary but was offered up on the outer altar; all these, if placed on the altar, must come down.

The wool on the heads of the lambs of burnt-offerings, the head is not flayed, and is offered up with the skin; the wool in question grows on the sheep's nape; the hair of he-goats' beards, the bones, tendons, horns and hoofs of burnt-offerings,

If they are attached to the flesh of the burnt-offering, they go up and are offered up with the limbs of the burnt-offering, as it is written regarding the burnt-offering - (Lev. 1:9): ".. and the priest shall burn all on the altar" which includes the above mentioned if they are attached.

If they were severed from the flesh of the burnt-offering they do not go up, since they are not offered up on the altar, as it is written (Deut. 12:27): "And you shall offer your burnt-offerings, the flesh and the blood" which implies that if the wool, hair, bones, tendons, horns and hoofs are detached from the flesh, the flesh and the blood alone are offered up.

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