Torah Community Connections

Week 141 - Monday - 5 August 2002

ZEVAHIM: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 2

If one slaughters the sacrifice to sprinkle its blood outside, or part of its blood outside, to burn its portions outside, or part of its portions outside, to eat its meat outside, or an olive's bulk of its meat outside, or to eat an olive's bulk of the skin of the fat-tail outside - it is invalid, but one does not incur karet. To sprinkle its blood on the next day, or part of its blood on the next day, to burn its portions on the next day, or part of its portions on the next day, to eat its meat on the next day, or an olive's bulk of its meat on the next day, or an olive's bulk of the skin of the fat-tail on the next day - it is pigul and one incurs for it karet.

Kehati

This mishnah deals with the effects of intended actions "outside its place" and "after the time limit". Our mishnah uses the term, "If one slaughters the sacrifice" because slaughtering is the first act of the sacrificial service, as mentioned at the beginning of this Tractate, but the same rule applies to the other acts, as elaborated in the next mishnah.

If one slaughters the sacrifice intending to sprinkle its blood outside, or part of its blood outside the Temple Court, intending to burn its portions outside, or part of its portions outside - eimurim (portions) are the parts of the sacrifice burnt on the altar; according to Rambam (in his Introduction to the Order of Kodashim) it is derived from amar (state) i.e., the Torah states explicitly that these must be burnt on the altar; but the Arukh relates it to mar - master, i.e., the superior parts; likewise if one slaughters the sacrifice intending

to eat its (most holy) meat outside, or to eat an olive's built of its meat outside the Temple Court or (lesser holy meat) outside Jerusalem - or to eat an olive's bulk of the skin of the fat-tail outside - i.e., planning to eat the edible skin under the fat-tail - in each of these cases it - the sacrifice - is invalid - it may not be offered up and its meat may not be eaten –

but one does not incur karet - if he eats of such meat. But if one slaughters the sacrifice intending

to sprinkle its blood on the next day, or part of its blood on the next day i.e., after the prescribed time limit for sprinkling the blood on the altar, or intending - to burn its portions on the next day, or part of its portions on the next day - after the prescribed time limit for the burning of the portions, or

to eat its meat on the next day, or an olive's bulk of its meat on the next day, or an olive's bulk of the skin of the fat-tail on the next day - i.e., after the prescribed time limit for its consumption. The term "on the next day" is not meant literally but rather in the sense of "at a later time," since a peace-offering may be eaten during two days and one night - it - the sacrifice

is pigul, and if one eats of its meat, even within the prescribed time, he incurs for it karet.

ZEVAHIM: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 3

This is the general rule: If anyone slaughters, collects, conveys or sprinkles: to eat that which is normally eaten, to burn that which is normally burnt, outside its place - is invalid, but no karet is incurred; after its time - it is pigul, and one incurs the punishment of karet, provided that what renders permitted is offered in accordance with its law.

Kehati

This is a continuation of the preceding mishnah; it defines the rule regarding an intended performance "outside its place" and "after its time." It further teaches that the pigul invalidation only applies to the sacrifices that suffer from no other disqualification, as will be explained.

This is the general rule regarding "outside its place" and "after its time":

If anyone slaughters a sacrifice, or collects the blood in a holy service vessel, or conveys the blood or sprinkles the blood on the altar; i.e., whoever performs any one of these four acts intending to eat of the sacrifice that which is normally eaten, e.g., the meat or the skin under the fat-tail, or intending to burn that which is normally burnt - i.e., the portions of the sacrifice burnt on the altar outside its place i.e., the Temple Court, or, lesser holy things, outside Jerusalem, the sacrifice is invalid, but no karet is incurred -one may not eat the meat, but if he does he is not liable to karet. However, if one performs any one of these four acts - slaughtering, collecting, sprinkling or conveying the blood, intending to eat the sacrificial meat or to burn the portions

after its - prescribed - time - for its consumption and burning on the altar, it - the sacrifice - is pigul, and one who eats it, even within the prescribed time limit incurs the punishment of karet - thus (Lev. 7:18): "And if any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace-offering be eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed to him who offers it, it shall be pigul, and the person who eats of it shall bear his iniquity." According to the Sages, this verse refers to one who while sacrificing the peace-offering plans to eat of it on the third day, or while performing one of the sacrificial acts for any other offering plans to eat it after the prescribed time, or one who intends to burn after the prescribed time, any part of it which is normally burnt on the altar, since it is written (ibid.): "Haokhel Yeakhel" - a repetition of the verb 'eat' (yeakhel) - one of which the Sages associated with the person who offers, and the other with the altar, whereon the flames consume the portions. Concerning both the Torah states "neither shall it be imputed to him who offers it. it shall be pigul –

provided that what renders permitted - i.e., the blood which enables the sacrifice to be offered up and eaten - is offered in accordance with its law - i.e., that there be no other disqualification than that of the pigul, but if there is, the sacrifice is no longer subject to pigul, as explained in the next mishnah. The Gemara explains: Scripture states (ibid.) "it shall not be accepted” employing the same expression as for a valid sacrifice (Lev. 1:4) "and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him"; this teaches us that the acceptance of the invalidated is analogous to that of the valid - just as the valid (sacrifice) is accepted only after all that renders it permissible has been offered up (i.e., only after the sprinkling of the blood, the last of the four acts which render it permissible), so also does the pigul restrictions become "acceptable", i.e., relevant, only after all that renders it permissible has been offered up (i.e., pigul does not apply before the sprinkling of the blood, the last of the acts which render it permissible).

Return to Mishna Yomit Index

Visit the Mishna Yomit Archives