Hebrew Literature Part 11

1. These things in the pa.s.sover abrogate the command against work on the Sabbath: its slaughtering, and the sprinkling of its blood, and purging its inwards, and incensing its fat. But its roasting and the rinsing of its inwards do not abrogate the Sabbath. But to carry it, and to bring it beyond a Sabbath day's journey, and to cut off its wen, do not abrogate the Sabbath. Rabbi Eleazar said, "they abrogate it."

2. Said Rabbi Eleazar, "and is not this the teaching? when slaughtering is work it abrogates the Sabbath. Things which are for 'resting' do not abrogate the Sabbath."(161) To him said Rabbi Joshua, "a holiday will give the proof; the Sages permitted that which is work, and they forbade that which is resting." Rabbi Eleazar said to him, "what do you mean, Joshua?

what comparison is there between a command and that which is voluntary?"

Rabbi Akiba answered and said, "sprinkling(162) will give the proof, because it is a positive command, and it is for 'resting,' and does not abrogate the Sabbath; but you should not wonder at this, even though it be a command, as it is for 'resting,' and does not abrogate the Sabbath."

Rabbi Eleazar said to him, "and on that I form my judgment, when slaughtering is work it abrogates the Sabbath; sprinkling, which is for 'resting,' does it not teach that it abrogates the Sabbath?" Rabbi Akiba said to him, "on the contrary, if sprinkling, which is for 'resting,' does not abrogate the Sabbath, slaughtering, which is for work, is it not the teaching? should not abrogate the Sabbath." Rabbi Eleazar said to him, "Akiba, thou hast annulled what is written in the Law, 'between the evenings,' 'in its appointed time,' whether it be a week-day or a Sabbath." He said to him, "My teacher, give me proof of an appointed time for these things, like the appointed time for slaughtering the pa.s.sover-offering?" The rule is, said R. Akiba, "all work for the pa.s.sover which it is possible to do on the eve of the Sabbath does not abrogate the Sabbath; slaughtering, which it is impossible to do on the eve of the pa.s.sover which falls on a Sabbath, abrogates the Sabbath."

3. "When do men bring with the pa.s.sover a feast-offering?" "When the pa.s.sover falls on a week-day, when those who offer it are legally clean, and when the lamb is too small for the eaters. But when the pa.s.sover falls on a Sabbath, when the lamb is too much for the eaters, and there is legal uncleanness, they should not bring with it a feast-offering."

4. The feast-offering(163) came from flocks, from herds, from sheep and goats, from rams and ewes, and it may be eaten during a period of two days and one night.

5. "The pa.s.sover which was slaughtered without the proper intention on a Sabbath?" "The offerer of it is indebted for a sin-offering." "And all the other sacrifices which he slaughtered for the pa.s.sover?" "If they be not suitable for it he is guilty." "And if they be suitable?" Rabbi Eleazar declares him "indebted for a sin-offering." But R. Joshua "frees him."

Said Rabbi Eleazar, "what! if the pa.s.sover which was allowed for proper intention when the offerer changed its intention, makes him guilty; is it not the teaching that sacrifices, which are disallowed for want of proper intention when the offerer changed their intention, make him also guilty?"

Rabbi Joshua said to him, "no; if thou saidst in the pa.s.sover when he changed its intention it is changed to a thing disallowed, thou wilt say in the other sacrifices when he changed their intention they are changed to a thing allowed." Rabbi Eleazar said to him, "the congregational offerings will give the proof, because they are rendered lawful on the Sabbath by intention, but whoever slaughtered (another) sacrifice with their intention is guilty." Rabbi Joshua said to him, "no; if thou sayest so in the congregational offerings, which are a determined number, thou wilt also say so in the pa.s.sover sacrifice which has no determined number." Rabbi Meier said, "even he who slaughtered other offerings on the Sabbath, with the intention of the congregational offerings, is free."

6. "When one slaughtered the pa.s.sover, but not for its eaters, or not for those numbered to eat it, for uncirc.u.mcised and for unclean persons?" "He is guilty." "For its eaters and not for its eaters? For its reckoning and not for its reckoning? For circ.u.mcised and uncirc.u.mcised? For clean and unclean?" "He is free." "He slaughtered it, and it was found blemished?"

"He is guilty." "He slaughtered it and it was found torn in secret?" "He is free." "He slaughtered it, and it became known that its owners retired from it, or died, or became legally unclean?" "He is free, because he slaughtered it with lawful permission."

Chapter VII

1. "How do men roast the pa.s.sover?" "They bring a stick of pomegranate and thrust it through its mouth to its tail. And they put its legs and intestines inside it." The words of R. Jose, the Galilean. Rabbi Akiba said, "that is a kind of boiling, therefore they hang them outside of it."

2. Men must not roast the pa.s.sover on a spit or a gridiron. Said R. Zaduk, "it happened to Rabban Gamaliel that he said to Zabi, his servant, 'go and roast for us the pa.s.sover on the gridiron.' " "If it touch the side of the oven?" "That part must be peeled off." "If its gravy drop on the side of the oven, and again return on it?" "That part must be taken out." "If the gravy drop on the fine flour?" "That part must be pulled out" (and burned).

3. "If men anointed (basted) it with oil of the heave-offering?" "If it be a company of priests, they may eat it." "If it be a company of Israelites?" "If it be raw they can wash it away." "But if roast?" "They must peel off the surface." "If it was anointed with oil of the second t.i.the?" "Its value in money must not be charged to the members of the company, because they cannot redeem(164) the second t.i.thes in Jerusalem."

4. Five things may be brought during legal uncleanness, but they must not be eaten in legal uncleanness: the sheaf,(165) the two wave loaves,(166) and the shewbread,(167) sacrifices of peace-offerings of the congregation,(168) and the kids(169) on the feast of the New Moon. The pa.s.sover which was brought during legal uncleanness, may be eaten in uncleanness, because in the beginning the command came only for eating.

5. "If the flesh be legally unclean and the fat unpolluted?" "The priest must not sprinkle its blood on the altar." "If the fat be unclean and the flesh unpolluted?" "The priest may sprinkle its blood." But with other holy offerings it is not so, for though their flesh be unclean, and their fat remains unpolluted, the priest may sprinkle their blood on the altar.

6. "If the congregation be legally unclean, or its majority, or the priests be legally unclean, and the congregation legally clean?" "The pa.s.sover may be kept in legal uncleanness." "If the minority of the congregation be legally unclean?" "The clean majority can keep the first, and the unclean minority the second pa.s.sover" (on the fourteenth day of the following month).

7. When the blood of the pa.s.sover-offering was poured on the altar, and it was afterward known that it was unclean, the (golden)(170) plate of the High Priest makes it accepted. When the body of the paschal sacrifice was unclean, "the plate" cannot make it accepted, as they say the Nazarite and the celebrant of the pa.s.sover have the uncleanness of the blood accepted with "the plate." But "the plate" does not make the legal uncleanness of the body of the paschal lamb accepted. If it be legally unclean with an unknown uncleanness, the plate makes it accepted.

8. "If it be legally unclean in whole or in most part?" "The pa.s.sover must be burned in front of 'the palace'(171) with the wood of the altar." "A little which is unclean, and that which is left over?" "The owners may burn it in their own courts, or on their roofs with their own wood." The stingy ones burnt it in front of the palace, that they might use the wood of the altar.

9. "The pa.s.sover which was carried out of the city, or became unclean?"

"The owner must burn it off-hand." "Its masters became unclean or died?"

"Let its appearance change, and let it be burned on the sixteenth."(172) Rabbi Jochanan, the son of Beruka, said, "even it must be burned off-hand, because it has no one to eat it."

10. "Bones and tendons and what is left over?" "They must be burned on the sixteenth." "If the sixteenth happened on a Sabbath?" "They must be burned on the seventeenth, because they cannot abrogate either the laws of the Sabbath or the holiday."

11. All that is eaten in a great ox may be eaten in a tender kid, and the tops of the shoulder-blades, and the gristle. "Whoever broke any bone in a clean pa.s.sover?" "He must receive forty stripes." "But for what is left over in the clean, and broken in an unclean pa.s.sover?" "He does not receive the forty".

12. "A member partly displaced?" "One must cut in till he reach the bone, and he must peel off the flesh till he reach the joint, and he cuts it off. But in other holy offerings one may cleave the displaced members with an axe, since there does not exist any (prohibition of) breaking the bone for them." (For example), from the door-post and inwards is inside. From the door-post and outwards is outside. The windows and thickness of the wall are reckoned as inside.

13. "Two companies which eat the pa.s.sover in one house?" "These turn their faces to this side and eat; and those turn their faces to that side and eat. And the boiler(173) is between the companies. The servant stands to mix wine. The servant must shut his mouth till he serve the other company.

He afterward turns his face till he reach his own company, and then he may eat. And she who is newly married can turn her face aside and eat it."

Chapter VIII

1. "The married woman, while she is in the house of her husband?" "Her husband slaughtered on her account, and her father slaughtered on her account?" "She must eat the pa.s.sover with her husband." "She went to spend the first feast after her marriage in the house of her father-her father slaughtered on her account, and her husband slaughtered on her account?"

"She may eat in the place which she wishes." "An orphan on whose account the guardians slaughtered?" "He may eat in the place which he wishes." "A slave of two partners?" "He must not eat with both." "A slave who is half free?" "He must not eat with his master."

2. One said to his slave, "go and slaughter for me the pa.s.sover." "He slaughtered a kid?" "He may eat it." "He slaughtered a lamb?" "He may eat it." "He slaughtered a kid and a lamb?" "He may eat of the first." "He forgot what his master said to him-what shall he do?" "He must slaughter a lamb and a kid, and shall say, 'If my master said to me-a kid, the kid is on his account, and the lamb is on my account; and if my master said to me-a lamb, the lamb is for him, and the kid is for me.' " "If his master forgot what he said to him?" "Both animals must go forth to the house of burning; and they are free from keeping the second pa.s.sover."

3. One said to his sons, "I am ready to slaughter the pa.s.sover for you who shall first go up to Jerusalem." As soon as one of them entered with his head and the greater part of his body inside the city gate, he gained his own share of the pa.s.sover, and gained it for his brothers with him. They may always be reckoned in one company, when each one obtains the size of an olive. They may first be reckoned, and afterward withdraw from a company till the pa.s.sover be slaughtered. Rabbi Simon said, "until its blood be poured out on their account."

4. "He who reckoned others with himself in his portion of the lamb?" "The members of the company are allowed to give to him his share, and he may eat of it with his own guests; and they may eat their portion with their own guests."

5. "If one observed an issue twice?" "They may slaughter the lamb on his account on the seventh day of the issue if it be the fourteenth day of Nisan." "If he observed it thrice?"(174) "They may only slaughter on his account on the eighth day of the issue" (if it be the fourteenth day of Nisan).

6. "The mourner and the person who opened a heap,(175) and also the person who has the promise of release from prison, and the sick, and the aged, who are able to eat the size of an olive?" "They may slaughter the pa.s.sover for them." For all of them they must not slaughter the lamb on their own account alone, lest they bring the pa.s.sover into contempt,(176) because there might happen to them some abomination. They are freed from keeping a second pa.s.sover-excepting him who in opening the heap was unclean from the beginning.

7. "They must not slaughter the pa.s.sover for one person." The words of Rabbi Judah; but Rabbi Jose "allowed it." Even for a company of a hundred, when they cannot eat the size of an olive, they must not slaughter the pa.s.sover; and they must not form a company of women, of slaves, and of little ones.

8. A mourner may be baptized, and eat his pa.s.sover in the evening, but not other holy things. "He who heard of a death, or had the bones of his relations collected?" "He may be baptized and eat holy things." "A stranger who was proselytized on the eve of the pa.s.sover?" The school of Shammai say, "He may be baptized and eat his pa.s.sover in the evening"; but the school of Hillel say, "he who just departed from the foreskin is as legally unclean as he who just departs from the grave."

Chapter IX

1. He who was legally unclean, or in a journey afar off, and did not keep the first, must keep the second (pa.s.sover). "He mistook it, or was constrained by force, and did not keep the first?" "He must keep the second." "If so, why is it said unclean(177) or in a journey afar off?"

"Because such persons are free from being cut off, but those bound to observe it are to be cut off if they neglect it."

2. What is a "journey afar off?" "From Modiim(178) and outward; and so is the measure from Jerusalem on every side." The words of Rabbi Akiba; Rabbi Eleazar said, "from the threshold of the temple-court and outward." Said R. Jose, "for this reason there is a dot on the 'he,' to explain not that it is really afar off, but that one is afar off from the threshold of the temple-court and outward."

3. "What is the difference between the first and second pa.s.sover?" "The first pa.s.sover forbids leaven to be seen or found; but the second allows unleavened and leavened bread in one's house." The first pa.s.sover requires hallel(179) during eating, but the second does not require hallel during eating. Both require hallel in their preparations, and the paschal sacrifices must be eaten roasted on unleavened bread with bitter herbs, and they both abrogate the Sabbath.

4. "The pa.s.sover-offering which was brought during legal uncleanness?"

"The man or woman with an issue may not eat of it, nor she in separation or in childbirth. But if they eat they are free from being cut off." Rabbi Eleazar "frees them even in going into the sanctuary."

5. "What is the difference between the pa.s.sover of Egypt and the pa.s.sover of succeeding generations?" "The pa.s.sover of Egypt was taken on the tenth day,(180) and required the sprinkling with a bunch of hyssop on the lintel and the two side posts, and was eaten with haste in one night; but the pa.s.sover of succeeding generations exists the whole seven days."

6. Said R. Joshua, "I once heard that the subst.i.tute(181) of the pa.s.sover-offering can be sacrificed, and that the subst.i.tute of the pa.s.sover-offering cannot be sacrificed, I have no one to explain." Said R.

Akiba, "I will explain: the pa.s.sover-offering, which was found (after being lost) before the time for slaughtering its subst.i.tute, may be pastured till it be blemished, and it can be sold, and the owner can take for its price peace-offerings, and so also for its subst.i.tute. After the time for slaughtering the pa.s.sover-offering its subst.i.tute may be offered for a peace-offering, and so can also its subst.i.tute."

7. "He who set apart a ewe for his pa.s.sover, or a male of two years?" "He may pasture it till it be blemished. And he can sell it, and its price may be used for a free-will offering." "He who selected his pa.s.sover, and afterward died?" "His son must not offer it after him with the intention of a pa.s.sover, but he may offer it with the intention of a peace-offering."

8. "The pa.s.sover-offering which was mixed up with other sacrifices?" "All must be pastured till they be blemished, and they must be sold, and the offerer must bring the price of the best of this kind and the price of the best of that kind, and the loss he must make up from his private means."

"The pa.s.sover-offering which was mixed up with first-borns?" Rabbi Simon said, "if there be companies of priests they may eat it."

9. "A company(182) which lost its pa.s.sover-offering, and said to someone, 'go and seek it and slaughter it for us'; and he went and found it and slaughtered it, and they meanwhile also took one and slaughtered it,-if his be first slaughtered?" "He may eat of his and they may eat with him of his." "But if theirs be first slaughtered?" "They may eat of theirs, and he may eat of his." "But if it be not known which of them was first slaughtered, or both were slaughtered at once?" "He must eat of his pa.s.sover, but they cannot eat with him, and their pa.s.sover must go forth to the house of burning; and they are freed from keeping a second pa.s.sover." "He said to them, 'if I be too late, go and slaughter for me'; he went, and meanwhile found (the lost) one and slaughtered it, and they took and also slaughtered one. If theirs be first slaughtered?" "They may eat of theirs, and he may eat with them." "But if his were first slaughtered?" "He shall eat of his, and they shall eat of theirs." "But if it be not known which of them was first slaughtered or both of them were slaughtered at once?" "They shall eat of theirs, but he must not eat with them, and his lamb must go forth to the house of burning, and he is freed from keeping a second (pa.s.sover)." "If he said to them 'slaughter for me,'