Hebrew Literature Part 12

and they also said to him 'slaughter for us?' " "All shall eat of that one first slaughtered." "But if it be not known which of them was first slaughtered?" "Both must go forth to the house of burning." "If he did not say it to them, nor they say it to him?" "They are not sureties one for the other" (and they must eat apart from each other).

10. "Two companies had their pa.s.sover-offerings mixed: this company drew out one for themselves, and that company drew out one for themselves. One of these comes to those, and one of those comes to these, and thus they say, 'if this pa.s.sover be ours, let our hands be withdrawn from yours and be counted with ours; but if this pa.s.sover be yours, let our hands be withdrawn from ours and be counted with yours.' And so with five companies of five each, and ten of ten each, they may draw out and join one from every company, and say so."

11. "Two persons who had their pa.s.sover-offerings mixed?" "One draws out one for himself, and the other draws out one for himself. This one can count with himself a person invited from the market. And that one can count with himself a person invited from the market. This individual comes to that one, and that one comes to this one, and so they say, 'if this pa.s.sover be mine, let thy hands be withdrawn from thine, and be counted with mine; and if this pa.s.sover be thine, let my hands be withdrawn from mine, and be counted with thine.' "

Chapter X

1. On the eves of the pa.s.sovers near to the time of evening prayer a man must not eat till it be dark. And even the poorest in Israel must not eat till he can recline at ease, and they must not withhold from him the four cups of wine, even though he receives the weekly alms.

2. When they mix for him the first cup of wine,(183) the school of Shammai say, "he shall repeat the blessing for the day, and after that the blessing for the wine." But the school of Hillel say, "he shall repeat the blessing for the wine, and after that the blessing for the day."

3. The attendants bring before him greens and lettuce. He dips the lettuce in its sauce till he come to the time for the seasoning of the bread. They bring before him unleavened bread, and lettuce, and the fruit sauce, on two dishes, even though the fruit sauce is not a command. Rabbi Eleazar, the son of Zadok, said (it is) "a command, and in the time of the sanctuary they used to bring before him the body of the pa.s.sover offering."

4. The attendants mixed for him the second cup, and here the son asks his father, and if the son have no knowledge his father teaches him, "in what is this night different from all other nights?" "Because in all other nights we eat leavened and unleavened bread. In this night all is unleavened. Because in all other nights we eat every herb, in this night bitter herbs. Because in all other nights we eat flesh roasted, well boiled, and boiled. In this night all is roasted. Because in all other nights we dip what we eat once, in this night twice" (_i.e._, in the sauce and in the seasoning). And according to the knowledge of the son his father teaches him. He begins in shame and he ends in praise. And he expounds from "a Syrian ready to perish was my father,"(184) till he end the whole pa.s.sage.

5. Rabban Gamaliel used to say, "everyone who did not speak of these three things in the pa.s.sover did not discharge his duty, and these are they: the pa.s.sover, the unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. Pa.s.sover, because OMNIPRESENCE pa.s.sed over the houses of our fathers in Egypt. Unleavened, because our fathers were redeemed from Egypt. Bitter, because the Egyptians made the lives of our fathers bitter in Egypt." In every generation man is bound to look to himself as though he in person went out from Egypt, as is said,(185) "And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt." For this reason we are bound to acknowledge, to thank, to praise, to glorify, to exalt, to magnify, to bless, to elevate, without limit, HIM who has done for our fathers and us all these miracles.

He brought us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to festivity, and from thick darkness to great light, and from servitude to redemption, and let us say before Him Hallelujah.

6. "How far does he repeat?" The school of Shammai say, till "a joyful mother of children."(186) But the school of Hillel say, till "the flint into a fountain of waters,"(187) and he finished with a "blessing for redemption." Rabbi Tarphon said, " 'Who redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt,' and he does not end with any other blessing." Rabbi Akiba adds, "So the Lord our G.o.d and the G.o.d of our fathers shall bring us to holidays and other feast-days yet to come to us in peace, rejoicing in the building of THY city, and delighting in THY service; and we shall eat there the sacrifices and the pa.s.sovers, etc., until 'Blessed be Thou, Lord, the Redeemer of Israel.' "

7. When the attendants mixed for him the third cup(188) he says the blessing for his food, with the fourth cup he finished the hallel, and said over it the blessing of the Song.(189) Between the first and second cups if he wish to drink, he may drink as much as he likes. Between the third and fourth he must not drink.

8. Persons are not free after the pa.s.sover to ask for more food. "If some fall asleep during the pa.s.sover?"(190) "They may afterward eat of it."

"All?" "They must not eat of it." Rabbi Jose says, "If they dozed?" "They may eat of it." "If they slept?" "They must not eat of it."

9. The pa.s.sover after midnight renders hands legally unclean. False intention and the remains of the feast render hands legally unclean.(191) "When one repeated the pa.s.sover-blessing?" "He is free from the sacrifice-blessing, but the sacrifice-blessing does not free him from that of the pa.s.sover." The words of R. Ishmael. Rabbi Akiba said, "this does not free from that, nor that from this."

On The Day Of Atonement

Preparations of the High Priest-Cleansing the Altar-Casting Lots-Daybreak-Offerings-Dress-Prayer-The Goats-Mon.o.bazus-Helena-Azazel-The Golden Censer-The Vail-Holy of Holies-"Foundation"-Sprinkling the Blood-Sending Forth the Goat into the Wilderness-High Priest Burning the Bullock and Goat-Reading-Ceremonial-Rules and Exceptions-Repentance and Atonement.

Chapter I

1. Seven days before the Day of Atonement the High Priest was removed from his house to the chamber(192) Parhedrin, and the council prepared for him another priest,(193) lest there happen to him any defilement. R. Judah said, "they prepared also another wife, lest his wife die"; as is said,(194) "And he shall atone for himself and for his house"; for his house, _i.e._, for his wife. The Sages said to him, "if so, there is no end to the matter."

2. All these seven days, he (the high priest) sprinkled the blood, burned the incense, and trimmed the lamps, and offered the head and the foot. On the remainder of all the days, if he wished to offer, he offered; since the high priest first offered part, and first took part (in the sacrifices).

3. The elders from the elders of the great Sanhedrin delivered to him, and read before him, the ceremonial of the day; and they said to him, "My Lord High Priest, read with thy mouth, perchance thou hast forgotten, or perchance thou hast not learned."(195) On the eve of the day of atonement, toward dawn, they placed him in the eastern gate (of the Temple), and they caused to pa.s.s before him bullocks, rams, and lambs, that he might be skilled and expert in his ministry.

4. All the seven days they did not withhold from him food and drink; the eve of the day of atonement, with the beginning of darkness, they did not permit him to eat much, since food induces sleep.

5. The elders of the great Sanhedrin delivered him to the elders of the priesthood, who brought him to the upper chamber of the house Abtinas. And they administered to him the oath,(196) and they left him and departed.

And they said to him, "My Lord High Priest, we are amba.s.sadors of the great Sanhedrin, and thou art our amba.s.sador, and the amba.s.sador of the great Sanhedrin. We adjure thee by Him, whose Name dwells in this house, that thou wilt not change aught of all which we have said to thee." He went apart and wept. They went apart and wept.(197)

6. If he were a learned man, he expounded; but if not, the disciples of the learned expounded before him. If he were skilled in reading, he read; but if not, they read before him. "And in what did they read before him?"

"In Job, and in Ezra, and in Chronicles." Zachariah, the son of Kebutal, said, "I often read before him in Daniel."

7. If he desired to sleep, the young priests filliped with the first finger(198) before him, and said to him, "My Lord High Priest, stand up and refresh thyself(199) once on the pavement," and they kept him occupied(200) until the time approached for slaying (the victims).

8. Every day they cleansed the altar at c.o.c.kcrow, or at its approach, intermediate before or after it; and on the day of atonement(201) at midnight; and in the three great feasts, at the first watch. And before c.o.c.kcrow the court was crowded with Israel.

Chapter II

1. At first everyone who wished to (cleanse) the altar, cleansed it. When they were many, they ran and mounted the ascent, and each one, who at the middle outstripped his companion by four cubits, won it. If two were equal the president said to them, "lift your fingers."(202) "And what is that?"

"They lifted one or two fingers, but no one lifted the thumb in the Sanctuary."

2. It happened that two were equal, and running and mounting the ascent, one of them thrust his companion, so that he fell, and his leg was broken.

And when the great Sanhedrin saw that they were getting into danger, they decreed that they should not cleanse the altar save by lot. There were four lots, and this was the first lot.

3. The second lot was: Who should slay? Who sprinkle? Who should take the ashes from the inner altar? and who should take the ashes from the candlestick? and who should carry the members to the ascent? the head and the right foot, and the hind feet, the tail, and the left foot, the breast, and the throat, and the two sides, and the inwards, and the fine flour, and the pancakes, and the wine. Thirteen priests discharged this lot. Said Ben Asai in the presence of R. Akiba from the mouth of Rabbi Joshua, "like to its way of motion" (when alive).

4. The third lot(203) was for new men who came to offer incense, and they cast the lots. The fourth lot was for new men with the old, who should carry the members from the ascent to the altar.

5. The daily offering was with nine, ten, eleven, twelve, priests; not less and not more. "How?" "Itself with nine: at the feast of Tabernacles in the hand of one, a gla.s.s of water there is ten. The evening offering with eleven, itself with nine, and in the hands of two, two f.a.gots of wood. On Sabbath, eleven; itself with nine, and two, in their hands two fragments of incense of the s...o...b..ead. And on the Sabbath in the feast of Tabernacles in the hand of one a gla.s.s of water."

6. The ram was offered with eleven; the flesh with five, the inner part, and the fine flour and the wine, to each two and two.

7. The bullock was offered with twenty-four priests. "The head and the right foot?" "The head with one, and the foot with two." "The chine and the left foot?" "The tail with two, and the left foot with two." "The breast and the throat?" "The breast with one, and the throat with three, the two hind feet with two, and the two sides with two, the inner parts and the fine flour, and the wine, each with three and three." "Of which is that said?" "Of the offering for the whole congregation." "But for the offerings of an individual?" "If he wished to offer, he might offer." "For the skinning and cutting up?" "For these all were equal."

Chapter III

1. The overseer said to them, "go and look if the time for slaughter is come." If it came, the watchman said, "it is brightening."(204) Matthew the son of Samuel said, "is the whole east light as far as Hebron?" and he said "yes."

2. "And why was that necessary?" "Because it once happened that the light of the moon came up, and they deemed it the light from the east." And they slaughtered the daily offering, and they brought it to the house of burning. And they brought down the High Priest to the house of Baptism.

This was the rule in the Sanctuary that everyone who covered his feet (was required) to wash; and everyone retiring was required to sanctify his hands and feet.

3. No one entered the court for service, however clean, until he washed.

The High Priest made five was.h.i.+ngs and ten purifications in this day, and all were in the Holy place above the house of Parva,(205) with the exception of the first one alone.

4. They made a screen of linen between him and the people. He undressed, descended, and washed. He came up and wiped himself. They brought to him robes of gold, and he dressed, and he sanctified his hands and feet. They brought to him the daily offering. He cut (its throat), and another finished the slaughter at his hand. He received the blood and sprinkled it. He entered to offer the morning incense and to trim the lights, and to offer the head and the members, and the things fried in the pan, and the wine.

5. The morning incense was offered between the blood and the members. That of the evening(206) between the members and the libations. If the High Priest were old, or delicate, they heated for him (iron), and they put it into the cold water, that its temperature should be changed.