Beitzah

but all agree that vows and freewill-offerings may not be offered on a Festival.1 And the following Tannaim [are engaged in the same controversy]2 as these [aforementioned] Tannaim. For it was taught: One may not bring a thank-offering3 on the Feast of Unleavened Bread on account of the leaven which it contains;4 nor on Pentecost, because it is a Festival;5 but one may bring his thank-offering on the Feast of Tabernacles.6 R. Simeon says: Lo, Scripture says, on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Tabernacles,7 [teaching] whatever may be brought on the Feast of Unleavened Bread may [also] be brought on the Feast of Weeks and on the Feast of Tabernacles, and whatever may not be brought on the Feast of Unleavened Bread may not be brought on the Feast of Weeks and on the Feast of Tabernacles [either]. R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon says: A man may bring his thank-offering8 on the Feast of Tabernacles and may therewith fulfil his obligation in respect of the joy [of the Festival],9 but does not fulfil his obligation therewith in respect of the Festival sacrifices.10 The Master said:11 ‘One may not bring a thank-offering on the Feast of Unleavened Bread on account of the leaven which it contains. This is obvious! — Said R. Adda son of R. Isaac, some say R. Samuel b. Abba: We are treating here of the fourteenth [of Nisan] and he holds: You must not bring consecrated meat to the place of disqualification.12 ‘Nor on Pentecost, because it is a Festival’; he is of the opinion [that] vows and freewill-offerings may not be offered on a Festival.13 ‘But a man may bring his thank-offering on the Feast of Tabernacles’. When? If it should mean on the Festival itself, but you say, ‘Nor on Pentecost because it is a Festival’. — Therefore [it must mean] on the intermediary days of the Festival. R. Simeon says: Lo, Scripture says: ‘on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Tabernacles’, [teaching] whatever may be brought on the Feast of Unleavened Bread may [also] be brought on the Feast of Weeks and on the Feast of Tabernacles, and what may not be brought on the Feast of Unleavened Bread may [also] not be brought on the Feast of Weeks and on the Feast of Tabernacles.14 To this R. Zera demurred: Seeing that we may [even] gather firewood can there be a question about vows and freewill-offerings!15 — Said Abaye: None dispute that the offering [of the thank-offering] is permitted:16 they differ only as to whether he is subject to ‘Thou shalt not delay’17 on its account. The first Tanna holds: The Divine Law said ‘Three Festivals’,18 even not in their order of sequence;19 while R. Simeon is of the opinion; only in their order of sequence [he transgresses] but not when they are not in order of sequence. ‘R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon says: One may bring the thank-offering on the Feast of Tabernacles’ — When? If [it means] on the Intermediary days of the Festival, then it is the same as the first Tanna. Therefore [it means] on the Festival [itself], and he is of the opinion that vows or freewill-offerings may be offered on Festivals.20 And why does he teach this particularly of the Feast of Tabernacles? — R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon follows his view [expressed elsewhere]. For it was taught: R. Simeon Says: Scripture21 need not have mentioned ‘the Feast of Tabernacles’ for the passage is dealing with it.22 Why [then] is it mentioned? To teach that this is the last.23 R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon Says: To teach that this [Festival of Tabernacles alone] brings it about. 24 ‘And may therewith fulfil his obligation concerning the joy [of the Festival], but does not fulfil his obligation therewith con cerning the Festival sacrifices.’ This is obvious; for this is indeed an obligatory sacrifice25 and any obligatory sacrifice can only be brought of unconsecrated [animals or money]!26 — It is necessary to teach this even if he explicitly stipulated.27 As R. Simeon b. Lakish asked R. Johanan: What if one said, ‘I vow a thank-offering that I may therewith fulfil my obligation of hagigah;’ [or] ‘I take upon myself to become a Nazirite The thank-offering can be brought for this purpose. account of a previous vow); hence the thank-offering is ineligible for this purpose. referred to. leaven becomes forbidden, and the rest would have to be burnt as nothar (v. Glos.). not be offered on Festivals. of the Festival, hence the following objection. the immediately following Feast of Tabernacles. Because, according to him, the three Festivals just mentioned need not be in order of sequence commencing with Passover. Therefore unless he brings it on the immediately following Tabernacles he will have to make a special journey to Jerusalem to offer it, since he cannot bring it either on Passover or the Pentecost, whilst he must not delay beyond them. R. Simeon, however, maintains that he transgresses only if three Festivals, taken in order of sequence starting from Passover, pass without his fulfilling the vow. Hence this is what he means: Whatever comes ‘on the Feast of Unleavened Bread’, i.e., whatever was vowed before the Feast of Passover, so that there was already an obligation by Passover, must be brought either at Pentecost or Tabernacles immediately following: but ‘Whatever does not come on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, ‘i.e., if there was no obligation then, as he vowed after Passover, need not be brought on the immediately following Festivals of Pentecost or Tabernacles, since he will still have till the Tabernacles of the following year without transgressing the prohibition of ‘delaying’. Tabernacles. elapsed he has transgressed. Cf. R.H. 4a. freewill-offerings. V. Pes. 71a.