חגיגה 17 — Soncino English Talmud

¹R. Ashi said: You may even say that it is permitted [to use] the sides, but all that is connected with the back is as the back. MISHNAH; BETH SHAMMAI SAY: PEACE-OFFERINGS MAY BE BROUGHT [ON THE FESTIVAL-DAY], AND THE HANDS NOT LAID THEREON; BUT NOT BURNT-OFFERINGS! AND BETH HILLEL SAY: BOTH PEACE-OFFERINGS AND BURNT-OFFERINGS MAY BE BROUGHT, AND THE HANDS LAID THEREON. IF THE FESTIVAL OF WEEKS FELL ON A FRIDAY, BETH SHAMMAI SAY: THE DAY FOR SLAUGHTER , IS AFTER THE SABBATH. AND BETH HILLEL SAY: THE DAY FOR SLAUGHTER IS NOT AFTER THE SABBATH. THEY AGREE, HOWEVER, THAT IF IT FALL ON THE SABBATH, THE DAY FOR SLAUGHTER IS AFTER THE SABBATH. THE HIGH PRIEST DOES NOT [IN THAT CASE] PUT ON HIS [SPECIAL] ROBES, AND MOURNING AND FASTING ARE PERMITTED, IN ORDER NOT TO CONFIRM THE VIEW OF THOSE WHO SAY THAT THE FESTIVAL OF WEEKS [INVARIABLY] FOLLOWS THE SABBATH. GEMARA. R. Eleazar said that R. Oshaia said: Whence is it to be deduced that [the offerings of] the Feast of Weeks can be made good throughout seven days? It is said: On the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Tabernacles; thus [Scripture] compares the Feast of Weeks with the Feast of Unleavened Bread: just as [the offerings of] the Feast of Unleavened Bread can be made good throughout seven days, so too [the offerings of] the Feast of Weeks can be made good throughout seven days. But let me say that [Scripture] compares [the Feast of Weeks] to the Feast of Tabernacles; just as [the offerings of] the Feast of Tabernacles can be made good throughout eight days, so too [the offerings of] the Feast of Weeks can be made good throughout eight days! — The eighth day is a festival by itself. [But] is not the statement that the eighth is a festival true only in regard to the Balloting [by the watches], [the recital of the benediction of] the Season, [the name of] the Festival, [the prescribed number of] Sacrifices, the [Temple] Song, and the Blessing; but regarding the making good [of the offerings] it makes good for the first [day of Tabernacles]. For we have learnt: He who did not bring his festal offering on the first festival day of the Feast, may bring it during the whole of the Festival even on the last festival day! If you take hold of much, you do not hold it; but if you take hold of a little, you hold it. For what legal instruction, then, did the Divine Law write [again here] the Feast of Tabernacles? — To compare it with the Feast of Unleavened Bread: just as the Feast of Unleavened Bread requires [the pilgrim] to stay the night [in Jerusalem], So too, the Feast of Tabernacles requires [the pilgrim] to stay the night. And whence do we deduce it in the case of the former?^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ

^ᵃnote:As a matter of fact, R. Ashi holds the reverse view, i.e., he agrees with R. Papa (v. Shab. 155a); nevertheless he shows here that the conclusion cannot be drawn from R. Johanan's statement (Tosaf.).
^ᵇnote:I.e.,is parallel with the back, like the head.
^ᶜnote:Which may not be made use of on holy days.
^ᵈnote:I.e., festal-offerings and offerings of rejoicings (v. pp. 2, n. 3 and 30. n. 1 and Pes. 119a).
^ᵉnote:Because they are required for food (v. p. 104, n. 12). V. Bez. 19af; there Tosaf. points out, is the original and proper place of our passage, whereas here it is introduced only incidentally. The fuller discussion on the Mishnah found in Bez. further tends to show that the latter tractate was complete before Hag. (Tosaf.).
^ᶠnote:V. p. 104 and nn. 11,12. Since Beth Shammai held that the slaughtering of the animal need not necessarily follow immediately upon the laying on of the hands, the latter rite could be performed on the eve of the Festival, and the former on the Festival-day itself.
^ᵍnote:I.e., the pilgrimage burnt-offerings; v. p. 2, n. 1. By emphasizing the expression ‘unto you’ in Ex. XII, 16, it was deduced that only food for human needs could be prepared on the Festival, but not altar-food. Since burnt-offerings were wholly consumed on the altar and no part reserved for human consumption (as in the case of the sacrifices), they could not, according to the Shammaite view, be brought by individuals. The statutory public burnt-offerings, however, were permitted.
^ʰnote:For the reason v. Bez. 19a. The Hillelites agreed, however, that vow and freewill-offerings could not be offered up.
^ⁱnote:Heb. ,rmg, lit., ‘(sacred) assembly’; v. p. 27, n. 3.
^ʲnote:Lit., ‘eve of Sabbath’.
^ᵏnote:I.e., of the pilgrimage burnt-offerings, which, according to Beth Shammai, could not be offered up on the Festival day and a fortiori on the Sabbath; hence the offering was postponed till Sunday, for the Pentecost sacrifices could be offered throughout seven days in the same way as the Passover and Sukkoth offerings (v. pp. 111f and cf.pp.43f).
^ˡnote:But on the Festival day. Var. lec., ‘it has no day for slaughter’ (omitting the words, ‘after the Sabbath’); v. p. 113, n. 6.
^ᵐnote:No private offering, except the Passover sacrifice, could override the Sabbath.
^ⁿnote:According to Rashi, this refers to his private festival garments worn by him at home and in the street; when people would see the High Priest in his ordinary clothes, they would realize that the day was not, as the Sadducees maintained (v. infra, n. 5) a holy day. But Tosaf. argues that the reference is to the High Priest's eight sacerdotal vestments, which he wore on Festivals when he would officiate at the Temple service (v. Yoma VII, 5)’ and adduces the J.T. in support of this view.
^ᵒnote:Heb. spxv: for its exact signification v. S. Krauss, T.A. II, p. 68; cf. also Jast. and Levy, s.v.
^ᵖnote:Both mourning and fasting are prohibited on a festival-day.
^ᵠnote:I.e., the Sadducees, who understood the word ‘Sabbath’ in Lev. XXIII, 11, 15 literally, and hence maintained that Pentecost must always fall on a Sunday, for it is written: ‘And ye shalt count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath . . . even unto the morrow after the seventh week shall ye number fifty days’ (Lev. XXIII, 15-16). But the Pharisees explained the word ‘Sabbath’ to mean ‘day of rest’, i.e., ‘holy day’ (cf. Lev. XXIII, 32, 39; Ibn Ezra to v. 11 (ibid.) and Men. 65a), and referred it to the first festival day of Passover. This same controversy formed part of the dispute between the Rabbanites and the Karaites some eight hundred years later.
^ʳnote:Deut. XVI, 16.
^ˢnote:Cf. pp. 43f.
^ᵗnote:I.e., it does not form part of the Feast of Sukkoth.
^ᵘnote:Lit., ‘say’.
^ᵛnote:The following six points of difference are expressed in the original by the abbreviation c"ae r"zp, formed out of the initials of the Hebrew words; v. fol. nn.
^ʷnote:xhhp; the ballot or allotment in regard to the Temple services decided by a show of fingers on the part of the priests present; cf. Yoma II, 1f. Throughout the seven days of Sukkoth, the public sacrifices were offered up by the priest-watches according to rota; but on the eighth day the offerings were allotted by ballot. (V. Suk. 55b).
^ˣnote:inz (cf. Eccl. III, 1): the blessing at the end of the benediction recited on the entrance of a festival, which refers to the return of the festival season, viz., ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who hast kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season’. The recital of this blessing on the eighth day of Sukkoth distinguishes it as an independent festival from the other days of Tabernacles. On the last day of Passover, on the other hand, it is not said, because the seventh day is regarded as an integral part of the Feast of unleavened Bread. V. also n. 6.
^ʸnote:kdr ‘pilgrimage-festival’. Three explanations of the meaning of the term have been suggested (v. Tosaf. a.I.). Rashi: It is a distinct festival in as much as it enjoys a special name, viz., Shemini ‘Azereth and not Sukkoth. R. Tam: It is a separate festival in the sense that it requires the pilgrim to spend the night following its termination in Jerusalem (Suk. 47a). R. Hananel: It is a separate festival in regard to the thirty days of semi-mourning for the dead. If the period of mourning began on the eve of Sukkoth, it is able to annul seven days out of the thirty in addition to the fourteen cancelled by the end of the first seven days of Tabernacles (cf. M.K. 24a).
^ᶻnote:icre V. Num. XXIX, 12-38.
^ᵃᵃnote:rha: Tosaf. (s. v. r"zp) suggests that Ps. XII (note the caption) was said (cf. Sof. XIX and J.T.); and whereas the Psalms allocated for the different weekdays of Tabernacles were not completed each day but spread over two days (v. Suk. 55a), on the eighth day the psalm was completed.
^ᵃᵇnote:vfrc: according to Rashi, the people blessed the king on the eighth day, as it is written I Kings VIII, 66; according to R. Tam (l.c.) this refers to the special mention of Shemini ‘Azereth in the Grace after meals and in the ‘Amidah (v. Glos.); cf. Suk. 47a.
^ᵃᶜnote:I.e., Shemini ‘Azereth is a continuation of Sukkoth, and if the private offerings due on the first could not be brought till the eighth day, they may still be offered up then.
^ᵃᵈnote:V. p. 43. Since in regard to making good the offerings the eighth day is an essential part of Sukkoth, then the question (p. 111). Why not compare Pentecost with Sukkoth instead of Passover, still stands.
^ᵃᵉnote:A popular proverb meaning that one can make sure of a little, but not of much, i.e., when one is confronted, as in our case, with two possibilities, one greater than the other, the smaller should be chosen for safety, for it is bound to be right in so far as it is included in the greater: thus we cannot go wrong by comparing Pentecost with the seven days of Passover, but we may err in comparing it with the eight of Tabernacles. For the proverb cf. ‘every one who adds, lessens’ (Talmud) and the French, ‘qui trop embrasse mal etreint’.
^ᵃᶠnote:If it is not to teach us about Pentecost, It seems superfluous, for it has already been mentioned elsewhere; and it is a rule that nothing in the Torah is redundant.
^ᵃᵍnote:I.e., of the weekday of the Festival.

²— It is written: And thou shalt turn in the morning, and go into thy tents. We have learnt: IF THE FEAST OF WEEKS FALL ON A FRIDAY, BETH SHAMMAI SAY: THE DAY FOR SLAUGHTER IS AFTER THE SABBATH. AND BETH HILLEL SAY: IT HAS NO DAY FOR SLAUGHTER. Surely [this means] that it has no day for slaughter at all! — No, [it means] that it does not require a [special] day for slaughter. But what then does it teach us, that we can offer up [the sacrifice] on its proper day? Behold they already dispute thereon once; for we have learnt: Beth Shammai say: Peace-offerings may be brought [on the Festival-day] and the hands not laid thereon; but not burnt-offerings. And Beth Hillel say: Both peace-offerings and burnt-offerings may be brought, and the hands laid thereon! — [Both statements are] required. For if [the Mishnah] had taught us [only that they differ] in the [latter] case, [I might have thought] in that case [only] Beth Shammai hold this view, because it is possible [to bring the offerings] on the following day: but in the [former] case, I might have thought that they agreed with Beth Hillel. And if [the Mishnah] had taught us [only that they differ] in the [former] case, [I might have thought] in this case [only] Beth Hillel hold this view, because it is not possible [to bring the offering] on the following day; but in the [latter] case, I might have thought that they agree with Beth Shammai. [Therefore both statements are] required. Come and hear: He who does not bring his festal-offering during the seven days of Passover, or the eight days of Tabernacles, or on the first festival-day of the Feast of Weeks, can no longer bring his offering. This must surely mean on the festival-day [proper] of the Feast of Weeks! — No, [it means] on the day for the slaughter. If so, let us conclude therefrom that there is [only] one day for slaughter! — Read, ‘on the days for slaughter’ Come and hear: Rabbah b. Samuel learnt: Count the days, and sanctify the New Moon Day; Count the days, and sanctity the Feast of Weeks. Just as the New Moon Festival belongs to its class [of days] by which it is determined, so the Feast of Weeks belongs to its class by which it is determined. Surely [then the Feast of Weeks] is compared with the New Moon Festival because just as [the offerings of] the New Moon Festival [are to brought] on one day, so too [the offerings of] the Feast of Weeks [are to be brought] on one day! — Raba answered: How can you think so? Do we then count for the Feast of Weeks [only] the days and not the weeks? Behold Abaye said: It is a precept to count the days, for it is written: Ye shall number fifty days; and it is a precept to count the weeks, for it is written: Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee. Furthermore, it is written: The Feast of Weeks. The School of R. Eleazar b. Jacob taught: Scripture says: And ye shall make proclamation, and And when ye reap. Which is the Feast on which you proclaim and reap? You must say: It is the Feast of Weeks. [Now] when? Should one say on the Festival-day [itself], is reaping then permitted on the Festival-day! It must refer, therefore, to [the period after the Feast] when the offerings can still be made good. Now although the statement of R. Eleazar in the name of R. Oshaia has been quoted, [the teaching] of R. Eliezer b. Jacob is also required. For if we had [only] the statement of R. Eleazar in the name of R. Oshaia, I might say: Just as [in the period] during which the offering can be made good in the case of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, it is forbidden to do work, so too [in the period] during which the offering can be made good in the case of the Feast of Weeks, it is forbidden to do work; therefore we are told the teaching of R. Eliezer b. Jacob. And if we had [only] the teaching of R. Eliezer b. Jacob^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ^ᵇʰ^ᵇⁱ^ᵇʲ^ᵇᵏ^ᵇˡ^ᵇᵐ^ᵇⁿ

^ᵃʰnote:Deut. XVI, 7. But the preceding night must be spent in Jerusalem.
^ᵃⁱnote:I.e.,if the sacrifice was not offered up on the festival-day. it cannot be made good later. This contradicts R. Oshaia's statement, p. 111.
^ᵃʲnote:Since the offering can be brought on the festival-day; but actually the offering can be made good throughout seven days, as R. Oshaia taught.
^ᵃᵏnote:I.e., on the festival itself, that is, according to Beth Hillel.
^ᵃˡnote:In view of this statement of the point at issue between Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel at the beginning of the Mishnah, why does the Mishnah teach us later that they differ in regard to Pentecost which fell on a Friday, if the point of dispute, according to the interpretation just given, is exactly the same?
^ᵃᵐnote:I.e., where a Festival does not fall on a Friday.
^ᵃⁿnote:I.e., where Pentecost falls on a Friday.
^ᵃᵒnote:Because, since the sacrifice could not be offered up the following day, which was the Sabbath, and consequently would have to be left over till the Sunday, there was the danger that the pilgrim might neglect to bring it altogether.
^ᵃᵖnote:Because it was possible to bring the offering the following day, and negligence, therefore, need not be feared.
^ᵃᵠnote:[Omitted in MS.M.]
^ᵃʳnote:Thus the offerings of Pentecost cannot be made good after the festival, which refutes R. Oshaia.
^ᵃˢnote:The festival sacrifices, therefore, can be made good on the day for slaughter; thus the objection against R. Oshaia's statement falls away.
^ᵃᵗnote:Whereas R. Oshaia argued that the Pentecost sacrifices could be made good throughout seven days.
^ᵃᵘnote:The plural could include seven days.
^ᵃᵛnote:The Torah nowhere actually enjoins the counting of the days of each month: the expression is an instance of Midrashic licence. The Hebrew months, being lunar, vary in length from twenty-nine to thirty days (v. J.E. s. Calendar).
^ᵃʷnote:By the offering of ‘additional sacrifices’ (v. Num. XXVIII, 11-15).
^ᵃˣnote:I.e., fifty, v. infra, n. 8.
^ᵃʸnote:By offering the festival sacrifices.
^ᵃᶻnote:Lit., ‘belongs to its numbered ones, i.e., it is determined by numbering units of days, on one of which it falls.
^ᵇᵃnote:I.e., the period during which the festival sacrifices can be brought is equal to the class or unit by which it is determined. If the latter is a week, the sacrificial-period is a week; if it is a day, the offering-period is also a day; cf.R.H., Sonc.ed., p. 14, nn. 10 and 11.
^ᵇᵇnote:This would contradict the view that the Pentecost sacrifices can be made good the whole week.
^ᵇᶜnote:In order that we may sanctify the Feast of Weeks on the fiftieth day (Tosaf.).
^ᵇᵈnote:Lev. XXIII, 16.
^ᵇᵉnote:To teach us that the period in which the festival sacrifices may be made good is a full week.
^ᵇᶠnote:Deut. XVI, 9.
^ᵇᵍnote:Ibid. v. 10.
^ᵇʰnote:I.e., derived the post-festal sacrificial period of the Feast of Weeks in the following way.
^ᵇⁱnote:Lev. XXIII, 21. I.e., proclaim a holy convocation or festival.
^ᵇʲnote:Ibid, v. 22.
^ᵇᵏnote:To which the Biblical passage refers.
^ᵇˡnote:Which supports R. Oshaia.
^ᵇᵐnote:V. p. 111.
^ᵇⁿnote:For the prohibition of work during the mid-festival period, v. infra and pp. 117f.