Pesachim

in large [portions].1 How can we know?2 — Rather it means that it came in uncleanness.3 Yet after all, how could they know?4 — The nasi had died.5 When did the nasi die? Shall we say that he died on the thirteenth,6 then why was it necessary for the owner to perform tebillah for the knife?7 Again, if he died on the fourteenth, wherein does the knife differ, that [we say] he [its owner] gave it tebillah, and wherein does the chopper differ, that [we assume] he did not give it tebillah?8 — This arises only when the nasi was in a dying condition on the thirteenth. As for the knife, [concerning] which [there is] one doubt,9 he would give it tebillah [on the thirteenth]; the chopper, [concerning] which [there are] two doubts,10 he would not give it tebillah. It was taught: Judah the son of Durtai separated himself [from the Sages], he and his son Durtai, and went and dwelt in the South.11 ‘[For,]’ said he, ‘if Elijah should come and say to Israel, "why did you not sacrifice12 the hagigah on the Sabbath?" what can they answer him? I am astonished at the two greatest men of our generation. Shemaiah and Abtalyon, who are great Sages and great interpreters [of the Torah], yet they have not told Israel, The hagigah overrides the Sabbath.13 Rab said, What is the reason of the son of Durtai? Because it is written, And thou shalt sacrifice the passover-offering unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd:14 yet surely the Passover offering is only from lambs or goats? But ‘flock’ refers to the Passover offering, [while] ‘herd’ refers to the hagigah, and the Divine Law saith, ‘And thou shalt sacrifice the passover-offering’.15 Said R. Ashi: And are we to arise and explain the reason of schismatics?16 But the verse comes for [the exegesis] of R. Nahman. For R. Nahman said in Rabbah b. Abbuha's name: How do we know that the left-over of the paschal offering is brought as a peace-offering?17 Because it is said, ‘and thou shalt sacrifice the passover-offering unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and of the herd’. Now, does then the Passover offering come from the herd: surely the Passover offering comes only from lambs or from goats? But [it means] the left-over of the paschal offering is to be [utilized] for something which comes from the flock and from the herd.18 Now according to the Rabbis, what is the reason that it [the hagigah] does not override the Sabbath, seeing that it is certainly a public sacrifice? — Said R. Illa'a on the authority of R. Judah b. Safra: Scripture saith, And ye shall keep it a feast [hag] unto the Lord seven days in the year.19 ‘Seven!’ but there were eight?20 Hence from here [we learn that] the hagigah does not override the Sabbath.21 When Rabin came,22 he said: I stated before my teachers, Sometimes you can only find six, e.g., if the first day of the Feast [of Tabernacles] fell on the Sabbath?23 — Said Abaye: That Abin the childless should say such a thing! Eight is altogether impossible. [while] seven are found in most years.24 ‘Ulla said in R. Eleazar's name: Peace-offerings which a man slaughtered on the eve of the Festival, he does not discharge therewith [his duty] either on account of rejoicing or on account of hagigah.25 ‘On account of rejoicing.’ because it is written, and thou shalt sacrifice [peace-offerings . . .] and thou shalt rejoice;26 we require the slaughtering of this chopper was registered. Aliter: ‘how could they (the owners) know on the thirteenth that only a small number would register for the Passover, so that it would not be necessary to have the chopper immersed in readiness?’ V. Rashi. clean, as he might then slaughter the Festival peace-offerings with it, which is forbidden. [Even when the Passover comes in uncleanness, the Festival sacrifices on the following or subsequent days must be brought in cleanness:] slaughtering the Passover, so he would also assume that a clean chopper would be required for breaking the bones of the hagigah which would accompany it. people might register for that particular paschal offering, in which case it would not be required. a hagigah. He held that it was obligatory even if only a small number registered for the paschal offering, and even on the Sabbath. Antiquities XX, 6, 2) who had been captured by Quadratus in Lydda and executed for having incited the Jews in rebellion against the Romans, v. Derenbourg, Essai, p. 187 note.] too have to be explained, in actual practice the minority always fell in with the final decision of the majority. Hence R. Judah the son of Durtai was unjustified in separating himself, and we have no need to study his view; v. Halevi, Doroth I, 5, pp. 206f. — Or perhaps R. Ashi merely meant that since the interpretation of this verse is according to a minority view, it behoves us to know how the verse is interpreted on the view of the Sages. This appears to be the explanation given by R. Han., whose text differs slightly. and then it was found after the second was sacrificed. Or again, if a certain sum of money was dedicated to buy a paschal lamb, but it was not all expended; then too the surplus must be used for a peace-offering. was to be brought (v. supra p. 356, n. 4).