Pesachim

It is necessary for him [to teach about] the he-goats of New Moons. I might argue, surely ‘appointed season’ [mo'ed] is not written in connection therewith;1 therefore he informs us that New Moon is designated mo'ed, in accordance with Abaye's [dictum]. For Abaye said, The Tammuz2 of that year3 was indeed made full,4 as it is written, He hath proclaimed an appointed time [mo'ed] against me to crush my young men.5 Shall we say that all of them6 are derived from mo'ed [‘appointed time’]? How do we know it? For our Rabbis taught: And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the appointed times of the Lord.7 For what purpose is this stated?8 Because we have learnt only of the daily offering and the Passover-offering [that they override the Sabbath and uncleanness], since ‘in its appointed time’ is stated in connection with them,9 ‘in its appointed time’ [implying] even on the Sabbath, ‘in its appointed time’ implying even in uncleanness. Whence do we know it of other public sacrifices? Because it is said, These shall ye offer unto the Lord in your appointed time.10 Whence do we know to include the ‘omer — and that which is offered with it, and the two loaves and that which is offered with them? Therefore it is stated, ‘And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the appointed times of the Lord’: the Writ fixed it as one appointed season for all of them.11 Now, what is the purpose of all these?12 — They are necessary. For if the Divine Law wrote it of the daily offering [alone], I would say: The daily offering [overrides the Sabbath and uncleanness] because it is constant and entirely burnt, but the Passover is not so;13 hence we are informed [otherwise]. While if the Divine Law wrote it of the Passover-offering, [I would argue that] the Passover-offering [must be offered under all circumstances] because it involves the penalty of kareth,14 but [as for] the continual offering, for [neglect of] which there is no penalty of kareth, I would say that it is not [so]; hence we are informed [otherwise]. Again, if the Divine Law wrote it of these two, I would say: These alone [override Sabbath and uncleanness, since they] possess a stringent feature, the continual offering being constant and entirely [burnt], the Passover-offering involving the penalty of kareth; but [as for] other public sacrifices, I would say, It is not so. [Hence] the Divine Law wrote, ‘These shall ye offer unto the Lord in your appointed times.’ While if the Divine Law [merely] wrote, ‘These shall ye offer unto the Lord in your appointed times,’ I would argue: [It refers only to] other public sacrifices, which come to make atonement,15 but [the sacrifices accompanying] the ‘omer and the two loaves, which do not come to make atonement but are merely in order to permit [the new harvest] are not so; hence we are informed [otherwise]. Again, if the Divine Law wrote [about] the ‘omer and the two loaves alone, I would have said: On the contrary, it [applies only to] the ‘omer and the two loaves which are more important, because they come to permit; but these others are not so. Hence we are informed [otherwise]. Now it was assumed that all hold that uncleanness is overridden in the case of a community, hence the headplate is required for propitiation.16 For there is no [other] Tanna whom you know to maintain [that] uncleanness is permitted in the case of a community17 but R. Judah. For it was taught: The headplate, whether it is on his [the High Priest's] forehead18 or it is not on his forehead, propitiates; this is the view of R. Simeon. R. Judah maintained: If it is still on his forehead, it propitiates; if it is not still on his forehead, it does not propitiate. Said R. Simeon to him: Let the High Priest on the Day of Atonement prove it, for it is not on his forehead, and [yet] it propitiates!19 — Leave the Day of Atonement, replied he, because uncleanness is permitted in the case of a community. Whence it follows that R. Simeon holds: Uncleanness is overridden in the case of a community. Again, [it was assumed that all hold,] the headplate does not propitiate for [the defilement of] eatables,20 for there is no Tanna whom you know to maintain [that] the headplate propitiates for [the defilement of] eatables save R. Eleazar. For it was taught, R. Eleazar said: The headplate propitiates for [the defilement of] eatables; R. Jose said: The headplate does not propitiate for the defilement of eatables.21 [Accordingly,] shall we say that our Mishnah22 does not agree with R. Joshua? For it was taught, And thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, the flesh, and the blood.’23 R. Joshua said: If there is no blood there is no flesh, and if there is no flesh there is no blood.24 R. Eliezer said: The blood [is fit] even if there is no flesh, because it is said, And the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out [against the altar of the Lord thy God].25 Then how do I interpret,26 ‘and thou shalt offer thy burnt-offering, the flesh and the blood?’ [It is] to teach you: just as the blood requires throwing,27 so does the flesh require throwing:28 hence say, there was a small passage-way between the stairway and the altar.29 Now [according to] R. Joshua too, surely it is written, ‘and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out?’ — He can answer you: surely in connection therewith is written, and thou shalt eat the flesh. 30 uncleanness. Sivan, the third month (Ta'an. 29a), the 40 days of their mission ended on the ninth of Ab, the fifth month. Thus their weeping on that night (ibid. XIV, 1) became the forerunner of subsequent lamentation on that date for many generations, for it is the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. in that year to be proclaimed on such a day that their return and the weeping of the people would coincide with the future anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. Hence, on this interpretation, New Moon too is designated ‘mo'ed’. explained in the text. New Moon, the Sabbath and Festivals, and its effect is that the whole section is to be so understood as though ‘in its appointed season’ were explicitly written in connection with each. 17f). interdict of uncleanness is completely abrogated, so that it is permitted, but merely that the interdict is overridden in favour of the community. Now in Ex. XXVIII, 38 it is stated: And it (the head plate) shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear (i.e., atone for) the iniquity committed in the holy things (sc. sacrifices) . . . and it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord (i.e., that these sacrifices shall be fit). ‘The iniquity’ is understood to refer to a case where a sacrifice accidentally became unclean, and the headplate atones for it, so that it remains fit. Since we hold that even in the case of a community uncleanness is merely overridden, but not actually permitted, the head plate is required for propitiation even then. Lev. XVI,4). Yet if the community was unclean he still offered the sacrifices, and the headplate ‘made them acceptable’. headplate propitiating only if the blood or the handful which is burnt on the altar is defiled. propitiate on the eatable parts of these offerings.