Korbanot–offerings

Korbanot

קָרְבָּנוֹת

Visible layers

First-born, tenth, and Pesach-offerings

Hebrew

ח הַבְּכוֹר וְהַמַּעֲשֵׂר וְהַפֶּסַח,
קָדָשִׁים קַלִּים,
שְׁחִיטָתָן בְּכָל מָקוֹם בָּעֲזָרָה,
וְדָמָן טָעוּן מַתָּנָה אֶחָת, וּבִלְבַד
שֶׁיִּתֵּן כְּנֶגֶד הַיְסוֹד. שִׁנָּה
בַּאֲכִילָתָן, הַבְּכוֹר נֶאֱכָל לַכֹּהֲנִים,
וְהַמַּעֲשֵׂר לְכָל אָדָם, וְנֶאֱכָלִין
בְּכָל הָעִיר, בְּכָל מַאֲכָל, לִשְׁנֵי
יָמִים וְלַיְלָה אֶחָד. הַפֶּסַח, אֵינוֹ
נֶאֱכָל אֶלָּא בַּלַּיְלָה, וְאֵינוֹ נֶאֱכָל
אֶלָּא עַד חֲצוֹת, וְאֵינוֹ נֶאֱכָל אֶלָּא
לִמְנוּיָו, וְאֵינוֹ נֶאֱכָל אֶלָּא צָלִי:

Sephardi

8 habekhor vehamaser vehapesach,
kodashim kalim,
shechitatan bechol makom ba'azarah,
vedaman ta'un matanah achat, uvilvad
sheyiten k'neged hayesod. Shinah
ba'achilatan, habekhor ne'echal lakohanim,
vehamaser lechol adam, vene'echalin
bechol ha'ir, bechol ma'achal, lishnei
yamim velailah echad. Hapesach, eino
ne'echal ela balailah, v'eino ne'echal
ela ad chatzot, v'eino ne'echal ela
limnuyav, v'eino ne'echal ela tzeli:

English

The offering of the firstborn animal, the offering of the tenth of animals, and the Pesach-offering are also offerings of a lesser holiness. They are slaughtered anywhere in the Temple courtyard. Their blood must be sprinkled only once, but the Kohen doing the service must sprinkle the blood on the part of the altar where its base sticks out. The rules for how to eat these three offerings are different for each one. The offering of the firstborn animal is eaten only by the Kohanim, and the offering of the tenth of animals is eaten by anyone, not only Kohanim. Both of these are eaten anywhere in the city of Jerusalem. They can be prepared in any way and eaten at any time during that day, that night, and the following day until nightfall. The Pesach-offering can only be eaten on that night, it can only be eaten until midnight, it can only be eaten by people registered to participate in that particular offering, and it can only be eaten roasted.

Thirteen rules of interpreting the Torah. For further explanation, see page 934.

Hebrew

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל1 אוֹמֵר:2 בִּשְׁלֹשׁ
עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה
נִדְרֶשֶׁת. א) מִקַּל וָחֹמֶר.3 ב) וּמִגְּזֵרָה
שָׁוָה. ג) מִבִּנְיַן אָב מִכָּתוּב אֶחָד,
וּמִבִּנְיַן אָב מִשְּׁנֵי כְתוּבִים.
ד) מִכְּלָל וּפְרָט. ה) וּמִפְּרָט וּכְלָל.
ו) כְּלָל וּפְרָט וּכְלָל, אִי אַתָּה דָן
אֶלָּא כְּעֵין הַפְּרָט. ז) מִכְּלָל שֶׁהוּא
צָרִיךְ לִפְרָט, וּמִפְּרָט שֶׁהוּא
צָרִיךְ לִכְלָל. ח) כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה
בִּכְלָל וְיָצָא מִן הַכְּלָל לְלַמֵּד,
לֹא לְלַמֵּד עַל עַצְמוֹ יָצָא, אֶלָּא
לְלַמֵּד עַל הַכְּלָל כֻּלּוֹ יָצָא.
ט) כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה בִּכְלָל, וְיָצָא
לִטְעוֹן טֹעַן אֶחָד שֶׁהוּא כְעִנְיָנוֹ,
יָצָא לְהָקֵל וְלֹא לְהַחֲמִיר.
י) כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה בִּכְלָל וְיָצָא
לִטְעוֹן טֹעַן אַחֵר שֶׁלֹּא
כְעִנְיָנוֹ, יָצָא לְהָקֵל וּלְהַחֲמִיר.
יא) כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה בִּכְלָל
וְיָצָא לִדּוֹן בַּדָּבָר הֶחָדָשׁ, אִי
אַתָּה יָכוֹל לְהַחֲזִירוֹ לִכְלָלוֹ,
עַד שֶׁיַּחֲזִירֶנּוּ הַכָּתוּב לִכְלָלוֹ
בְּפֵרוּשׁ. יב) דָּבָר הַלָּמֵד מֵעִנְיָנוֹ,
וְדָבָר הַלָּמֵד מִסּוֹפוֹ. יג) וְכֵן
שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים הַמַּכְחִישִׁים זֶה
אֶת זֶה, עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא הַכָּתוּב
הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְיַכְרִיעַ בֵּינֵיהֶם.

Sephardi

Rabbi Yishmael1 omer:2 bishlosh
esreh midot hatorah
nidreshet. a) mikal vachomer.3 2) umigzerah
shavah. 3) mibinyan av mikatuv echad,
umibinyan av mishnei ketuvim.
4) miklal uferat. 5) umiperat uchlal.
6) kelal uferat uchlal, i atah dan
ela k'ein haperat. 7) miklal shehu
tzarich lifrat, umiperat shehu
tzarich lichlal. 8) kol davar shehayah
bichlal veyatza min haklal lelamed,
lo lelamed al atzmo yatza, ela
lelamed al haklal kulo yatza.
9) kol davar shehayah bichlal, veyatza
lito'on to'an echad shehu ke'inyano,
yatza lehakeil v'lo lehachmir.
10) kol davar shehayah bichlal veyatza
lito'on to'an acher shelo
ke'inyano, yatza lehakeil ulehachmir.
11) kol davar shehayah bichlal
veyatza lidon badavar hechadash, i
atah yachol lehachziro lichlalo,
ad sheyachzirenu hakatuv lichlalo
befeirush. 12) davar halamed me'inyano,
vedavar halamed misofo. 13) vechen
sh'nei ketuvim hamachchishim zeh
et zeh, ad sheyavo hakatuv
hash'lishi veyachria beineihem.

English

Rabbi Yishmael1 says:2 There are thirteen different methods through which new laws can be learned from verses of the Torah: 1. When the Torah has a rule regarding a less obvious case, we learn that the rule would certainly apply in a more obvious case.3 2. When the Torah uses a similar word in two different places, we learn that a certain rule that applies in one place also applies in the other place. 3. When the Torah establishes a general rule in one verse or two verses, it is considered to be a “father” case, and we apply that rule to other cases that are similar to the “father” case. 4. When a general statement in a verse is followed by a specific example, the rule in the verse applies to those examples only, and nowhere else. 5. When a specific example in a verse is followed by a general statement, we learn that the rule in the verse applies generally, and not only to the specific examples. 6. When the Torah has a general statement, followed by a specific example, followed by another general statement—we apply the rule in the verse only to cases that are similar to the specific example. 7. When the Torah has a general statement and a specific example, and the general statement needs the specific example in order to explain it, and similarly when the specific example needs the general statement in order to explain it, we apply the rule to both the general statement and the specific example. 8. Anything that was included in a general statement, and then singled out by the Torah in order to teach us something new is not only teaching us about that which was singled out itself; rather, it is teaching us something new about the general statement as well. 9. Anything that was included in a general statement, and then singled out to teach us something that was already mentioned in the rule, was only singled out to teach us a law that is less strict in some way, and not more strict. 10. Anything that was included in a general statement, and was then singled out to teach us something that was not mentioned in the rule, was singled out to teach us that the law is less strict in one way and more strict in another. 11. Anything that was included in a general statement, and was then singled out to teach a new, different law, you cannot return and include that which was singled out, back into the general statement, unless the Torah clearly returns it and says that it is included in the general statement. 12. A law can be understood by looking at where it appears in the Torah, or from verses after it. 13. Similarly, if two verses seem to contradict each other, we can understand them when a third verse comes and solves the contradiction between them by explaining them.

May the Holy Temple be speedily rebuilt

Hebrew

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ
וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית
הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ, וְתֵן
חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ.

Sephardi

Yehi ratzon milfanekha, Adonai Eloheinu
veilohei avoteinu, sheyibaneh beit
hamikdash bimherah beyameinu, veten
chelkenu betoratecha.

English

May it be Your will, Lord, our God and the God of our fathers, that the Holy Temple be built speedily in our days, so that we will be able to actually offer the offerings and not only learn about them; and may You give us our portion in Your Torah, so we will be able to learn Torah properly.

Commentary

1 The name Yishmael means “God will listen.” We mention his name here in the hope that the prayers we are going to say will be heard by God. Furthermore, the thirteen principles that we enumerated in this chapter correspond to God’s thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which we hope to arouse during our prayers.

2 The Talmud instructs us to study a portion of Torah (i.e. Scripture), a portion of Mishnah, and a portion of Talmud each day. Having recited verses of Torah and a chapter of Mishnah describing the Temple sacrifices, we now recite a Beraita, equivalent to a Talmudic passage. This particular Beraita was selected for recital because it covers the fundamental principals that govern the entire Oral Law. Furthermore, it relates to the theme of Temple offerings because it is the introduction to the Midrash on Leviticus—a book that deals almost exclusively with the Tabernacle and its offerings.

3 It might be tempting to decide for ourselves which good deeds are important and which ones are not. These words caution us not to do so, because a deed that seems unimportant to us (kal) may be important to God (vachomer). We must therefore treat all good deeds with equal seriousness.