1) (Vayikra 6:2) ("Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the law of the burnt-offering. It is the burnt-offering upon its firewood on the altar all the night until the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kindled thereby.") "Command": "Command" connotes a prompting to zeal, for the immediate situation and for future generations. R. Shimon said: Such prompting is all the more necessary where monetary loss ("upon its firewood on the altar all the night") is entailed. 2) R. Yossi Haglili says: From (Shemoth 29:37): "All that touches the altar shall become consecrated," I would think that both things fit for the altar and things unfit for the altar are herein subsumed; it is, therefore, written (Shemoth 29:38): "And this is what you shall offer upon the altar: lambs, etc.": Just as lambs are fit for the altar, (so all thus fit are included) — to exclude that which is not fit. 3) R. Akiva says: From "All that touches the altar shall become consecrated," I would think that both things fit for the altar and things unfit for the altar are herein subsumed; it is, therefore, written (Vayikra, Ibid.): ("It is the) burnt-offering." Just as a burnt-offering is fit for the altar, (so all thus fit are included) — to exclude that which is not fit. 4) R. Yehoshua says: "It is the burnt-offering upon its firewood.": Just as a burnt-offering, which is fit for the fire, once it goes up, does not come down (whether fit or unfit), so all things that are fit for the fire, once they go up, they do not come down. 5) R. Gamliel says: "It is the burnt-offering upon its firewood on the altar": Just as a burnt-offering, which is fit for the altar, once it goes up, does not come down, so all things that are fit for the altar, once they go up, they do not come down. 6) There is no difference between R. Gamliel and R. Yehoshua but blood and libations (that have become unfit). R. Gamliel says they do not come down (being fit for the altar), and R. Yehoshua says they do come down (not being fit for the fire). 7) R. Yehudah says: "This," "It," "the burnt-offering." These are (three terms of) exclusion — to exclude: an animal that was slaughtered at night, one whose blood was spilled out, and one whose blood was brought outside the curtains, (in which cases, if it was brought up to the altar, it is taken down). R. Shimon says: "burnt-offering" — This implies one that is fit. Whence is it derived (that the following, if they were brought up are not taken down?): one that was allowed to remain overnight (without being sacrificed); one (whose blood or devoted portions) went outside (the curtains); one that became tamei; one that was slaughtered outside of its (authorized) time or place; one whose blood was received or sprinkled by those unfit (for this service); those (such as burnt-offerings and peace-offerings), (whose blood is) to be applied below (the red line), which (i.e., the blood of which) was applied above, and those (such as sin-offerings), (whose blood is) to be applied above, which was applied below; or those which were to be applied outside (the Temple court), which were applied inside; and a Pesach or a sin-offering which were not specifically slaughtered as such. (Whence is it derived that if the foregoing were brought up they are not to be taken down?) From "This is the law of the burnt-offering" (olah, lit., "which goes up:) — There is one law for all (offerings) that go up (on the altar); if they go up, they are not to be taken down. 8) I might think that the following, too, if they went up, should not come down: (an animal) that had sodomized (a man) or that had been sodomized; (an animal) that had been devoted (to idolatry); (an animal) that had been worshipped; (an animal given as) a harlot's hire or as the exchange (of a dog, viz. Devarim 23:19); (an animal born of) heterogeneous breeding; a torn animal (treifah); (an animal extracted by) caesarian section; and blemished animals. (Whence do I derive that if they went up, they are to be taken down?) From "This (is the law of the burnt-offering.") And why do you see fit to include these (mentioned before) and to exclude these (just mentioned)? — After Scripture included; it excluded. I include (as not to be taken down) those that became unfit after they had entered the azarah, and I exclude those that became unfit not after having entered (but before). 9) The words of R. Shimon resolve themselves into a principle, viz.: Everything that became unfit in the azarah is accepted by the azarah (i.e., if it was brought up, it is not taken down.) If it did not become fit in the azarah, (but before entering), the azarah does not accept it. R. Akiva rules it (a blemished animal) fit (to remain on the altar), for a blemish in a bird is kasher. R. Chananiah, the adjutant high-priest says: My father would "swipe" (but not directly remove) blemished animals from the altar. I might think that the libations, too, (which accompany the sacrifices), once they went up were not taken down; it is, therefore, written, "burnt-offering." Just as a burnt-offering comes "because of itself," (so all offerings which come "because of themselves" are not taken down) — to exclude libations, which come not because of themselves (but became of the offerings which they are accompanying). 10) From this it follows: If the offering is fit and the libations unfit; the offering unfit and the libations fit; even if both are unfit — the offering is not taken down and the libations are taken down, (for the libation came only because of the offering). 11) From (Shemoth 29:37): "All that touches the altar shall become consecrated" we learn that the altar consecrates what is appropriate for it. Whence do we derive that even the ramp (leading to the altar) consecrates what is appropriate for the altar? From "eth the altar" ("eth" connoting inclusion). Whence do I derive that even the ministering vessels consecrate what is appropriate for them? From (Shemoth 30:29): "And they (the ministering vessels) shall be holy of holies. All that touches them shall be consecrated." 12) A (ministering) vessel for (things that are) wet, i.e., dishes and sprinklers for blood, wine, and oil) consecrates what is wet. A measure for (things that are) dry (e.g., meal) consecrates what is dry. And a vessel for wet does not consecrate what is dry; and a measure for dry does not consecrate what is wet. Ministering vessels that were punctured — if they can perform the function for which they were used when they were whole — consecrate (what touches them); if not, they do not. And all of them do so only in the azarah. 13) "It is the burnt-offering upon its firewood on the altar all the night until the morning": They were to be placed (there at sunset if they had not been sacrificed in the daytime) and they were left burning on the altar the entire night. This tells me only of things which are fit to be burnt at night such as the limbs and fat-pieces of burnt-offerings and the fat-pieces of other offerings. Whence do we derive the same for those things which are fit to be burnt in the daytime (but were not), such as: the fistful, the incense, the frankincense, the wood (gift), the meal-offerings of the Cohanim, the meal-offering of the anointed (high-) priest, and the libation meal-offering? From "the law of the burnt-offering," which is comprehensive (for all offerings). 14) You say that "all the night" signifies that they were to be placed there at sunset and left burning on the altar the entire night. But perhaps it signifies that they are to be lifted from the ground to the altar the entire night. (This cannot be contended, for) "There shall not remain the fat of My festival offering until morning" (Shemoth 23:18) (already) teaches that they are to be lifted from the ground to the altar the entire night. 15) How, then, am I to construe "It is the burnt-offering upon its firewood on the altar all the night, etc."? That they are to be placed there at sunset (if they had not been sacrificed in the daytime) and left burning (on the altar) the entire night. What is the intent of "until the morning"? If it is not needed for the burning of the limbs, learn it as applying to the removal of the ashes, that they could be removed from the altar the entire night until the morning. 16 "and the fire of the altar shall be kindled thereby": Whence is it derived that the fire of the inner (incense) altar is to be kindled only from that of the outer altar? From: "the fire of the altar shall be kindled thereby." Whence is it derived that the same applies to the fire (i.e., the coals) of the coal pan (which were brought into the holy of holies for the burning of the incense of Yom Kippur) and to the (fire of) the menorah? It follows, viz.: "Burning" is stated in respect to the inner altar, viz. (Shemoth 30:7): "shall he burn it" (the incense, on the inner altar), and "burning" is stated in respect to the coal pan and the menorah. Just as the fire for the inner altar comes from the outer altar, so the fire for the coal pan and the menorah comes from the outer altar. — But why not go in this direction: "Burning" is stated in respect to the inner altar and "burning" is stated in respect to the coal pan and to the menorah — Just as the fire for the inner altar comes from the altar outside of it, so the fire for the coal pan and the menorah should come from the altar (directly) outside of them (i.e., the inner altar)! It is, therefore, (to negate this) written (in respect to the outer altar, Vayikra 6:6): "A continuous fire shall burn upon the altar; it shall not be extinguished" — The continuous fire, too, that I told you of (in respect to the menorah, Shemoth 27:20) should be only from the outer altar. This suffices for the fire of the menorah. Whence do I derive the same for (that of) the coal pan? It follows, viz.: "Fire" is written in respect to the menorah, and "fire" is written in respect to the coal pan. Just as there (the menorah, the fire is taken from that) on the outer altar; here, too, (in respect to the coal pan, the fire is taken from that) on the outer altar. — But why not go in this direction: "Fire" is stated in respect to the incense, and "fire" is stated in respect to the coal pan. Just as there (in respect to the incense (altar), the fire is taken from that) nearest it (i.e., the outer altar); here, too, (in respect to the coal pan, the fire should be taken from that altar) nearest it (i.e., the inner altar)! It is, therefore, (to negate this) written(Vayikra 16:12): "And he shall take a full coal pan of coals of fire from off the altar before the L–rd." Which is the altar, part of which, but not all of which, is "before the L–rd"? The outer altar, (which faces the sanctuary, as opposed to the inner altar, which is entirely in the sanctuary).
Sifra Tzav Chapter 1
Tap any verse to see what it echoes — and start a chain or echo from it.