6. Babylonian Talmud, Menachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •priests, versus rabbis •rabbis, versus priests Found in books: Balberg (2017), Blood for Thought: The Reinvention of Sacrifice in Early Rabbinic Literature, 12 | 110a. b and swear to the Lord of hosts; /b one shall be called the city of destruction” (Isaiah 19:18). b They went to Alexandria in Egypt and built an altar and sacrificed /b offerings b upon it for the sake of Heaven, as it is stated /b in the following verse: b “In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, /b and a pillar at its border, to the Lord” (Isaiah 19:19).,The verse states: b “One shall be called the city of destruction” /b (Isaiah 19:18). The Gemara asks: b What /b is the meaning of the verse: b “One shall be called the city of destruction”? /b The Gemara answers: b As Rav Yosef translates /b into Aramaic: Concerning b the City of the Sun, which will be destroyed in the future, it will be said that it is one of them. And from where /b is it derived b that /b in the phrase: b “The city of destruction [ i heres /i ],” the term /b i heres /i b is /b referring b to the sun? As it is written: “Who commands the sun [ i ḥeres /i ], and it does not rise; /b and seals up the stars” (Job 9:7).,§ After mentioning the Jewish community in Egypt, the Gemara discusses Jewish communities in other locations. The verse states: “Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east and gather you from the west; I will say to the north: Give up, and to the south: Keep not back, b bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the end of the earth” /b (Isaiah 43:5–6). What is the meaning of b “bring My sons from far”? Rav Huna says: These are the exiles of Babylonia, whose minds are calm, like sons, /b and who can therefore focus properly on Torah study and mitzvot. What is the meaning of b “and My daughters from the end of the earth”? These are the exiles of other countries, whose minds are unsettled, like daughters. /b ,§ b Rabbi Abba bar Rav Yitzḥak says /b that b Rav Ḥisda says, and some say /b that b Rav Yehuda says /b that b Rav says: /b The gentiles living b from Tyre to Carthage recognize the Jewish people, /b their religion, b and their Father in Heaven. But /b those living b to the west of Tyre and to the east of Carthage recognize neither the Jewish people nor their Father in Heaven. /b , b Rav Shimi bar Ḥiyya raised an objection to /b the statement of b Rav /b from the verse: b “From the rising of the sun until it sets, My name is great among the nations; and in every place offerings are presented to My name, and a pure meal offering; /b for My name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 1:11). This indicates that God’s name is known across the entire world, even to the west of Tyre and the east of Carthage. Rav b said to him: Shimi, /b is it b you /b who is raising such an objection? The verse does not mean that they recognize God and worship him. Rather, it means b that /b although they worship idols, b they call Him the God of gods. /b ,§ The verse states: “And b in every place offerings are presented to My name, /b and a pure meal offering; for My name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.” Does it b enter your mind /b to say that it is permitted to sacrifice offerings b in every place? /b Rather, b Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says /b that b Rabbi Yonatan says: These are Torah scholars, who engage in Torah /b study b in every place. /b God says: b I ascribe them /b credit b as though they burn and present /b offerings b to My name. /b ,Furthermore, when the verse states: b “And a pure meal offering,” this /b is referring to b one who studies Torah in purity, /b i.e., one who first b marries a woman and afterward studies Torah. /b Since he is married, he is not disturbed by sinful thoughts.,The Gemara cites another verse that praises Torah scholars. b “A Song of Ascents, Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand in the House of the Lord at night” /b (Psalms 134:1). b What /b is the meaning of b “at night,” /b given that the Temple service is not performed at night and all the offerings must be sacrificed during the daytime? b Rabbi Yoḥa says: These are Torah scholars, who engage in Torah /b study b at night. The verse ascribes them /b credit b as though they engage in the /b Temple b service. /b ,§ The Gemara cites another verse that is interpreted in a similar vein. King Solomon said to Hiram of Tyre: “Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, and to burn before Him incense of sweet spices, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the i Shabbatot /i , and on the New Moons, and on the Festivals of the Lord our God. b This is an ordice forever for Israel” /b (II Chronicles 2:3). Since the Temple was eventually destroyed, what did Solomon mean when he said that it is “an ordice forever”? b Rav Giddel says /b that b Rav says: This /b is referring to the b altar /b that remains b built /b in Heaven even after the earthly Temple was destroyed, b and /b the angel b Michael, the great minister, stands and sacrifices an offering upon it. /b , b And Rabbi Yoḥa says /b that there is an alternative explanation of the verse: b These are Torah scholars, who engage in /b studying b the i halakhot /i of /b the Temple b service. The verse ascribes them /b credit b as though the Temple was built in their days /b and they are serving in it.,§ The Gemara cites similar interpretations of verses: b Reish Lakish said: What /b is the meaning of that b which is written: “This is the law [ i torah /i ] of the burnt offering, of the meal offering, and of the sin offering, and of the guilt offering, /b and of the consecration offering, and of the sacrifice of peace offerings” (Leviticus 7:37)? This teaches that b anyone who engages in Torah /b study is considered b as though he sacrificed a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sin offering, and a guilt offering. /b , b Rava said /b an objection to this interpretation: b This /b verse states: b “of the burnt offering, of the meal offering.” /b If the interpretation of Reish Lakish is correct, the verse b should have /b written: b “Burnt offering and meal offering.” Rather, Rava says /b that the correct interpretation of this verse is: b Anyone who engages in Torah /b study b need not /b bring b a burnt offering, nor a sin offering, nor a meal offering, nor a guilt offering. /b , b Rabbi Yitzḥak said: What /b is the meaning of that b which is written: “This is the law of the sin offering” /b (Leviticus 6:18), b and: “This is the law of the guilt offering” /b (Leviticus 7:1)? These verses teach that b anyone who engages in /b studying b the law of the sin offering /b is ascribed credit b as though he sacrificed a sin offering, and anyone who engages in /b studying b the law of a guilt offering /b is ascribed credit b as though he sacrificed a guilt offering. /b , strong MISHNA: /strong b It is stated with regard to an animal burnt offering: “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing /b to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9), b and with regard to a bird burnt offering: “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing /b to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:17), b and with regard to a meal offering: “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing /b to the Lord” (Leviticus 2:2). The repetitive language employed concerning all of these different offerings is b to say to you /b that b one who brings a substantial /b offering b and one who brings a meager /b offering have equal merit, b provided that he directs his heart toward Heaven. /b , strong GEMARA: /strong b Rabbi Zeira said: What is the verse /b from which this principle is derived? b “Sweet is the sleep of a laboring man, whether he consumes little or much” /b (Ecclesiastes 5:11).The verse is interpreted as referring to one who brings an offering, and teaches that one who brings a substantial offering and one who brings a meager offering can be equally assured that their offering will be accepted., b Rav Adda bar Ahava said /b that the source is b from here: “When goods increase, those who consume them increase; and what advantage is there to the owner, /b except seeing them with his eyes?” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). One who brings a substantial offering, who thereby increases the number of priests who partake of it, does not have more merit than one who brings a meager offering. Rather, the offering that God desires is one where He recognizes, i.e., “seeing them with His eyes,” that its owner has the proper intent.,The Gemara addresses the expression “an aroma pleasing to the Lord” stated in the verses mentioned in the mishna. b It is taught /b in a i baraita /i that b Rabbi Shimon ben Azzai says: Come and see what is written in the portion of offerings: As /b in these verses, the divine names b i El /i and i Elohim /i are not stated, but /b only b “the Lord.” /b This is b so /b as b not to give a claim to a litigant to argue. /b Only one name of God is used in conjunction with all the various offerings, to prevent heretics from claiming that different offerings are brought to different gods., b And it is stated with regard to a large bull /b offering: b “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing /b to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9), b and with regard to a small bird /b offering: b “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing /b to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:17), b and with regard to a meal offering: “A fire offering, an aroma pleasing /b to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9). The repetitive language employed concerning all of these different offerings is b to say to you /b that b one who brings a substantial /b offering b and one who brings a meager /b offering have equal merit, b provided that he directs his heart toward Heaven. /b , b And lest you say /b that God b needs /b these offerings b for consumption, /b in which case a larger offering would be preferable to a smaller one, b the verse states: “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and everything within it” /b (Psalms 50:12). b And it is stated: “For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are Mine” /b (Psalms 50:10–11). Similarly, it is stated in the following verse: b “Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?” /b (Psalms 50:13)., b I did not say to you: Sacrifice /b offerings to me, b so that you will say: I will do His will, /b i.e., fulfill His needs, b and He will do my will. You are not sacrificing to /b fulfill b My will, /b i.e., My needs, b but you are sacrificing to /b fulfill b your will, /b i.e., your needs, in order to achieve atonement for your sins by observing My mitzvot, b as it is stated: /b “And when you sacrifice an offering of peace offerings to the Lord, b you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted” /b (Leviticus 19:5)., b Alternatively, /b the verse: “And when you sacrifice an offering of peace offerings to the Lord, b you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted [ i lirtzonkhem /i ]” /b (Leviticus 19:5), can be interpreted differently: b Sacrifice willingly [ i lirtzonkhem /i ]; sacrifice intentionally. /b ,This is b as Shmuel asked Rav Huna: From where /b is it derived with regard b to one who acts unawares /b in the case b of consecrated /b items, i.e., if one slaughtered an offering without intending to perform the act of slaughter at all, but rather appeared like one occupied with other matters, b that /b the offering b is disqualified? /b Rav Huna said to Shmuel: It is derived from a verse, b as it is stated: “And he shall slaughter the young bull /b before the Lord” (Leviticus 1:5), teaching that the mitzva is not performed properly b unless the slaughter is for the sake of a young bull, /b i.e., with the knowledge that he is performing an act of slaughter.,Shmuel b said to /b Rav Huna: b We have this /b as an established i halakha /i already, that it is a mitzva to slaughter the offering for the sake of a bull, but b from where /b is it derived that this requirement is b indispensable? /b Rav Huna b said to him /b that the verse states: b “With your will you shall slaughter it” /b (Leviticus 19:5), i.e., b sacrifice intentionally, /b in the form of a purposeful action.,...Y |
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