Pesachim 57b — the Talmud in English

And when they asked him about the matter,

he gestured with his hand [A0004]he made a gesture with his hand, as a joke]. And he said: Certainly, the lamb is better. For it is brought near the daily offering.

[He made a gesture with his hand as a joke]. And he said: Certainly, the lamb is better than the kid. For it is brought as an offering together with the daily offering.

For if the kid is good, let it ascend

the kid

to the daily offering!

The king said:

Not only did he not say as I did, but he even said so in a joking manner.

Since he had no fear of the kingdom [A0011]fear of the kingdom,

[fear of the king]

let us cut off [A0013]let us cut

[let us cut off]

his hand

the hand,

his right one.

Yissachar gave

Yissachar

a bribe

to the king’s servant,

and he cut off his left,

in place of his right hand.

The king heard

this,

and he cut off

also

his

hand,

his right one.

And he remained without both his hands.

Rav Yosef said: Blessed is the Merciful One that He took [A0032]that He took

[removed]

Yissachar the man of Kefar Barkai for his retribution [A0034]for his recompense

[his punishment]

from him in this world!

And he will not receive his punishment in the World to Come, where the punishment is exceedingly severe.

Rav Ashi said: Yissachar the man of Kefar Barkai did not study a Mishna [A0038]he did not learn a Mishna and a beraita. And because of this he said that the lamb is better than the kid.

[he had not learned the Mishna, the foundational compilation of early rabbinic teachings, or a beraita, a tannaitic source not included in the Mishna]. And that is why he said that the lamb is better than the kid.

For we learned: Rabbi Shimon says: Lambs precede goats

in offerings

everywhere,

for in every offering that comes from lambs and goats, “lamb” is written first.

Could it be

that it is

because

the lambs

are superior in their species

more than the goats?

The verse teaches

in the sin offering: “And he shall bring his offering, an unblemished she-goat,” and afterward it is written

“And if he brings a lamb as his offering

for a sin offering, an unblemished female, he shall bring it.”

Behold, it placed the goat before the ewe. It teaches that both of them are equal to one another.

Ravina said: He did not even read Scripture

Yissachar the man of Kefar Barkai.

For

this

is written

in the peace offerings:

“If a lamb”

he offers [flesh].”

And it is written

“And if a goat

is his offering.”

And since Scripture showed no indication that this one is superior to that one, infer from it that both of them are equal.

And therefore,

if he wishes, let him bring a lamb; if he wishes, let him bring a goat.

We shall return to you, chapter “The Place Where They Were Accustomed.”