Pesachim 58a — the Talmud in English

It is a positive mitzva to offer the Paschal offering on the fourteenth day of Nisan after midday, as it is stated: [Exodus 12:6] “And they shall slaughter it—the entire congregation of the assembly of Israel—in the afternoon.” And its time is after the afternoon tamid.

The Paschal offering is offered from sheep or from goats, a male in its first year, as it is stated: [ibid. 5] “A flawless male in its first year shall it be for you; from the sheep and from the goats shall you take it.”

And one must be appointed over it before its slaughter, as it is stated: [ibid. 4] “Each man according to what he eats, shall you apportion yourselves for the lamb” [and Onkelos translated: “You shall be appointed over the lamb”]. And one who was not appointed over it while it was alive does not fulfill his obligation with it, and he is also forbidden to eat from its flesh.

It is a positive mitzva to eat the flesh of the Paschal offering on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan, as it is stated: [ibid. 8] “And they shall eat the flesh on this night, roasted over fire.”

And the order of offering it, in brief:

A. They slaughter it, and the slaughterer may be either a kohen or a non-kohen.

And a kohen receives its blood. And a kohen conveys the blood to the altar. And he gives from it one application opposite the base.

B. They strip its hide, remove its fats from it, and burn them on the altar.

C. Afterwards they roast its flesh, and at night they eat at least an olive-sized portion of the roasted flesh.

These laws and the other accompanying laws will be explained at length in this chapter and in the following chapters.

Folio 50a–h

Mishna:

The offering of the

regular

afternoon offering

is slaughtered

on an ordinary day of the year

at

the hour

eight and a half [

according to the counting of hours that begins in the morning].

Midday is the end of the sixth hour. And the hour “eight and a half” is two and a half hours after midday.

And it is offered [

that is, the completion of the offering of the tamid is]

at nine and a half.

For one must engage in it for one hour—in stripping its hide, cutting up its limbs, washing the innards and legs, and burning its fats on the altar.

But on the fourteenth day of Nisan, on which the Paschal offering is offered, they advanced the time of slaughtering the tamid.

Since the time of the Paschal offering is specifically after the afternoon tamid, as will be explained in the Gemara. And since the Paschal offerings of the entire people were numerous, and they needed to manage to slaughter and sprinkle the blood of all the Paschal offerings before sunset, they needed a great deal of time for this. Therefore they advanced the slaughtering of the tamid, so that sufficient time would remain after it to perform the Paschal offering.

And therefore,

on the eves of Passover—

the tamid is slaughtered

at

seven and a half, and is offered at eight and a half, both

when the eve of Passover falls

on a weekday,

and

both

when the eve of Passover falls

on Shabbat.

And from the hour of eight and a half, at which they completed the offering of the tamid, the time for slaughtering the Paschal offering began.

And if

the eve of Passover fell on the eve of Shabbat,

they had to advance the time of slaughtering the tamid even further. For they also had to manage to roast its flesh before sunset, since roasting the flesh of the Paschal offering does not override Shabbat.

Therefore, the tamid

is slaughtered

then

at six and a half, and is offered at seven and a half.

And the Paschal offering follows it.

Gemara:

And we raise an inquiry about this:

From where are these matters

that the time of slaughtering the tamid every day is at eight and a half?

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: For the verse says

concerning the regular offering [Numbers 28:]

“The one lamb shall you make in the morning,”

“and the second lamb shall you make in the afternoon.”

“Afternoon” is the period of time of the second half of the day [from midday until night].

And if the intention of the verse “in the afternoon” were to say that the time of offering the tamid is throughout this entire period, it should have written “in the afternoon.”

And from the fact that Scripture changed its wording and wrote “between the afternoons,” we derive:

Divide the

afternoon

between two

parts of

afternoons—

Give

two and a half hours to this side,

to the one afternoon portion, before the time of the regular offering.

And

give two and a half hours to this side,

to the second afternoon portion, after the time of the regular offering.

And

give

one hour for its performance,

the performance of the regular offering, between them.

And it follows that the time of the tamid begins two and a half hours after midday—that is, at eight and a half. And this time is from the Torah!22

Rava raises an objection

to what Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, that the time of the tamid at eight and a half is from the Torah, from our Mishna, where we learned:

On the eves of Passover

the tamid was

slaughtered at seven and a half, and offered at eight and a half, both on a weekday and on Shabbat.

And if it enters your mind

that the time of the tamid

at

the hour

eight and a half

is a law

from the Torah—

how do we advance it

on the eves of Passover to seven and a half?!

Rather, Rava said:

Both the time of eight and a half and the time of six and a half are only a rabbinic enactment.

For by Torah law, initially

the mitzva of the regular offering is from

the hour

when the shadows begin to incline toward evening [

from the hour when the shadow begins to incline eastward because of the sun’s inclination westward], that is, from six and a half.

What is the reason?

For the verse says

“between the afternoons”—

from the time when the sun begins toward the west,

from the time when the sun begins to incline westward is the time of the tamid.

Therefore—

during the rest of the days of the year, when there are vowed and freewill offerings,

and they must offer them before the afternoon regular offering, since

the Merciful One said [Leviticus 6] concerning the morning regular burnt offering, “And he shall burn

upon it the fats of the peace offerings.”

upon it the fats of the peace offerings.”

And the Master said [

below, on the facing page], that from this verse we derive:

“Upon it” [

upon the morning regular burnt offering]—

complete

the offering of

all the offerings!

That is: It is a mitzva to complete the service of all the offerings specifically upon [after] the morning regular burnt offering, and not to complete the service of offering the offerings upon [after] the afternoon regular offering. Rather, when they come to offer the afternoon regular offering, the service of all the offerings must already have been completed!

And the implication of this teaching is that it is forbidden to offer offerings after the afternoon regular offering.

Therefore, although it would have been proper to slaughter the afternoon regular offering immediately at the beginning of its time because of “the zealous hasten to perform mitzvot,” nevertheless the Sages enacted not to do so. Rather,

we delay it [

the afternoon regular offering]

two hours

by two hours, so that they would have enough time to offer all the vowed and freewill offerings before the regular offering.

And we perform it

the regular offering

at eight and a half.

And they did not wish to delay it further, so that it would not be so close to sunset [Tosafot].

And therefore,

on the eves of Passover, when there is also

the offering of the

Paschal

offering, whose time is

after it,

after the afternoon regular offering [as will be explained below], and the Paschal offerings of the entire people are numerous, and it is necessary to manage to complete the services of the Paschal offering before sunset—

we advance it

the regular offering

one hour.

And we perform it at seven and a half.

And if

the eve of Passover fell on the eve of Shabbat, when there is also its roasting,

the roasting of the flesh of the Paschal offering,

which does not override Shabbat [

because it is not a need of the Sanctuary but a need of an ordinary person, and it is possible to roast it during the day ], and it is necessary to manage to complete both the services of the Paschal offering and its roasting after the regular offering and before sunset—

we establish

we establish

it

the regular offering

according to its law

according to its Torah-law status, that its initial time is to be slaughtered

at six and a half.

The Sages taught: As its order

of the regular offering

on a weekday, so is its order on Shabbat, the words of Rabbi Yishmael.

Rabbi Akiva says: As its order on the eve of Passover.

And we raise an inquiry about this:

What is he saying?

Abaye said: This is what he is saying: As its order

of the regular offering

on

a

weekday on the eve of Passover,

when it is slaughtered at seven and a half—

so

also

is its order

of the regular offering

on Shabbat on the eve of Passover.

For then too the regular offering is slaughtered at seven and a half,

the words of Rabbi Yishmael.

Rabbi Akiva says: As its order

of the regular offering

on the eve of Passover that falls on the eve of Shabbat,

when it is slaughtered as early as possible, at six and a half, so that they would manage to offer the Paschal offering and also roast its flesh during the day—

so is its order

on the eve of Passover that falls

on Shabbat.

For then too the regular offering is slaughtered at six and a half.

Since they do not offer vowed and freewill offerings on Shabbat, there is no need to delay the regular offering as on a weekday. And since there is a Paschal offering after it, they advance it to the beginning of its time, at six and a half.

And

according to this,

the Mishna, which teaches

that the regular offering is slaughtered on the eves of Passover at seven and a half,

both

on the eve of Passover that falls

on a weekday,

and

both

on the eve of Passover that falls

on Shabbat—

it is Rabbi Yishmael’s.

And we raise an inquiry about this:

Over what do they disagree,

why does Rabbi Yishmael disagree with Rabbi Akiva? Surely Rabbi Akiva is correct, that when it falls on Shabbat the regular offering should be advanced as much as possible because of the numerous Paschal offerings that must be offered after it, since there is no need to delay it at all on account of vowed and freewill offerings?

And we explain:

In

the offering of

the additional offerings

of Shabbat, do they

precede

the service of the

bowls

of the showbread—or not?—

they disagree.

On the table there were placed two arrangements of showbread, and on each arrangement there was a bowl containing frankincense. Every Shabbat they removed from the table the two bowls and the bread that had been placed on it during the week, and arranged upon it new loaves and bowls of frankincense.

They burned the frankincense in the bowls on the altar, and the burning of the frankincense permitted the bread for the kohanim to eat, as it is written: “And it shall be for the bread as a memorial.” And immediately after the burning they divided the bread among the kohanim to eat. And they needed an hour to engage in burning the frankincense in the bowls and dividing the bread among the kohanim.

Rabbi Yishmael held—

the additional offerings precede

the removal of the

bowls

and their burning!

Every place where “morning” is stated, it is an expression of precedence, and it should be advanced and performed at the beginning of the day.

Whereas every place where “day” is stated means after the beginning of the day, at a later hour.

And therefore they were accustomed to offer the offerings of the additional offerings at the sixth hour, since “day” is stated concerning them.

Concerning the offerings of the additional offerings, “on the day” is written once, whereas concerning the bowls it is written twice—“on the day of Shabbat, on the day of Shabbat.” And it implies that they should be delayed until after the offerings concerning which “day” is written only once.

Therefore they delay the burning of the frankincense of the bowls, concerning which “on the day” is written twice, until after the additional offerings, concerning which “on the day” is written once.

And therefore,

he performed the additional offerings for them at six,

since “on the day” is stated concerning them and not “in the morning,” implying that they should be delayed. Therefore they begin the service of the additional offerings at the beginning of the sixth hour, and the service continues throughout the sixth hour.

And the bowls,

concerning which “on the day” is stated twice, their time is after the additional offerings, and they begin their service—the removal of the bowls, their burning, and the division of the bread—

at

the beginning of

seven,

and the service continues throughout the seventh hour.

And he performed the regular offering for him at seven and a half,

half an hour after the beginning of the eighth hour.

And they did not perform the regular offering immediately at the beginning of the eighth hour, because the division of the showbread among the kohanim was completed only afterwards. And additionally, they did not wish to establish different times for the regular offering, but either at the beginning of its time, at six and a half, or at seven and a half as on a weekday.

Rabbi Akiva held: The bowls precede the additional offerings.

And he learns this by a gezera shava, “statute” and “statute,” from the griddle-offering of the High Priest, whose time precedes the additional offerings, as it is written: “Burnt offering and meal offering”—that the meal offering should be adjacent to the morning regular burnt offering.

Therefore, the service of the

bowls—

the removal of the bowls, their burning, and the division of the bread among the kohanim—

is at five,

from the beginning of the fifth hour. And their service continues during this hour.

And the additional offerings are at six,

from the beginning of the sixth hour and during this hour.

And he performed the regular offering for him at six and a half.

Rava raised an objection against him: Is it the case [

is it so] that

Rabbi Akiva

teaches, “As its order on the eve of Passover that falls on the eve of Shabbat,”

does he teach?

But

“As its order on the eve of Passover”

he teaches without qualification!

the tamid at the sixth and a half hour! After all, on Shabbat there is no need to delay it because of vows and freewill offerings, and it should be advanced because of the numerous Paschal offerings that must be offered afterward! We answer: He holds—Rabbi Akiva— that the additional offerings precede the spoons! Since the additional offerings cannot be advanced, therefore he performs the additional offerings at the sixth hour, and the service of the spoons at seven [throughout the entire seventh hour, and the kohanim are not available then for the service of the tamid], and he performs the tamid at the seventh and a half hour. Rabba bar Ulla challenged this: Rabbi Yishmael’s words also appear not to accord with Rava! For, is it so that he taught: “Just as its order is on a weekday, so is its order on Shabbat on the eve of Passover, the statement of Rabbi Yishmael,” [that is what] he taught? Rather, “So is its order on Shabbat” without qualification he taught, indicating that this does not refer specifically to the eve of Passover! Rather, Rabba bar Ulla said: Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva did not disagree at all concerning the time for slaughtering the tamid on the eve of Passover; they disagreed concerning an ordinary Shabbat. Accordingly, this is what he taught: Just as its order of the tamid on an ordinary weekday, of the ordinary weekdays of the year, when it is slaughtered at the eighth and a half hour, so is its order on an ordinary Shabbat, on all the Shabbatot of the year, when it too is slaughtered at the eighth and a half hour, the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. Although on Shabbat there is no need to delay it because of vows and freewill offerings, we enact a safeguard for Shabbat on account of the weekday: if they advance it on Shabbat to the sixth and a half hour, we are concerned that they may do the same on a weekday and thereby invalidate vows and freewill offerings that they offer afterward. Rabbi Akiva says: Just as its order of the tamid on the ordinary eve of Passover, on the eve of Passover that falls on a weekday, when it is slaughtered at the seventh and a half hour, so is its order on an ordinary Shabbat, in every Shabbat of the year, when it too is slaughtered at the seventh and a half hour. We do not enact a safeguard for Shabbat on account of the weekday. And according to this, the Mishna, which teaches that the tamid is slaughtered on the eve of Passover at the seventh and a half hour, both on the eve of Passover that falls on a weekday and both on the eve of Passover that falls on Shabbat— it is the statement of everyone. Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva disagree only concerning an ordinary Shabbat, but on the eve of Passover both agree that the tamid is advanced to the seventh and a half hour because of the numerous Paschal offerings that follow it, both when the eve of Passover falls on a weekday and when it falls on Shabbat. We raise an objection concerning this: With regard to what do they disagree? And we explain: They disagree concerning the safeguard regarding freewill offerings and offerings brought in fulfillment of vows— Rabbi Yishmael holds that we enact a safeguard for Shabbat on account of the weekday. [Passover.] And shortly Rabba bar Ulla will challenge that Rabbi Yishmael’s words also appear not to accord with Rava. Rashi.

Rather, Rava said: This is what he is saying:

according to its order

of the daily offering

on an ordinary weekday,

on a weekday of all the days of the year, when the daily offering is slaughtered at eight-thirty —

so was its order

of the daily offering

on Shabbat, on the eve of Passover,

on the eve of Passover that occurs on Shabbat, when even then the daily offering is slaughtered at eight-thirty and offered at nine-thirty,

the words of Rabbi Ishmael.

For he holds that since the roasting of the flesh of the Passover-offering does not override Shabbat, and it is impossible to roast it until nightfall, its slaughter should not be advanced before nine-thirty, lest the flesh become heated and spoil. And since they do not advance the Passover-offering, consequently there is no need to advance the daily offering from its regular time.

Rabbi Akiva says: According to its order on the eve of Passover

that occurs on a weekday—for they advance the daily offering because of the many Passover-offerings that were after it, and it is slaughtered at seven-thirty—so too, on the eve of Passover that occurs on Shabbat, they advanced the daily offering to seven-thirty.

For even when the fourteenth occurs on Shabbat, they advanced the beginning of the time for slaughtering the Passover-offering as on a weekday, so that there would be sufficient time to offer the many Passover-offerings.

And

accordingly,

the Mishna, which teaches:

On the eves of Passover-offerings it is slaughtered at seven-thirty,

both

on the eve of Passover that occurs

on a weekday

and

both

on the eve of Passover that occurs

on Shabbat—

it is Rabbi Akiva’s [opinion].

And we raise an objection concerning it:

In what do they disagree

Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Akiva?

And we explain:

With regard to

the concern regarding

the heating of the flesh,

the heating of the flesh,

they disagree.

Rabbi Ishmael holds: We are concerned about the heating of the flesh.

Lest the flesh become heated and spoil if they do not roast it until nightfall. Therefore, they did not want to begin the time for slaughtering the Passover-offerings before nine-thirty when it occurs on Shabbat, since it is impossible to roast it until nightfall. And therefore they also did not advance the time of the daily offering.

And Rabbi Akiva holds: We are not concerned about the heating of the flesh.

Therefore, they advanced the beginning of the time for slaughtering the Passover-offering even when it occurs on Shabbat, so that they would have enough time to offer the many Passover-offerings that were there. And therefore they also advanced the daily offering.