Pesachim 58b — the Talmud in English

And we challenge this:

If

according to Rabbi Akiva

we are not concerned

that the meat will become overheated

let us perform it

as the daily offering

at six and a half!

For on Shabbat there is no need to delay it because of offerings made in fulfillment of vows and voluntary offerings, and it should therefore be brought earlier because of the many Paschal offerings that must be sacrificed after it!

And we answer:

He holds

Rabbi Akiva

that the additional offerings take precedence over the bowls of frankincense!

And since the additional offerings cannot be brought earlier,

they perform the service of the additional offerings in

hour

six,

and the service of the

bowls of frankincense in seven

(throughout the entire seventh hour, and the priests are not free at that time to perform the service of the daily offering),

and they perform the daily offering at seven and a half.

Rabba bar Ulla raises an objection:

The statement of Rabbi Yishmael also implies a view unlike that of Rava!

For

is it conceivable

[meaning,]

“As they arranged it on an ordinary weekday, so they arranged it on Shabbat that falls on Passover eve, the words of Rabbi Yishmael,”

is that what it states?

Rather,

“So they arranged it on Shabbat”

is stated without qualification,

which implies that it is not referring specifically to Passover eve at all!

Rather, Rabba bar Ulla said:

Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva did not disagree at all about the time for slaughtering the daily offering on Passover eve. Rather, they disagree about an ordinary Shabbat.

And accordingly,

this is what it states: As they arranged it

for the daily offering

on an ordinary weekday,

on a weekday throughout the year, when it was slaughtered at eight and a half hours

so they arranged it on an ordinary Shabbat,

on every Shabbat of the year, when it too was slaughtered at eight and a half hours,

the words of Rabbi Yishmael.

And although on Shabbat there is no need to delay it because of offerings made in fulfillment of vows and voluntary offerings, we decree that Shabbat be treated like an ordinary weekday: if they bring it earlier on Shabbat, at six and a half hours, we are concerned that they might do the same on an ordinary weekday and thereby invalidate the offerings made in fulfillment of vows and the voluntary offerings that they would sacrifice afterward.

Rabbi Akiva says: As they arranged it

for the daily offering

on an ordinary Passover eve,

on a Passover eve that falls on a weekday, when it was slaughtered at seven and a half hours,

so they arranged it on an ordinary Shabbat,

on every Shabbat of the year, when it too was slaughtered at seven and a half hours. And we do not decree that Shabbat be treated like an ordinary weekday.

And

accordingly,

the Mishna, which states

that the daily offering is slaughtered on Passover eve at seven and a half hours,

both

on a Passover eve that falls

on a weekday

and

both

on a Passover eve that falls

on Shabbat—

is according to everyone.

For Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva disagree only about an ordinary Shabbat. But on Passover eve, they both agree that the daily offering is brought earlier, at seven and a half hours, because of the many Paschal offerings that follow it—both when Passover eve falls on a weekday and when Passover eve falls on Shabbat.

And we inquire:

About what do they disagree?

And we explain:

They disagree about the decree concerning voluntary offerings and offerings made in fulfillment of vows—

Rabbi Yishmael holds that we decree that Shabbat be treated like an ordinary weekday.

And Rabbi Akiva holds that we do not issue such a decree.

And we challenge this:

If

Rabbi Akiva holds that

we do not issue such a decree

that Shabbat be treated like an ordinary weekday, then there is no reason to delay the daily offering on Shabbat at all. If so, on the contrary, it should be brought as early as possible, since those who are diligent perform mitzvot at the earliest opportunity.

And

let us perform it at six and a half,

since that is the beginning of its time according to Torah law?!

And we answer:

He holds

Rabbi Akiva

that the additional offerings take precedence over the bowls of frankincense.

Therefore, they sacrifice the

additional offerings at six

[from the beginning of the sixth hour and throughout the sixth hour],

and

burn the frankincense of the

bowls at seven

[from the beginning of the seventh hour and throughout the seventh hour],

and they perform the daily offering at seven and a half.

Summary of the views:

A.

According to Abaye and Rava—

Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva disagree about a Passover eve that falls on Shabbat:

According to Abaye,

for Rabbi Yishmael the daily offering is slaughtered at seven and a half hours, as on every Passover eve; and for Rabbi Akiva it is slaughtered at six and a half hours, as on a Passover eve that falls on Friday.

According to Rava,

for Rabbi Yishmael the daily offering is slaughtered at eight and a half hours, as on an ordinary weekday that is not Passover eve; and for Rabbi Akiva it is slaughtered at seven and a half hours, as on a Passover eve that falls on a weekday.

B.

According to Rabba bar Ulla—

they disagree about every Shabbat of the year.

According to Rabbi Yishmael, the daily offering is slaughtered at eight and a half hours, as on every weekday; and according to Rabbi Akiva, it is slaughtered at seven and a half hours.

And according to him, on Passover eve everyone agrees that the daily offering is slaughtered at seven and a half hours, both when Passover eve falls on a weekday and when Passover eve falls on Shabbat.

They raise an objection from a source

against Rava, from that which was taught in a beraita:

The daily offering

of the afternoon,

throughout the entire year is sacrificed according to its prescribed procedure—

it is slaughtered at eight and a half hours, and sacrificed at nine and a half hours.

And on Passover eve it is slaughtered at seven and a half hours, and sacrificed at eight and a half hours.

If

Passover eve

falls on Shabbat,

the time of the daily offering is

like

the time when

Passover eve falls

on

Monday

(that is, at seven and a half hours),

the words of Rabbi Yishmael.

Rabbi Akiva says: As they arranged it on Passover eve.

And later we will explain what he is saying.

Granted, according to Abaye—

it is understandable.

For this beraita clearly supports Abaye’s explanation both regarding the statement of Rabbi Yishmael and regarding the statement of Rabbi Akiva.

For he explained Rabbi Yishmael’s statement in the earlier beraita to mean that when Passover eve falls on Shabbat, the daily offering is slaughtered at seven and a half hours, as on a Passover eve that falls on a weekday; and Rabbi Yishmael explicitly said the same thing in the beraita here.

It follows that Rabbi Akiva’s statement is also understood in accordance with Abaye.

For since Rabbi Yishmael said, “If it falls on Shabbat, it is like when it falls on Monday,” and Rabbi Akiva then said, “As they arranged it on Passover eve,” it necessarily means that he intended, “As they arranged it on a Passover eve that falls on Friday,” namely, at six and a half hours. This is how Abaye explained Rabbi Akiva’s statement in the earlier beraita.

But according to Rava,

who explained Rabbi Yishmael’s statement to mean that when Passover eve falls on Shabbat, the offering is slaughtered at eight and a half hours, as on an ordinary weekday that is not Passover eve, so that the meat will not become overheated and spoil—

it is difficult!

For here, in this beraita, Rabbi Yishmael said that its law is like that of a Passover eve that falls on a weekday, namely, at seven and a half hours!

And we answer:

Rava could say to you: Do not say

in the statement of Rabbi Yishmael

“like when Passover eve falls

on

Monday,”

when it is slaughtered at seven and a half hours.

Rather, say: “Like an ordinary Monday,”

when it is slaughtered at eight and a half hours. We do not slaughter the Paschal offering before nine and a half hours, so that the meat will not become overheated and spoil.

They raise an objection from a source

against Abaye, from that which was taught in a beraita:

If

Passover eve

falls on Shabbat,

the daily offering is performed

according to its procedure

throughout

the entire year.

That is, it is slaughtered at eight and a half hours and sacrificed at nine and a half hours. Only afterward did they begin slaughtering the Paschal offerings, so that the meat would not become overheated and spoil before it was roasted,

the words of Rabbi Yishmael.

Rabbi Akiva says: As they arranged it on an ordinary Passover eve

at seven and a half hours.

Granted, according to Rava, it is understandable.

But according to Abaye, it is difficult,

for here it explicitly states in accordance with Rava, both regarding Rabbi Yishmael and regarding Rabbi Akiva!?

Abaye could say to you: Do not say

“according to its procedure throughout the entire year.”

Rather, say

“according to its procedure on all the other years,”

when Passover eve falls on a weekday and the daily offering is slaughtered at seven and a half hours,

the words of Rabbi Yishmael.

Rabbi Akiva says: As they arranged it on a Passover eve that falls on Friday,

when the daily offering is slaughtered at six and a half hours.

It is a mitzva to arrange a new wood-pile on the altar every morning and to burn upon it the limbs of burnt offerings and the fats of the sacrifices, as it is stated [Leviticus 6]: “The priest shall burn wood upon it every morning, every morning, and arrange the burnt offering upon it, and burn

upon it

the fats of the peace offerings.”

And concerning this we learned:

The Sages taught: From where do we know that no object

may be burned on the day’s new wood-pile

before the morning daily offering?

The verse states

[Leviticus 6]: “The priest shall burn wood upon it”—for this teaches that arranging the wood-pile is a mitzva, and immediately afterward it is written:

“And arrange the burnt offering upon it.”

Thus, the daily burnt offering is the first sacrifice offered on the new morning wood-pile.

And we inquire:

What is the basis in the verse?

How does the verse indicate that it is referring to the morning daily burnt offering and not to another burnt offering?

Rava said:

Because it is written

“the burnt offering”

with the definite article, this implies that it refers to a significant burnt offering, namely, the daily burnt offering, since it is the

burnt offering

that is written

first

in the section of the communal sacrifices in the portion of Pinhas [Numbers 28].

And from where do we know that no sacrifice is offered after the afternoon daily offering?

The verse states

[Leviticus 6],

“And burn upon it

upon the morning burnt offering—

the fats of the peace offerings.”

What is the basis in the verse,

and how is this learned from this verse?

Abaye said:

The verse should be read according to this explanation:

“Upon it

—specifically, upon or after the morning daily burnt offering—the fats of

peace offerings shall be burned.”

But not upon its counterpart

—the afternoon daily burnt offering—shall one offer

peace offerings.

That is, nothing else may be burned after the evening daily offering.

Rava raises an objection:

According to your explanation, that the word “peace offerings” in the verse refers to a peace offering, then

say

that specifically

peace offerings may not be sacrificed

after the afternoon daily offering.

But burnt offerings

may

be sacrificed

after it!?

Rather, Rava said,

this is how we expound the verse:

“The peace offerings

[from the language of completion]—

upon it.”

Upon the morning daily burnt offering,

complete

the offering of

all the sacrifices.

The Sages taught: The afternoon daily offering

между вечерними жертвами

takes precedence over the Paschal offering.

The Paschal offering takes precedence over the afternoon incense

of the afternoon.

The incense takes precedence over

the lighting of the

lamps.