Hebrew Literature Part 10

2. "The leaven of a stranger, over which the pa.s.sover has pa.s.sed?" "Its enjoyment is allowed." "But of an Israelite?" "Its enjoyment is disallowed," as is said,(129) "And there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee."

3. "The stranger who has lent money to an Israelite on his leaven?" "After pa.s.sover its enjoyment is allowed." "And an Israelite who lent money to the stranger on his leaven?" "Its enjoyment after pa.s.sover is disallowed."

"Leaven over which a building fell?" "It is as though it was cleared away." Rabban Simon, son of Gamaliel, said, "all after which the dog cannot snuff."

4. "He who has eaten a leavened heave-offering during the pa.s.sover in error?" "He must pay its value and a fifth more." "In presumption?" "He is free from the payment, and from its value even for fuel."(130)

5. These are the things by which one can discharge his obligation to eat unleavened bread during the pa.s.sover; with cakes made of wheat, and barley, and rye, and oats, and spelt; and they discharge their obligation in that of which the t.i.thing was doubtful, and in the first t.i.the after the heave-offering was separated from it, and in second t.i.thes and holy things after their redemption. And the priests discharge their obligation with cakes of dough-offering and heave-offering, but not with that which owes first t.i.thes, or before the heave-offering was separated from it, nor with that which owes second t.i.thes or holy things before their redemption.

"The loaves of the praise-offering and the cakes of the Nazarite?" "If made for themselves, they do not discharge the obligation: if made for sale in the market, they discharge the obligation."

6. And these are the herbs with which one discharges his obligation to eat bitter herbs in the pa.s.sover: lettuce, endives, horse-radish, liquorice, and coriander. The obligation can be discharged whether they be moist or dry, but not if they be pickled, or much boiled, or even a little boiled.

And they may be united to form the size of an olive. And the obligation may be discharged with their roots; and also if their t.i.thes be in doubt; and with their first t.i.thing, when the heave-offering has been taken from them; and with their second t.i.the, and with holy things which are redeemed.

7. Persons must not moisten bran during the pa.s.sover for chickens, but they may scald it. A woman must not moisten bran in her hand when she goes to the bath. But she may rub it dry on her flesh. A man should not chew wheat and leave it on a wound during Pa.s.sover, because it becomes leavened.

8. People must not put flour into the charoseth(131) or into the mustard.

"But if one puts it?" "He must eat it off-hand." But Rabbi Meier forbids it. They must not boil the pa.s.sover offering in liquids nor in fruit juice. But one may smear it (after it is roasted), or dip it into them.

Water used by the baker must be poured away because it becomes leavened.

Chapter III

1. These cause transgression during pa.s.sover: the Babylonian cuthack,(132) and the Median beer, and the Edomite vinegar, and the Egyptian zithum,(133) and the purifying dough of the dyer,(134) and the clarifying grain of the cooks, and the paste of the bookbinders. Rabbi Eleazar said, "even the cosmetics of women." This is the rule. All kinds of grain whatever may cause transgression during the pa.s.sover. These are negative commands, and they are not visited by cutting off.

2. "Dough in a split of a kneading trough?" "If there be the size of an olive in a single place one is bound to clear it out." Less than this is worthless from its minuteness. And so is it with the question of uncleanness. Particularity causes division. "But if one wish it to remain?" "It is reckoned as the trough." "Dough dried up?"(135) "If it be like that which can become leavened it is forbidden."

3. "How do persons separate the dough-offering when it becomes unclean on a holiday?" Rabbi Eleazar said, "you cannot call it a dough-offering till it be baked." Rabbi Judah, the son of Bethira, said, "you must put it in cold water." Said R. Joshua, "it is not leaven so as to transgress the negative command 'It shall not be seen nor found,'(136) but it must be separated and left till the evening. But if it become leavened it is leavened."

4. Rabban Gamaliel said, "three women may knead at once, and bake in one oven, each after the other." But the Sages say, "three women may be busied with the dough, one kneads, and one prepares, and one bakes." Rabbi Akiba said, "all women, and all wood, and all ovens, are not alike." This is the rule. "If it ferment it must be smoothed down with cold water."

5. Dough which begins to leaven must be burned, but he who eats it is free. When it begins to crack it must be burned, and he who eats it must be cut off. "What is leavening?" "Like the horns of locusts." "Cracking?"

"When the cracks intermingle." The words of R. Judah. But the Sages say, "if either of them be eaten, the eater must be cut off." "And what is leavening?" "All which changed its appearance, as when a man's hairs stand on end through fright."

6. "If the fourteenth day of Nisan happened on the Sabbath?" "They must clear off all the leaven before the Sabbath begins." The words of R.

Meier. But the Sages say, "in the proper season." Rabbi Eleazar, the son of Zaduk, said, "the heave-offering before the Sabbath, and ordinary things in the proper season."

7. "If one went to kill his pa.s.sover, or circ.u.mcise his son, or to eat the marriage-feast in the house of his father-in-law, and he remembered that there was leaven in his house?" "If he can he must return and clear it out, and return to his duties. He must return and clear it away. But if not, he can esteem it as nothing in his heart." "(If one went) to save a person from the militia, or from a river, or from robbers, or from burning, or from the fall of buildings?" "He may esteem it as nothing in his heart." "But if he is reposing at his ease?" "He must return off-hand."

8. And so also when one went forth from Jerusalem and remembered that he had holy flesh in his hand. If he pa.s.sed Zophim(137) he must burn it on the spot. But if not he must return and burn it in front of the temple with the wood of the altar. "And for how much flesh or leaven must men return?" Rabbi Meier said, "both of them the size of an egg." Rabbi Judah said, "both the size of an olive." But the Sages say, "Holy flesh the size of an olive, and leaven the size of an egg."

Chapter IV

1. "A place in which men are accustomed to do work on the eve of the pa.s.sover?" "For half a day they may work." "A place in which they are not accustomed to work?" "They must not work." "If one goes from a place where they work to a place where they do not work; or from a place where they do not work to a place where they do work?" "The Sages put on him the burden(138) of the place from which he went, or the burden of the place to which he came; but a man should not change the customs of a place, as it causes quarrels."

2. Like to him is he who carried fruits of the Sabbatical year from a place where they were finished growing to a place where they were not finished growing; or from a place where they were not finished to a place where they were finished. He is bound to remove them. Rabbi Judah said, "they can say to him, go and bring them for yourself from the field."(139)

3. "A place in which men are accustomed to sell small cattle to Gentiles?"

"They may sell them." "A place in which they are not accustomed to sell them?" "They may not sell them." But in no place may they sell working cattle-calves, a.s.s-foals, either unblemished or broken down.(140) Rabbi Judah "allowed the broken down." The son of Bethira "allowed a horse."

4. "A place where men are accustomed to eat roast meat on the night of the pa.s.sover?" "They may eat it." "A place in which they are not accustomed to eat it?" "They may not eat it." "A place in which they are accustomed to light a candle on the night of the Day of Atonement?" "They may light it."

"A place in which they are not accustomed to light it?" "They may not light it." But men may light candles in the synagogues, and in the schools, and in the dark streets, and for the sick.

5. "A place in which men are accustomed to do work on the ninth of Ab;"(141) "They may work." "A place in which they are not accustomed to work?" "They may not work." But everywhere the disciples of the Sages are idle. Rabban Simon, the son of Gamaliel, said, "a man may always make himself a disciple of the Sages." But the Sages say, "in Judah they did work on the eves of the pa.s.sovers for half a day, and in Galilee they did nothing." And work in the night before the pa.s.sover the school of Shammai disallowed; but the school of Hillel "allowed it till sunrise."

6. Rabbi Meier said, "every work which was begun before the fourteenth day of Nisan may be finished on the fourteenth; but it must not be commenced on the fourteenth, even though it can be finished." And the Sages say, "three trades can carry on business on the eves of the pa.s.sovers for half a day; and these are they-the tailors, and the barbers, and the washers."

Rabbi Jose, the son of Judah, said, "also shoemakers."

7. Persons may set hens on their nests on the fourteenth. "But if the hen ran off?" "They may return her to her place." "And if she died?" "They may set another instead of her." They may clear away from beneath the feet of beasts on the fourteenth. But on the holiday (or middle-days) they put it aside. They may carry to and bring vessels from the house of the trader, even though they be not necessary for the holiday.

8. The men of Jericho did six things, in three they were prohibited, and in three they were allowed. And these are they in which they were allowed: they engrafted dates the whole fourteenth day of Nisan, and they shortened the "Hear,"(142) and they reaped and stacked new corn before "the sheaf"(143) was offered; and they were allowed. And in these they were prohibited: they used the produce of what was consecrated, and they ate on the Sabbath the fruit that had fallen down from the trees, and they gave(144) (to the poor) the corners of the fields of vegetables. And the Sages prohibited them from these things.(145)

9. BEREITHA-EXTERNAL TRADITION.-Hezekiah the king did six things; to three the Sages consented, and to three they did not consent. He carried the bones of his father (Ahaz) on a rope bed,(146) and they consented. He powdered the brazen serpent,(147) and they consented. He concealed the book of medicines,(148) and they consented. And to three they did not consent: he cut off (the gold from) the doors of the temple(149) and sent it to the a.s.syrian king, and they did not consent. He stopped the waters of the upper Gihon,(150) and they did not consent. He introduced an intercalary Nisan, and they did not consent.

Chapter V

1. The daily offering was slaughtered at half-past eight,(151) and offered at half-past nine. On the eve of the pa.s.sover it was slaughtered at half-past seven and offered at half-past eight, whether the pa.s.sover fell on a week-day or on the Sabbath. When the eve of the pa.s.sover began on the eve of the Sabbath (Friday), it was slaughtered at half-past six, and offered at half-past seven, and the pa.s.sover followed after it.

2. "The pa.s.sover offering, which was slaughtered without intention-and the priest took its blood, and he went and sprinkled it without intention?" or "with intention, and without intention?" or "without intention and with intention?" "It is disallowed." "How can it be with intention and without intention?" "With intention partly for the pa.s.sover, and with intention partly for peace-offerings." "Without intention and with intention?" "With intention partly for peace-offerings, and with intention partly for the pa.s.sover-offering."

3. "If he slaughtered the pa.s.sover for those who may not legally eat it-for those who are not reckoned in one company-for the uncirc.u.mcised, and for the unclean?" "It is disallowed." "For those who may eat, and for those who may not eat it?" "For those who are reckoned in one company, and for those who are not so reckoned?" "For circ.u.mcised, and for uncirc.u.mcised?" "For unclean, and for clean?" "It is allowed." "If he slaughtered it before noon?" "It is disallowed." Because it is said "between the evenings."(152) "If he slaughtered it before the daily offering?" "It is allowed." Except that one must keep stirring(153) its blood, till the blood of the daily offering be sprinkled. "But if it be _even_ sprinkled (before?)" "It is lawful."

4. "He who slaughtered the pa.s.sover-offering possessing leaven?" "He transgressed a negative command."(154) Rabbi Judah said, "this applies even to the daily offering (of that evening)." Rabbi Simon said, "the slaughter of the pa.s.sover on the fourteenth with intention for the pa.s.sover makes (a man possessing leaven) guilty; but if it be slaughtered without intention for the pa.s.sover he is free." "And in all other sacrifices during the feast, whether one sacrifice with or without the proper intention?" "He is free." "When one thus offers in the feast itself with proper intention?" "He is free." "Without proper intention?" "He is guilty." "And in all the other sacrifices, when one possessing leaven offers either with or without intention?" "He is guilty, only excepting the sin-offering, which was slaughtered without intention."

5. The pa.s.sover was slaughtered(155) for three bands in succession, as is said, "The whole a.s.sembly of the congregation of Israel"(156)-a.s.sembly, congregation, Israel. The first band entered, the court was filled, the doors of the court were locked. The trumpeters blew with the trumpets, blew an alarm, and blew. The priests stood in rows, and in their hands were bowls of silver and bowls of gold. All the silver row was entirely silver, and all the golden row was entirely gold. They were not mingled.

And the bowls were not flat-bottomed, lest they should lay them down, and the blood be coagulated.

6. When an Israelite slaughtered, and a priest caught the blood, he gave it to his companion, and his companion to his companion, and he took the full, and returned the empty bowl. The priest nearest the altar poured it out at once in front of the foundation of the altar.

7. The first band went out, the second band entered; the second went out, the third entered. As was the proceeding of the first, so was the proceeding of the second and the third. They read the praise.(157) When they finished they repeated it, and after repeating it they read it a third time, even though they did not complete it thrice in their time. R.

Judah said, "during the time of the third band they did not reach to 'I love the Lord, for He hath heard,' because the people were few."

8. As was the proceeding in ordinary days, so was the proceeding on the Sabbath, save that the priests washed out the court,(158) though not with the will of the Sages. R. Judah said, "a cup was filled with mixed-up blood,(159) and poured out at once upon the altar;" but the Sages "did not admit it."

9. "How did they hang up and skin the pa.s.sover sacrifices?" "Iron hooks were fixed in the walls and pillars, and on them they hung them, and skinned them." "And every one who had not a place to hang them up and skin them?" "Thin smooth rods were there, and he rested one on his shoulder and on the shoulder of his companion, and hung it up and skinned it." Rabbi Eliezer said, "when the fourteenth began on a Sabbath, he rested his hand on the shoulder of his companion, and the hand of his companion on his shoulder, and he hung it up and skinned it."

10. He cut it open, and took out its entrails. He put them on a dish and incensed them on the altar. The first party went out, and sat down on the Mountain of the House. The second party were in the Chel,(160) and the third party remained in their place. When it grew dark they went out and roasted their pa.s.sovers.

Chapter VI