Talmud - Zevahim 109a זבחים ק״ט א׳

MISHNA: With regard to both fit sacrificial animals, and unfit sacrificial animals whose disqualification occurred in sanctity, i.e., in the course of the Temple service, and one sacrificed them outside the Temple courtyard, he is liable.

One who offers up outside the courtyard an olive-bulk made up of the flesh of a burnt offering and of its sacrificial portions is liable.

GEMARA: The Sages taught in a baraita: The verse states with regard to offering up outside the courtyard: “That offers up a burnt offering or sacrifice, and he will not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to sacrifice it to the Lord” (Leviticus 17:8–9). From the term “burnt offering” I have derived only that one is liable for offering up a burnt offering, which is burned entirely on the altar. From where do I derive to include that one is liable for offering up outside the courtyard the sacrificial portions of a guilt offering, the sacrificial portions of a sin offering, the sacrificial portions of offerings of the most sacred order, or the sacrificial portions of offerings of lesser sanctity? The verse states: “Sacrifice,” which includes the sacrificial portions of all other offerings that are to be burned on the altar.

From where is it derived to include that one is liable for offering up outside the courtyard the handful taken from a meal offering; the frankincense that was to be offered with it; the incense, which was offered each day in the Sanctuary; the meal offering of priests; the meal offering of the anointed priest, i.e., the High Priest, which he offered daily; and to include as liable one who pours as a libation three log of wine, which is the volume of the smallest wine libation used in the Temple; or one who pours as a libation three log of water that was consecrated to be used as a libation during the festival of Sukkot? The verse states: “And he will not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 17:9), which indicates that with regard to any offering that is fit to be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to be offered there upon the altar, one is liable for offering it up outside the courtyard.

I have derived only that one is liable for offering up fit offerings; from where do I derive to also include liability for unfit offerings whose disqualification occurred in sanctity?

For example: Sacrificial meat that was left overnight, or an offering that went outside the courtyard, or an offering that is impure, or an offering that was slaughtered with intent to consume it beyond its designated time or outside its designated area, or an offering that an unfit person collected and sprinkled its blood, or if one placed the blood that is to be placed above the red line encircling the altar below it, or if one placed the blood that is to be placed below the red line above it, or if one placed the blood that is to be placed inside the Sanctuary outside on the external altar, or if one placed the blood that is to be placed outside the Sanctuary inside it, or a Paschal offering or sin offering whose blood was placed not for their sake?

Since the disqualification of these offerings occurred in sanctity, if they were to be, albeit unlawfully, placed upon the altar, the altar would render them acceptable such that they should not be removed from upon it. From where is it derived to also include liability for these unfit offerings? The verse states: “And he will not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, to sacrifice it to the Lord,” which indicates that with regard to any item that is rendered acceptable upon the altar at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, even if it should not have been brought there ab initio, one is liable for offering it up outside the courtyard.

§ The mishna teaches: One who offers up outside the courtyard an olive-bulk made up of the flesh of a burnt offering and of its sacrificial portions is liable. The Gemara infers: The mishna states that for an olive-bulk combined of the flesh of a burnt offering and of its sacrificial portions, yes, one is liable. By inference, for an olive-bulk combined of the meat of a peace offering and of its sacrificial portions, one is not liable, because its meat is eaten, not burned on the altar.

We learn in the mishna that which the Sages taught explicitly in a baraita (Tosefta, Me’ila 1:28): The flesh of a burnt offering and its sacrificial portions combine to form the minimum measure of an olive-bulk to render one liable for offering them up outside the courtyard, and to render one liable for eating them due to piggul, i.e., if the sacrificial rites were performed with the intent of sacrificing the offering after its designated time; notar, i.e., if its flesh remained after the period in which it was permitted to sacrifice it; or for eating them while he was ritually impure. This baraita, too, states that only the flesh and sacrificial portions of a burnt offering combine. This indicates that the meat and sacrificial portions of a peace offering do not combine.

The Gemara asks: Granted, with regard to offering up outside the courtyard, it is logical that for a burnt offering, which is entirely consumed upon the altar, that yes, everything will combine, and that for peace offerings, whose meat is not burned on the altar, the meat and sacrificial portions will not combine. But with regard to liability for piggul, notar, and eating while ritually impure, what is the reason that the baraita differentiates between a burnt offering and a peace offering?

The Gemara compounds its questions: And didn’t we learn in a mishna (Me’ila 15a): Anything that is piggul combines together, and anything that is notar combines together, to form the measure of an olive-bulk to render one liable? The mishna indicates that this halakha applies to all types of offerings. Accordingly, the Gemara notes: The ruling about piggul in the baraita is difficult, as it is contradicted by the ruling about piggul in the mishna, and the ruling about notar in the baraita is difficult, as it is contradicted by the ruling about notar in the mishna.

The Gemara resolves the difficulties: That the ruling about piggul in the baraita is contradicted by the ruling about piggul in the mishna is not difficult. Here, in the mishna, the ruling that they combine concerns liability for eating piggul, whereas there, in the baraita, the ruling that only the parts of a burnt offering combine concerns piggul intention. An offering is rendered piggul only if one intends to eat an olive-bulk of it after the designated time for eating it or to sacrifice an olive-bulk of it after the designated time for sacrificing it. The baraita rules that for a burnt offering, if one has such intention for both half an olive-bulk of its meat and half an olive-bulk of its sacrificial portions, that is sufficient for the entire offering to be rendered piggul. For a peace offering, the offering is rendered piggul only if one has such intention about an olive-bulk comprised only of meat or only of sacrificial portions.

The Gemara resolves the second difficulty: That the ruling about notar in the baraita is contradicted by the ruling about notar in the mishna is not difficult. Here, in the mishna, the ruling that they combine concerns liability for eating notar, whereas there, in the baraita, the ruling that only the parts of a burnt offering combine concerns a case in which only an olive-bulk combined of both the flesh and the sacrificial portions remained from the offering, the rest having been destroyed, before its blood was sprinkled. Blood may not be sprinkled unless an olive-bulk of the offering remains. And if the blood is not sprinkled, the offering will never be rendered notar. The baraita rules that in the case of a burnt offering, the different parts of it combine to form an olive-bulk to permit the sprinkling of the blood. This does not apply to a peace offering, for which an olive-bulk of only meat or of only sacrificial portions must remain in order to permit the sprinkling of the blood.

The Gemara asks: And whose opinion is expressed by the baraita? It is the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua, as it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yehoshua says: With regard to all the offerings that are mentioned in the Torah from which there remains only an olive-bulk of meat, the rest having been destroyed or rendered impure,

Traduction : The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noé Talmud, with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz.

Zevachim 109a examines liability for sacrificing outside the Temple courtyard, detailing which offerings, portions, and libations fall under this prohibition.