Talmud - Zevahim 110b זבחים ק״י ב׳

is liable. Rabbi Elazar says: So too, one who pours as a libation water consecrated for the libation of the festival of Sukkot, during the Festival, outside the courtyard, is liable. Rabbi Neḥemya says: For the remainder of the blood of an offering that was supposed to be poured at the base of the altar and that instead one sacrificed outside the courtyard, one is liable.

GEMARA: Rava says: Rabbi Elazar generally holds that one is liable for sacrificing outside only when he sacrifices a complete offering, but Rabbi Elazar concedes with regard to the sprinkling of the blood of an offering, that one is liable for sprinkling outside even part of the blood, e.g., one sprinkling instead of four. This is clearly the halakha with regard to offerings whose blood is sprinkled on the external altar, as a single sprinkling renders such an offering valid (see 36b), and it can be regarded as a complete offering. Rabbi Elazar concedes that this is the halakha even with regard to offerings whose blood is sprinkled on the inner altar, despite the fact that such offerings are valid only once all the sprinklings have been completed.

The fact that Rabbi Elazar concedes this point is apparent from that which is taught in a mishna (Yoma 60a) with regard to the numerous sprinklings of blood performed in the Holy of Holies, upon the Curtain, and on the inner altar, as part of the Yom Kippur Temple service: If during the sprinklings the blood spills and it is necessary to bring the blood of a second animal in order to complete them, Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: From the place that the High Priest stopped sprinkling the blood of the first animal, there he begins to sprinkle the blood of the second animal; it is unnecessary to repeat any of the sprinklings that have already been performed. From this ruling it is apparent that each sprinkling is considered an independent and complete act of service, and one will be liable for even a single act of sprinkling done outside the Temple.

§ The mishna teaches: Rabbi Elazar says: So too, one who pours as a libation water consecrated for the libation of the festival of Sukkot, during the Festival, outside the courtyard, is liable. Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Menaḥem Yodfa’a: Rabbi Elazar said that halakha in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Akiva, his teacher, who says: The water libation on Sukkot is a mitzva by Torah law. As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Akiva says concerning the verse: “Beside the daily burnt offering, its meal offering, and its libations” (Numbers 29:31), the fact that the Torah makes reference to “libations” in the plural indicates that the verse is speaking of two types of libations. One is the water libation, which is unique to the festival of Sukkot; and the other one is the wine libation, which always accompanies the daily offering. If the water libation was not a mitzva by Torah law, one would not be liable for pouring it as a libation outside the Temple courtyard.

Reish Lakish said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: If Rabbi Elazar derives the mitzva of the water libation through the derivation taught by Rabbi Akiva, according to which both the wine libation and water libation are derived from the same word, then he should hold that just as there, with regard to wine, one is liable only if he pours three log, so too here, with regard to water, one should be liable only if he pours three log. But in the mishna, Rabbi Elazar says simply: Water of the festival of Sukkot, which seems to include any amount. Furthermore, he should hold that just as with regard to pouring a libation of wine outside the Temple, one is liable for pouring a libation during the rest of the days of the year and not only on Sukkot, so too, with regard to pouring a libation of water, one should be liable for pouring a libation during the rest of the days of the year. But in the mishna Rabbi Elazar says that one is liable only if he pours the water libation during the Festival. It is apparent that Rabbi Elazar derived the mitzva of the water libation from a different source.

That which Rabbi Asi says escaped him, as Rabbi Asi says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Neḥunya, a man of the valley of Beit Ḥortan: The halakha of ten saplings, the practice of taking a willow in the Temple during Sukkot, and the obligation to perform the water libation during Sukkot, each of these is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. According to Rabbi Asi, the mitzva of the water libation is not derived from the same source as the wine libation, and it is possible that there will be differences in the halakhot that apply to them.

§ The Sages taught in a baraita: One who pours as a libation three log of water during the festival of Sukkot outside the courtyard is liable. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says: If he filled a service vessel with the three log in order to consecrate them for the sake of the Festival, he is liable.

The Gemara asks: What is the difference between these two opinions? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: They disagree with regard to whether there is a precise measure of water that can be consecrated as a libation. The first tanna holds that even if one fills a service vessel with more than three log, the water is thereby consecrated. Therefore, if one then pours at least three log of that water outside the courtyard, he is liable. Rabbi Elazar holds that if one attempts to consecrate more than three log, the consecration of the water is ineffective. Therefore, if one then pours three log of that water as a libation outside the courtyard, he is not liable.

Rav Pappa said:

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

Zevachim 110b explores liability for offering water libations outside the Temple courtyard and examines partial blood sprinklings as independent acts of service.