Midrash · Halachah

Sifrei Devarim 63/ספרי דברים ס״ג

א(דברים יב ה-ו) וּבָאתָ שָׁמָּה, וַהֲבֵאתֶם שָׁמָּה״, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כג לז): ״אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי ה׳ אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ לְהַקְרִיב אִשֶּׁה לַה׳ דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ״,

1Pisqa’ 63⁴³1. “There shall you come. And you shall bring thereyour Holocaust-offerings (`oloteichem), your sacrifices (zivkheichem; Dt. 12:5-6).Why is this stated?Because it also states:“These are the Occasions (mo`adei) of HASHEM which you are to conveneas Holy Assemblies (miqra’ei qodesh);to make an offering by fire to HASHEMeach on its own day” (Lv. 23:37).

ביָכוֹל אֵין לִקְרַב בָּרֶגֶל אֶלָּא קָרְבְּנוֹת רֶגֶל בִּלְבַד? מִנַּיִן לְקָרְבְּנוֹת צִבּוּר שֶׁהוּקְדְּשׁוּ לִפְנֵי הָרֶגֶל שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ בָרֶגֶל, וְקָרְבְּנוֹת הַיָּחִיד שֶׁהוּקְדְּשׁוּ לִפְנֵי הָרֶגֶל שֶׁיָּבֹאוּ בָרֶגֶל, וְשֶׁהוּקְדְּשׁוּ בָרֶגֶל שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ בָרֶגֶל? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כג לח): ״וּמִלְּבַד מַתְּנוֹתֵיכֶם וּמִלְּבַד כָּל נִדְרֵיכֶם וּמִלְּבַד כָּל נִדְבוֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר תִּתְּנוּ לַה׳״, לְרַבּוֹת עוֹפוֹת וּמְנָחוֹת, לְהַתִּיר שֶׁכֻּלָּם יָבוֹאוּ בָרֶגֶל.

2Is it possible to say thatone may offer on the Pilgrimage Festival (regel)only an offering appropriate to that Pilgrimage[e.g., the Paschal lamb on Passover]?On what basis do I know thatcommunal offerings that have been consecratedbefore the Pilgrimage,may be offered on the Altarduring the Pilgrimage?And that private offeringsthat have been consecratedbefore the Pilgrimage,are also offeredduring the Pilgrimage?And even those that have been consecratedduring the period of the Pilgrimagemay be offered during the Pilgrimage?The Teaching states:“In addition to your priestly Gifts (matenoteichem),and in addition to all your Vow-offerings (nidreichem),and in addition to all your Voluntary-offerings (nidvoteichem)which you give to HASHEM” (Lv. 23:38)—this includes offerings of birds (`ofot) and grain (menakhot),permitting offerings from all of these categoriesto be brought during the Pilgrimage Festival.⁴⁴. par.12:10.

גיָכוֹל רְשׁוּת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (במדבר כט לט): ״אֵלֶּה תַּעֲשׂוּ לַה׳ בְּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם״. אִם לְהַתִּיר – כְּבָר הִתִּיר, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר ״אֵלֶּה תַּעֲשׂוּ לַה׳ בְּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם״? לְקָבְעָם, שֶׁכֻּלָּם יָבוֹאוּ בָרֶגֶל.

32. Is it possible to say that[this applies only]to optional offerings?The Teaching states:“These shall you prepare for HASHEM at your Occasions” (Nu. 29:39).If this verse grants permission[to bring optional offerings],the prior verse (Nu. 29:38) has already granted such permission!If so, why is it stated:“These shall you prepare for HASHEM at your Occasions” (Nu. 29:39)?To establish that all of themmay be offered on the Altarduring the Pilgrimage Festival.

דיָכוֹל בְּאֵיזֶה רֶגֶל שֶׁיִּרְצֶה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וּבָאתָ שָׁמָּה וַהֲבֵאתֶם שָׁמָּה. אִם לְהַתִּיר – כְּבָר הִתִּיר; אִם לִקְבֹּעַ – כְּבָר קָבַע; אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר וּבָאתָ שָׁמָּה וַהֲבֵאתֶם שָׁמָּה? לְקָבְעָם חוֹבָה שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹאוּ אֶלָּא בְּרֶגֶל רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁפָּגַע בּוֹ.

4Is it possible to say that[these offerings may be made]during any Pilgrimage that he chooses?The Teaching states:“There shall you come. And you shall bring there your Holocaust-offerings,your sacrifices . . . (Dt. 12:5-6).If [this verse] grants permission[to bring optional-offerings],[the prior verse] (Nu. 29:38) already granted permission!If [the verse] establishes them as obligatory,it already so establishes them (Nu. 29:39)!If so, why is it stated:“There shall you come. And you shall bring there” (Dt. 12:5-6)?To establish the obligation to offer themduring the first Pilgrimage Festival they encounterafter consecration as an offering.

היָכוֹל אִם עָבַר רֶגֶל אֶחָד וְלֹא הֵבִיא יְהֵא עוֹבֵר עָלָיו מִשּׁוּם בַּל תְּאַחֵר? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״אֵלֶּה תַּעֲשׂוּ לַה׳ בְּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם״, הָא אֵין עוֹבֵר עָלָיו מִשּׁוּם בַּל תְּאַחֵר עַד שֶׁיַּעַבְרוּ עָלָיו רִגְלֵי שָׁנָה כֻּלָּהּ!

5Is it possible to say thatif one Pilgrimage passes,and he has not brought the offering—he has transgressed the proscription“do not delay!”⁴⁵ payment of the Tithe (Ex. 22:28) or of a vow (Dt. 23:22).The Teaching states:“These shall you prepare for HASHEM at your Occasions” (Nu. 29:39).Indeed, one does not transgress “do not delay!”unless all three Pilgrimages for the yearhave passed him by.⁴⁶

ועוֹלוֹתֵיכֶם – עוֹלַת יָחִיד וְעוֹלַת צִבּוּר.

63. “Your Holocaust-offerings” (Dt. 12:6)—both the private Holocaust-offeringand the communal Holocaust-offering.

זוְזִבְחֵיכֶם – זִבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵי יָחִיד וְזִבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵי צִבּוּר.

7“Your sacrifices” (Dt. 12:6)—both the private Communion-offering (zevakh shelamim)and the communal Communion-offering.

חמַעְשְׂרוֹתֵיכֶם – רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר: בִּשְׁנֵי מַעַשְׂרוֹת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר; אֶחָד מַעְשַׂר דָּגָן וְאֶחָד מַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה.

8“Your Tithes” (Dt. 12:6)—R. Akiva says:This verse speaks of two distinct Tithes.one is the Tithe of grain,and the other is the Tithe of cattle.⁴⁷, per. 13:6. Cf, Pisqa’ 63.3.

טוּתְרוּמַת יֶדְכֶם – אֵלּוּ הַבִּכּוּרִים, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כו ד): ״וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן הַטֶּנֶא מִיָּדֶךָ״.

9“And your Threshing-floor-offering”⁴⁸; literally “the offering of your hand.” (See also, Dt. 12:17) Commonly rendered in English as “heave-offering,” the offering usually is considered to be “offered up” (tarimu : Nu. 18:28) to priests as a gift “from the threshing floor” (Nu. 18:27) in return for their service in the Dwelling. Hence the term “Threshing-floor-offering” serves in most instances to describe the nature of this gift (terumah or terumah gedolah, in rabbinic terminology). In the present passage, Akiba insists that terumat yedchem applies as well to the First-fruits offering that is subject to the ceremony described at Dt. 26:1-19. The material her at Pisqa’ 63.3 is reproduced with slight changes at 68.1 below. (Dt. 12:6)—this is the First-fruits-offering (bikurim).This accords with what is said:“And the priest shall take the basket from your hands” (Dt. 26:4).

יוּבְכוֹרֹת – זֶה הַבְּכוֹר.

10“And the Firstlings” (bechorot: Dt. 12:6)—this is the first-born cattle.

יאבְּקַרְכֶם וְצֹאנְכֶם – אֵלּוּ חַטָּאוֹת וַאֲשָׁמוֹת.

11“Of your herd and your flock” (Dt. 12:6)—these are your Purification-offerings (khata’at)and your Guilt-offerings (‘asham).