Sometimes the daf uses a word I don’t know. (Okay that happens a lot.) Today, I clicked on the word נוּמִי numi as the verse says נוּמִי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן numi Rabbi Shimon instead of the usual words. The divtionary said “ulcer” which makes no sense. So, a long dive later, I learned that Rashi saysContinue reading “Zevachim 46”
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Zevachim 45
Today’s gem is the BIGGEST gem of the entire tractate! It answers the question: Why are we even studying this? There is no Temple to offer sacrifices! Does one issue a halakha for the messianic period, when the Temple will be rebuilt? Abaye said to him: If that is so, that such halakhot are notContinue reading “Zevachim 45”
Zevachim 44
The priests were not like other Israelites. the priests had no land, had no job outside of serving the Temple, they relied completely on the sacrifices offered by others for their food. Today, amidst learning about how so many things can disqualify a sacrifice so that it becomes piggul or notar – forbidden because ofContinue reading “Zevachim 44”
Zevachim 43
This passage struck me as beautiful: As Ulla says: The mishna taught that items that descended from the altar shall not ascend again only where the fire has not taken hold of them, but where the fire has already taken hold of them, they shall ascend. We can come and go from holy places, magicalContinue reading “Zevachim 43”
Zevachim 42
I am mostly a vegetarian, however, I eat fish from time to time, about once a month. A few weeks ago, I walked out of a service and could smell barbecued meat, and it smelled fantastic. I can only imagine what it must have been like for the priests who were in charge of theContinue reading “Zevachim 42”
Zevachim 41
A lot of Jewish law is derived by the rabbis from association and juxtaposition of words. Today’s gem comes to explain why so much law needs to be derived in this round about kind of way – because God loves us so much God doesn’t want to detail our wrongs. The school of Rabbi YishmaelContinue reading “Zevachim 41”
Zevachim 40
There is a leak in our sanctuary. Our sanctuary is gorgeous. The eastern wall is made of Jerusalem stone and is reminiscent of the Kotel (The wailing wall in Jerusalem). It is convex which is horrible for sound but aesthetically stunning. There is booth natural and artificial light, and so it’s always glowing. It’s beautiful.Continue reading “Zevachim 40”
Zevachim 39
Being that we no longer offer physical sacrifices (such as animals and spices), it’s no wonder that we know so little of the rituals. Today’s gem is to notice that there are not one, but two altars for sacrifice! The first is the Golden Alter (Mizbeach Hazahav), which is also known as the Altar ofContinue reading “Zevachim 39”
Zevachim 38
There is so much beautiful symbolism in the holiday of Sukkot. One of my favorites is derived from a teaching on the top of today’s daf. Yesterday, when determining how many corners (horns) the priest needed to sprinkle the blood of sacrifice upon, there was an argument made that if a word was written inContinue reading “Zevachim 38”
Zevachim 37
I remember being a child and reading from the Gate of Repentance, the red prayerbook we used on the High Holidays, and asking my mother what xenophobia meant. It was on our alphabetical list of sins. Years later, when it was on my GRE exam, I still remembered (it’s fear of foreigners). Today’s daf introducedContinue reading “Zevachim 37”
2,711 pages of Talmud. A gem a day. 