In the past few days, we move from the place of learning about zevachim – land animal sacrifices – to learning about sacrifices brought of fowl (doves or pigeons) which look different. While land animal sacrifices are performed one way, fowl sacrifices are prepared for sacrifice by means of melika, a process by which the priest would pierce theContinue reading “Zevachim 65”
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Zevachim 64
I loved studying physics in school. Physics shows us how all that math we learn applies to the real world. And so, today’s gem is a physics question: Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Come and see how great was the strength of the priests, as you have no parts of birds lighter than the crop and feathers,Continue reading “Zevachim 64”
Zevachim 63
A spiritual nourishment on the daf today From where is it derived that if gentiles surrounded the entire Temple courtyard and were attacking, making it impossible for the priests to remain there, the priests may enter that area, i.e., the Sanctuary, and eat the offerings of the most sacred order there? The verse states: “InContinue reading “Zevachim 63”
Zevachim 62
Today’s gem is magical. We have angels, prophets, and the changing of Hebrew writing! We don’t often think of Judaism as having angelology, and yet the angels from Christianity and Islam come from Judaism. Today, the archangel Michael tells us where the location of the altar will be. We also see the transition from ancientContinue reading “Zevachim 62”
Zevachim 61
There is so much that’s interesting on our daf today, but my gem is a short one: The verse states: “Then the Tent of Meeting shall travel” (Numbers 2:17). This verse indicates that even though it traveled it is still considered the Tent of Meeting. There is something about seeing something dismantled… but each pieceContinue reading “Zevachim 61”
Zevachim 60
Two gems out of one text! The first gem is that Ravin taught that you cannot eat while the altar is in pieces. It’s a literal teaching but it’s also very profound. The second is the response: The Gemara relates: When Ravin ascended from Babylonia to Eretz Yisrael, he stated this halakha, that even items of lesser sanctity are disqualifiedContinue reading “Zevachim 60”
Zevachim 59
“She’s powdering her nose.” We all know she’s pooping. Today’s daf discusses the altar Moses had as well as the altar Solomon built in the Temple. It says Solomon’s was bigger… but it wasn’t! So, why say it? Rabbi Yosei presents an alternative understanding of the verse: Rather, what is the meaning of the phraseContinue reading “Zevachim 59”
Zevachim 58
One of the topics we have on today’s daf is what wood is used to create the fire for incense. The priests selected fine wood of a fig tree from the chamber of firewood, with which to lay out a second arrangementof wood on the altar so that coals from this arrangement could be used for burning the incense. Rashi saysContinue reading “Zevachim 58”
Zevachim 57
I want to build a spiritual center around our garden at the temple. Maybe that’s why this verse stuck out to me on the daf today: And this question was asked before the Sages in the vineyard in Yavne. Yavne is the academy where the Sanhedrin gathered after the destruction of the Temple. It’s whereContinue reading “Zevachim 57”
Zevachim 56
Amidst so many comparisons between the various sacrifices, we get a new mishnah that gives us four unique laws of the Passover Sacrifice: The Paschal offering is eaten only at night, and it is eaten only until midnight, and it is eaten only by its registrants, i.e., those who registered in advance to partake ofContinue reading “Zevachim 56”
2,711 pages of Talmud. A gem a day. 