Who goes first? Zevakhim dappim 89 and 91

Imagine we’re back when the Temple in Jerusalem still stood and there was a long line of people who were bringing their sacrifices. Some were sin sacrifices, some were Thanksgiving offerings, and some were the daily sacrifices, temidim. Which sacrifices take precedence over others? The procedure wasn’t first-come first-served. Daf TB Zevakhim 89 provides the two considerations who goes first.

The first Mishnah in chapter 10 teaches a more frequent offering takes precedence over a less frequent one. “A offering that is more frequent than another precedes the other offering. Therefore, the daily offerings precede the additional offerings, which are sacrificed only on certain days. When Shabbat and the New Moon coincide, the additional Shabbat offerings precede the additional New Moon offerings (because the Shabbat offering happens 52 times a year while the additional Rosh Hodesh ,New Month offering happens only 12 times and 13 times in a leap year-gg). Likewise, the additional New Moon offerings precede the additional New Year offerings…

The second Mishna provides a second consideration. The more sacred the sacrifice takes precedence over the last sacred sacrifice. “Any offering that is more sacred than another precedes the other offering. The mishna elaborates: If there is blood of a sin offering and blood of a burnt offering to be presented, the blood of the sin offering precedes the blood of the burnt offering because it effects acceptance, i.e., atonement, for severe transgressions punishable by karet. Likewise, if there are limbs of a burnt offering and portions of a sin offering to be burned on the altar, the burning of the limbs of the burnt offering precedes the portions of the sin offering, because the burnt offering is entirely burned in the flames on the altar, whereas only part of the sin offering is burned.” (daf 89a, Sefaria.org translation)

Even though the Temple no longer stands and we no longer offer up sacrifice, the first Mishnah provides us with a practical application today. The rule is formulated thusly: “תָּדִיר וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ תָּדִיר — תָּדִיר קוֹדֵם-When a frequent practice and an infrequent practice coincide, the frequent practice takes precedence over the infrequent practice. (daf 91a, Sefaria.org translation)” We actually apply this rule this Shabbat! On this Shabbat we shall read from three different Torahs because Rosh Hodesh Tevet and holiday of Hanukkah both fall in this Shabbat. We read from one Torah the weekly Torah portion of Meketz. We read from one Torah the special reading for Rosh Hodesh. We read from one Torah the Hanukkah reading for the 6^th day of Hanukkah.

Based on the rule “תָּדִיר וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ תָּדִיר — תָּדִיר קוֹדֵם-When a frequent practice and an infrequent practice coincide, the frequent practice takes precedence over the infrequent practice, we now know the order of the Torah readings. The weekly Torah reading comes first because is the most frequent. Next comes the Rosh Hodesh reading because it is the next frequent reading because it is read 12 times a year or 13 times in a leap year. Finally the Hanukkah reading is read last because it is read only eight times a year.

Go to your synagogue this Shabbat and witness one of the few times we read from three different Torahs.