If you asked the common person on the street which day is
holier, Yom Kippur or Shabbat, I am willing to bet that 11 out of 10 people
will say that Yom Kippur is the holiest day in our calendar year. Today’s daf
TB Shabbat 114 will be quite a shock to them. The Mishnah back on daf TB
Shabbat 113a records a disagreement between Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi
Yishmael holds that Shabbat is holier and Rabbi Akiva says Yom Kippur is on par
with Shabbat, but not holier.
“Rabbi Yishmael says: …And the fats of the offerings
that were sacrificed on Shabbat are offered on Yom Kippur, but not those of
Yom Kippur on Shabbat, because the sanctity of Shabbat is greater than the
sanctity of Yom Kippur. Rabbi Akiva says: Neither are the fats of
the offerings sacrificed on Shabbat offered on Yom Kippur, nor are those of
Yom Kippur offered on Shabbat.” (Sefaria.org translation) The priests
offered up the daily fats and limbs during the night which technically begins
the new day (Think for example, Shabbat begins Friday night and not Saturday
morning). Before the calendar was set Yom Kippur could fall on a Friday and
then Shabbat would automatically follow or Yom Kippur could fall on a Sunday
immediately after Shabbat. According to Rabbi Yishmael one is permitted to
offer up the Yom Kippur fats and limbs on a Shabbat, but not from Shabbat on
Yom Kippur because Shabbat sanctity is greater. Rabbi Akiva disagrees because
their sanctities are equal.
Today’s daf explains the reasoning behind both Rabbi Yishmael
and Rabbi Akiva. It all revolves around the meaning of a seemingly extraneous
word “on its Shabbat- בְּשַׁבַּתּ֑וֹ”)
“We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Yishmael says: One
may fold clothes and make beds on Yom Kippur for Shabbat if Yom Kippur
occurs on Friday, and the fats of the sacrifices that were brought on Shabbat
were offered on Yom Kippur that occurs on Sunday. The verse “The
burnt-offering of Shabbat on its Shabbat, besides the daily offering and
its libation” (Numbers 28:10)
taught, with regard to the fats of Shabbat, that they are offered on
Yom Kippur, because Yom Kippur is also called Shabbat, and the verse
indicates that the Shabbat offering is offered on another Shabbat. I might
have thought even the fats from Yom Kippur offerings could be
sacrificed on Shabbat; therefore, the verse states “on its Shabbat”
to specify that it is not so; this is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael.
“Rabbi Akiva says
that when the verse says: “The burnt-offering of Shabbat on its Shabbat,”
it teaches that the fats of Shabbat are offered on a Festival
that occurs on the following day. I might have thought that they could even
be offered on Yom Kippur that occurred on the day after Shabbat.
Therefore, the verse states “on its Shabbat” and not on another one.” (Sefaria.org translation)
Rambam poskins according to Rabbi Akiva’s understanding.
When you have left over fats from Shabbat one is not permitted offer them up on
Yom Kippur which begins immediately on Motzai Shabbat, Saturday night. (Mishneh
Torah, Sefer Korbanot, Hilkhot Temidim and Musafim, Chapter 1, Halakhah 7)
I have a different understanding why Shabbat is holier than
Yom Kippur. I base it on how many people are called up to the Torah for aliyot.
The more people who are called to the Torah, the holier the day.
On Monday and Thursday three people are called up for
aliyot.
On Rosh Hodesh, the new month, four people are called up
for aliyot.
On three pilgrimage holidays Passover, Shavuot, and
Sukkot and Rosh Hashanah five people are called up for aliyot.
On Yom Kippur six people are called up for aliyot.
On Shabbat seven people are called up for aliyot.
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