On the Festival a person was obligated to bring three different kinds of sacrifices. The first was the ‘olat re-eyat (עולת ראייה), a whole burnt offering to fulfill the mitzvah of appearing in the Temple courtyard. The second sacrifice was the hagigagah (חגיגה) brought in honor of the holiday (חג). The third sacrifice was the shalmei simkha (שלמי שמחה) brought to increase joy by eating the permitted majority of the parts of this sacrifice. The ‘olat re-eyat and the hagigagah were obligatory sacrifices. For these two sacrifices a person had to bring his obligatory offering from non-sacred property. In other words, he was not allowed to double dip and use another animal that has already been sanctified for a different purpose and at the same time use it to fulfill his obligation of an ‘olat re-eyat or a hagigagah.
Today’s
daf TB Haggigah 8 turns its attention
to the shalmei simkha. No specific
sacrifice is designated for the shalmei
simkha. The only requirement is that it is from an animal and not a bird as
Rashi comments ד"ה אבל לא בעוף
“One
only becomes satiated with red meat.” (My translation, TB Haggigah 7b)
“The mishna stated that Israelites
fulfill their obligation to eat peace-offerings of rejoicing with
their vow offerings and gift offerings. The Sages taught
that the verse: “And you shall rejoice in your feast”
(Deuteronomy 16:14) comes to include all types of rejoicing as
constituting a fulfillment of the mitzva of rejoicing. From here the Sages
stated: Israelites fulfill their obligation to eat peace-offerings of
rejoicing with their vow offerings and gift offerings and
likewise with animal tithes.
“And the priests fulfill their obligation of rejoicing with
the meat of sin-offerings and guilt-offerings, and with
firstborn offerings, and with the breast and thigh of
peace-offerings. One might have thought that they can fulfill their
obligation even by eating bird-offerings and meal-offerings.
Therefore, the verse states: “And you shall rejoice in your feast.”
“This teaches
that eating those animals from which the Festival peace-offering (shalmei simkha) may come, i.e., sheep and
cattle, is a fulfillment of the mitzva of rejoicing. This excludes these,
i.e., bird-offerings and meal-offerings, from which the Festival peace-offering
may not come.
“Rav Ashi said: There is no need to derive this halakha
from “And you shall rejoice in your feast” by explaining that the word feast is
referring to the Festival peace-offering. Rather, this halakha is
derived simply from the phrase “And you shall rejoice.” This excludes
those bird-offerings and meal-offerings that do not have an element
of rejoicing, as the joy of eating is provided only by animal meat.” (Sefaria.org
translation)
From
this we learn that that joy (simkha- שמחה
)
is a state of mind and not a particular sacrifice. Even though we can’t bring the
‘olat re-eyat or the hagigagah because the Temple is no
longer standing, we can still rejoice our holidays with a wonderful festive
meal. Although today I don’t think we have to limit ourselves just to red meat.
Many people are just as happy when they eat foul, vegetarian, or vegan meals
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