Beit Hillel and Bet Shemai debate how much money a person should spend for the re-eyah sacrifice which is a whole burnt offering (עוֹלָה). “Beit Shammai say: The burnt-offering of appearance (I’ve been calling it the re-eyah sacrifice-gg) brought on a pilgrim Festival must be worth at least two silver coins, and the Festival peace-offering must be worth at least one silver ma’a coin. And Beit Hillel say: The burnt-offering of appearance must be worth at least one silver ma’a and the Festival peace-offering at least two silver coins.” (Sefaria.org translation) But today’s daf TB Haggigah 7 cites a Mishna and massekhet Peah “We learned in a mishna there (Pe’a 1:1): These are the mitzvot that have no measure: Produce in the corner of the field that must be left unharvested, which is given to the poor [pe’a]; and the first fruits, which are brought to the Temple; and the appearance in the Temple on the pilgrim Festivals; and acts of loving-kindness; and Torah study.” (Sefaria.org translation)
The Gemara clarifies that
the Mishna in Peah is not talking about sacrifices at all, but appearing in the
Temple courtyard. “Rabbi Yoḥanan
said: We thought to say that the mitzva of appearance in the Temple does
not have a maximum measure, but it does have a minimum measure; until Rabbi Oshaya the
Distinguished came and taught: The mitzva of appearance has neither a
maximum nor a minimum measure. However, the Rabbis say: The burnt-offering
of appearance must be worth one silver ma’a and the Festival
peace-offering two silver coins.” (Sefaria.org translation)
Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish
Lakish debate what does “and the appearance in the Temple on the pilgrim
Festivals”actually mean. Everybody agrees
that on the first day of the holiday one must appear in the Temple courtyard
and bring a re-eyah sacrifice.
Everybody agrees that one may “re” appear in the Temple courtyard as many times
as the person wants during the intermediate days of the holiday, hol hamoed. The question is: may a
person bring a re-eyah sacrifice
every time he appears in the Temple courtyard during the hol hamoed? There are two versions of this debate and I shall just cite
the second version.
“The Gemara explains: Rabbi
Yoḥanan, who says that the appearance mentioned in the mishna is
referring to the appearance of one’s face in the Temple courtyard,
maintains that it is this appearance itself that has no
maximum measure, i.e., one may appear as often as he wishes without an
offering. However, there is a maximum measure, i.e., a limited
number of offerings, that one may bring; only one burnt-offering of
appearance per Festival. And Reish Lakish said: The appearance of
one’s face means with an offering, as even offerings have no
maximum measure. One may bring as many offerings during the Festival as
he wishes.” (Sefaris.org translation)
Rambam poskins that the mitzvah
of re-eyah, appearance, spoken in the
Torah is that a person should appear in the Temple courtyard on the first day
of the holiday and bring with him the re-eyah
sacrifice. One who enters the Temple courtyard during the intermediate days of
the holiday after he has already brought the re-eyah sacrifice on the first day of the holiday, is no longer
obligated to bring any more re-eyah sacrifices.
However if he does bring such a re-eyah
sacrifice, it is accepted and offered up as a re-eyah sacrifice because the mitzvah
of re-eyah has no limit. (Sefer Karbanot,
Hilkhot Haggigah, Chapter One, halakha 1 and Chapter two halakha 6)
There seems to be a
contradiction between two verses whether a person should bring a lot of
sacrifices or not. The Gemara resolves the problem. “That opinion is
also taught in a baraita: “Let your foot be seldom in your
neighbor’s house.” The verse is speaking of sin-offerings and guilt-offerings.
Do you say it is referring to sin-offerings and guilt-offerings,
or perhaps it is only referring to burnt-offerings and
peace-offerings? When it says: “I will come into Your house with burnt-offerings,
I will perform for You my vows,” burnt-offerings and peace-offerings
are mentioned, as these are more pleasant to sacrifice to God. How
then do I uphold the meaning of the verse: “Let your foot be seldom
in your neighbor’s house”? The verse is speaking of sin-offerings and
guilt-offerings.” (Sefaria.org translation)
A word to the wise: God
prefers that you don’t sin in the first place than habitually have to bring sin
offerings.
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