Zevachim 201

וחכמים עשו חיזוק לדבריהם יותר משל תורה

but the Sages made their law even stricter than Scripture.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'strengthened their words more than did Scripture.' Thus, while Scripture prescribes aninuth only on the day of death, the Rabbis decreed aninuth on the day of burial and on the night following.');">¹</span> Our Rabbis taught: 'For so I am commanded'; 'as I commanded'; 'as the Lord hath commanded':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. X, 13. 18. 15. The first refers to the meal-offering, the second to the sin-offering, and the third to the peace-offering. These three were brought at the consecration of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood, and Moses ordered them to eat them, adding, For so I am commanded etc.');">²</span>

תנו רבנן (ויקרא י, יג) כי כן צויתי כאשר צויתי כאשר צוה ה' כי כן צויתי באנינות יאכלוה כאשר צויתי בשעת מעשה אמר להן כאשר צוה ה' לא מאליי אני אומר

'For so I am commanded' that they should eat it during their bereavement [aninuth]; 'As I commanded', when it happened;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the death of Nadab and Abihu. He then told them that they were still to eat the sacrifice.');">³</span> 'As the Lord commanded', I did not bid you [to do this] on my own authority.

ורמינהי מפני אנינות נשרפה לכך נאמר כאלה

But the following contradicts it: [The sin-offering] was burnt on account of aninuth, for which reason it is said, [And there have befallen me] such things as these?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the death of my children. Now, Moses admitted that they had acted rightly (v. 19) ; evidently then he had not been instructed that they were to eat it in bereavement.');">⁴</span> - Said Samuel, There is no difficulty: one agrees with R'Nehemiah, the other with R'Judah and R'Simeon, For it was taught: They burnt it because of aninuth; therefore it is stated, 'such things as these': these are the words of R'Nehemiah.

אמר שמואל לא קשיא הא ר"י הא ר"נ

R'Judah and R'Simeon maintained: It was burnt because of defilement, for if because of bereavement, they should have burnt the three.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Three he-goats were sacrificed, yet only one was burnt.');">⁵</span> Another argument: they would have been fit to eat them in the evening.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Simeon holds that aninuth does not extend to the following evening by Scriptural law at all. And even R. Judah, who maintains that it does, admits that on that occasion it did not (supra 100b) .');">⁶</span>

דתניא מפני אנינות שרפוה לכך נאמר כאלה דברי רבי נחמיה רבי יהודה ור"ש אומרים מפני טומאה נשרפה שאם אתה אומר מפני אנינות נשרפה היו לשלשתן שישרפוה ד"א היו ראוי לאוכלן לערב ד"א והלא פינחס היה עמהן

Another argument: surely Phinehas was with them!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He was not an onen, and could have eaten it. Hence the sin-offering must have become defiled, and on that account only was it burnt.');">⁷</span> Raba said: Both agree with R'Nehemiah, yet there is no difficulty: one refers to special ad hoc sacrifices, and the other to regular sacrifices.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'of the hour . . of generations'. R. Nehemiah holds that the meal-offering was to be eaten in bereavement, as it is written, 'for so I am commanded'. Now, that meal-offering was a special sacrifice, and was permitted by a special dispensation. The sin-offering, however, was the ordinary New Moon sin-offering (this happened on New Moon) . Moses erroneously thought that what he had been told about the meal-offering also applied to the sin-offering, and was therefore angry that it was burnt. Aaron, however, pointed out that he might have been told only about the special meal-offering, and Moses then admitted that he was right.');">⁸</span>

רבא אמר אידי ואידי רבי נחמיה ולא קשיא כאן בקדשי שעה כאן בקדשי דורות

Now, how does R'Nehemiah explain these texts, and how do the Rabbis<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. R. Judah and R. Simeon.');">⁹</span> explain these texts? - R'Nehemiah explains it thus: 'Wherefore have ye not eaten etc? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. X, 17.');">¹⁰</span>

רבי נחמיה היכי מתריץ להני קראי ורבנן היכי מתרצי להו להני קראי

'Perhaps', said Moses to Aaron, 'its blood entered the innermost sanctuary? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., into the Hekal, in which case you rightly burnt it.');">¹¹</span> 'Behold, the blood of it was not brought [into the sanctuary within]', he answered.'

רבי נחמיה מתריץ להו הכי מדוע לא אכלתם אמר לו משה לאהרן שמא נכנס דמה לפני ולפנים אמר לו (ויקרא י, יח) הן לא הובא את דמה שמא חוץ למחיצתה יצאת אמר לו בקדש היתה

Perhaps it passed without its barrier? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., outside the Temple court.');">¹²</span> he suggested.'

ודלמא באנינות אקריבתוה ופסלתוה אמר לו משה וכי הם הקריבו אני הקרבתי וא"ל הן לא הובא את דמה ובקדש היתה אכול תאכלו אותה כאשר צויתי באנינות יאכלוה

It was in the sanctuary', he replied.' And perhaps ye offered it in bereavement, and thus disqualified it? ' 'Moses', replied he, 'did they, [my sons] offer it: I offered it? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He renders v. 19: And Aaron spoke unto Moses: Behold, have they this day offered their sin-offering etc.? Surely I offered it, and I, being the High priest, was permitted to do so.');">¹³</span>

אמר לו (ויקרא י, יט) ותקראנה אותי כאלה ואכלתי חטאת היום הייטב בעיני ה' שמא לא שמעת אלא בקדשי שעה

Thereupon he exclaimed, 'Behold, the blood of it was not brought within, and it was in the sanctuary,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He thus renders v. 18.');">¹⁴</span> then ye should certainly have eaten it, as I commanded, [viz. ,] that they should eat it in their bereavement.'

דאי בקדשי דורות ק"ו ממעשר הקל ומה מעשר הקל אמרה תורה (דברים כו, יד) לא אכלתי באוני ממנו בקדשי דורות לא כל שכן

Said he to him: 'And there have befallen me such things as these, and if I had eaten the sin-offering to-day, would it have been pleasing in the sight of the Lord? perhaps you heard thus<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. that I should eat in spite of my bereavement.');">¹⁵</span>

מיד (ויקרא י, כ) וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו הודה ולא בוש משה לומר לא שמעתי אלא אמר שמעתי ושכחתי

only about the special sacrifices? For if [you would apply it] to the regular sacrifices, [you may argue] a minori from tithe, which is of lesser holiness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'tithe, which is light'.');">¹⁶</span>

ור"י ור"ש היכי מתרצי להו הכי מתרצי להו (ויקרא י, יז) מדוע לא אכלתם את החטאת במקום [הקודש] שמא נכנס דמה לפני ולפנים אמר לו (ויקרא י, יח) הן לא הובא את דמה (אל הקדש פנימה)

[that it is not so]. For if the Torah said of tithe, which is of less holiness, I have not eaten thereof in my mourning,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVI, 14.');">¹⁷</span>

שמא חוץ למחיצתה יצאת אמר לו הן בקודש היתה ודילמא באנינות אקריבתוה ופסלתוה אמר לו משה הן הקריבוה דפסלה בהו אנינות אני הקרבתיה

how much the more does it apply to sacrifices, which are more holy? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'which is heavier'. Emended text (Sh.M.) .');">¹⁸</span> Forthwith, and when Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. ibid. 20.');">¹⁹</span>

ודילמא אגב מררייכו פשעתו בה ואיטמאי אמר לו משה כך אני בעיניך שאני מבזה קדשי שמים ותקראנה אותי כאלה ואפילו אלה וכאלה אין אני מבזה קדשי שמים

He admitted [his error], and Moses was not ashamed [to excuse himself] by saying, 'I had not heard it', but said, 'I heard it and forgot. How do R'Judah and R'Simeon explain these verses? - They explain it thus: 'Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin-offering': perhaps the blood entered the innermost sanctuary? 'Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within', he replied.

אמר לו ואי הן לא הובא את דמה ובקודש היתה אכול תאכלו אותה בקודש כאשר צויתי באנינות יאכלוה

Perhaps it passed without its barrier? It was in the sanctuary, was his answer.

אמר לו שמא לא שמעת אלא בלילה דאי ביום ק"ו ממעשר הקל ומה מעשר הקל אמרה תורה (דברים כו, יד) לא אכלתי באוני ממנו קודש חמור לא כל שכן

And perhaps ye offered it in bereavement, and thus disqualified it? Moses, replied he, did they offer it, that bereavement should disqualify?

מיד וישמע משה

I offered it. And perhaps ye were negligent through your grief, and it was defiled? Moses, he exclaimed, am I thus in your eyes, that I would despise Divine sacrifices? 'And there have befallen me such things as these', and even many more, yet would I not despise Divine sacrifices. If then, said he, 'behold, the blood of it was not brought within, and it was in the sanctuar then ye should certainly have eaten it, as I commanded', [viz.] that they should eat it in their bereavement! Perhaps you heard thus only of the night,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the sacrifice is to be eaten on the night following the day of death.');">²⁰</span> he suggested; for if [you would apply it to] the day, [you may argue] a minori from tithe, which is of lesser holiness, [that it is not so]. For if the Torah said of tithe, wh of lesser holiness, 'I have not eaten thereof in my mourning', how much the more does it apply to sacrifices, which are more holy! Forthwith, 'and when Moses heard that,