Pisqa’ 73⁹⁵

1. “Of your herd and your flock” (Dt. 12:17)— this refers to the Purification-offering and Guilt-offering . Now, what is the verse coming to teach us? Is the point [to declare liable one who consumes] the Purification-offering and Guilt-offering beyond the wall of Jerusalem? [No!] For this is a logical deduction from the case of the [Cattle-] tithe! Is the point, rather, [to declare liable one who consumes the meat] before the sprinkling of the blood? [No!] For this is a logical deduction from the case of the Thanks-offering and the Communion-offering! Is the point, instead, [to declare liable one who consumes the meat] after the sprinkling of the blood? [No!] For this is a logical deduction from the case of the Firstling! Just as with the Firstling, which is among the Lesser-Holy offerings, one who consumes it after the sprinkling of the blood transgresses a proscription, isn’t it only logical that with the Purification-offering and the Guilt-offering, which are among the Most-Holy offerings— one who consumes them after the sprinkling of the blood, should transgress a proscription? Therefore, [the verse must have some other application]! The verse is coming only to teach us that one who consumes a Purification-offering or a Guilt-offering beyond the curtains⁹⁶ In the wilderness Dwelling these curtains demarcated a space within which Most-Holy offerings could be eaten (Lv. 6:9 and 7:6). In the later Holy Shrine, the area of the Courtyard, within the compound, marked off the permissible space for eating Most-Holy offerings (M. Zev. 14:4-8). transgresses a proscription.

footnotes: ⁹⁵ H:125-127; JN1:211. ⁹⁶ Hebrew: khutz laqela`im.