Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 5, scan section 72

duties are obligatory for men during the entire festival, but for women they are obligatory only on the first day ? " To what does R. Simeon refer ? Shall we say to the paschal sacrifice — that may only be brought on the eve of the first day ? Hence we must assume that he refers to the eating of unleav- ened bread and bitter herbs ? Does not R. Simeon hold with the dictum of R. Eliezer to the effect that women are in duty bound to eat unleavened bread by biblical law; because it is written [Deut. xvi. 3] : " Thou shalt not eat therewith any leav- ened bread ; seven days shalt thou eat therewith unleavened bread," etc., from which R. Eliezer infers that, as it is prohib- ited to eat leavened bread, it is obligatory to eat unleavened bread, and this rule applies to women also ? Therefore say, that the paschal sacrifice and eating of unleavened bread and bitter herbs are obligatory on the first day only, and optional there- after; and R. Simeon said, that the paschal sacrifice on the first day is obligatory for men only, and women are exempt (because it is a positive commandment dependent upon its season). MISHNA: A mourner (who is obliged to mourn for a near relative who is not yet interred) may eat of the paschal sacrifice at eve after having taken his legal bath, but must not eat of other holy sacrifices. One, however, who has only received informa- I90 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. tion of the decease of a near relative, or who has the bones of a deceased person exhumed (and removed) for him, may eat even of other holy sacrifices after having bathed. A Gentile proselyte, who was circumcised on the day before the Passover festival may, according to Beth Shammai, bathe himself, and eat in the evening of the paschal sacrifice. Beth Hillel, how- ever, say: " One who has parted from the uncircumcised must be considered as one who has just parted from the grave." * GEMARA: Why may a mourner eat of the paschal sacri- fice? Because, while on the day of the decease of the relative the mourner is, according to biblical law, exempted from the performance of all religious duties, on the night of that day the Tana (of the Mishna) holds that he is exempt only by rabbinical law, and on account of rabbinical law they would not assume the responsibility of avoiding a commandment the non-observ- ance of which is punishable with Kareth (being cut off). As for other holy (sacrifices) which do not involve such punishment, if not partaken of they held the rabbinical law to be effective. Who has the bones of a deceased person exhumed,'' etc. Must not a man who exhumes the bones of a deceased person undergo the period of uncleanness for seven days and be sprinkled on the third and the seventh. Read in the Mishna, that a man is referred to who has the bones exhumed for him, and thus is only bound to mourn. " A Gentile proselyte, who was circumcised," etc. Said Rabba bar bar Hana in the name of R. Johanan: They differ only concerning a Gentile proselyte, for Beth Hillel hold that it might happen on the next year that the Gentile should be unclean, and say: " I will bathe and eat of the paschal sacrifice," thinking that having done so the preceding year he is allowed to do it also then, and not realizing that in the preceding year he had not yet been an Israelite and therefore not subject to unclean- ness, while this year he is now an Lsraelite and is subject to the law of uncleanness. Beth Shammai, however, maintain that such a precautionary measure is not necessary. As for an Israel- ite, however, who had been circumcised on the day before the Passover, all agree that he may after bathing partake of the sac- rifice and that the precautionary measure is in his case superfluous. The same we have learned in a Boraitha in the name of R. Simeon ben Elazar. * And is therefore unclean for seven days ; hence he must not eat the paschal sacrifice. CHAPTER IX. P5GULATI0NS CONCERNING THE SECOND PASSOVER THE PASSOVER AT THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT — CONCERNING CASES WHERE THE PASCHAL SACRIFICE HAD BECOME MIXED. MISHNA: Persons who, in consequence of being (ritually) unclean or on a distant journey, did not observe the first Pass- over, must observe the second. Also such as have, either through error or compulsion, been prevented from observing the first, must observe the second Passover. Why, then, the verse [Numb. ix. lo] : " If any man whatever be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be on a distant journey " ? In order to teach us, that in case of the neglect of the observance of the second Passover by them, they do 7iot incur the penalty of Kareth (excision), but others do incur it. GEMARA: It was taught: If a man was on a distant jour- ney and the paschal sacrifice was slaughtered and the blood sprinkled for him also, R. Na'hman said that the ofTering is accepted for him, and he need not observe the second Passover; because the Merciful One had pity on him : but if he offered up a second Passover-sacrifice nevertheless, an additional blessing is bestowed upon him. R. Shesheth, however, said: " The offer- ing is not accepted for him, even from the fact that the keeping of a second Passover has been provided for by the Law, as if he were unclean ; hence the offering brought for the man is not even considered as brought at its proper time, and hence is of no account." Said R. Na'hman: " I adduce my teaching from the Mishna itself; for it states, * that persons who, in consequence of being unclean or on a distant journey, did not observe the first Passover, ' implying thereby, that had they chosen to do so they could have observed the first Passover." Said R. Shesheth: "Then how can we account for the latter clause of the Mishna, which states, that such as have, either through error or compulsion, been pre- vented from observing the first ; shall we assume that they could in this case also, had they chosen to do so, observe the first Pass- over, were they not prevented by compulsion ? Therefore we 192 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. must say, that the latter case includes even one who intention* ally neglected the observance of the first Passover, and he should observe the second. Thus also the first case, by stat- ing, ' did not observe the first Passover,' includes mourners (who mourn for a dead relative that was not yet interred)." The rabbis taught: "The following persons are obliged to observe a second Passover: Men and women afflicted witii a running issue, men and women afflicted with sores, women suffer- ing from their menstruation and such as had sexual intercourse with them during that time, women lying in, those that neg- lected the observance of the first Passover either through error or compulsion, those that neglected it intentionally, those that were unclean, and those who were on a distant journey. If all