Beth Shammai [CE1] say: peace-offerings may be brought [on the festival-day], and the hands not laid thereon; but not burnt-offerings! And Beth Hillel [CE1] say: both peace-offerings and burnt-offerings may be brought, and the hands laid thereon.
t.Hag.2.3
A. Four entered the garden [Paradise]: Ben `Azzai, Ben Zoma [T3], the Other [Elisha], and `Aqiba.
B. One gazed and perished, one gazed and was smitten, one gazed and cut down sprouts, and one went up whole and came down whole.
C. Ben `Azzai gazed and perished.
D. Concerning him Scripture says, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Ps.116.15).
E. Ben Zoma [T3] gazed and was smitten.
F. Concerning him Scripture says, If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you be sated with it and vomit it (Prov.25.16).
G. Elisha gazed and cut down sprouts.
H. Concerning him Scripture says, Let not your mouth lead you into sin (Qoh.5.5).
MISHNAH: m.Hag.2.3Beth Shammai [CE1] say: peace-offerings may be brought [on the festival-day], and the hands not laid thereon; but not burnt-offerings! And Beth Hillel [CE1] say: both peace-offerings and burnt-offerings may be brought, and the hands laid thereon.
MISHNAH: m.Hag.2.4If the festival of weeks fell on a Friday, Beth Shammai [CE1] say: the day for slaughter, is after the Sabbath. And Beth Hillel [CE1] say: the day for slaughter is not after the Sabbath. They agree, however, that if it fall on the Sabbath, the day for slaughter is after the Sabbath. The High Priest does not [in that case] put on his [special] robes, and mourning and fasting are permitted, in order not to confirm the view of those who say that the festival of weeks [invariably] follows the Sabbath.
GEMARA: R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3] said that R. Oshaia [PA1] said: Whence is it to be deduced that [the offerings of] the Feast of Weeks can be made good throughout seven days? It is said: On the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Tabernacles; thus [Scripture] compares the Feast of Weeks with the Feast of Unleavened Bread: just as [the offerings of] the Feast of Unleavened Bread can be made good throughout seven days, so too [the offerings of] the Feast of Weeks can be made good throughout seven days. But let me say that [Scripture] compares [the Feast of Weeks] to the Feast of Tabernacles; just as [the offerings of] the Feast of Tabernacles can be made good throughout eight days, so too [the offerings of] the Feast of Weeks can be made good throughout eight days! The eighth day is a festival by itself. [But] is not the statement that the eighth is a festival true only in regard to the Balloting [by the watches], [the recital of the benediction of] the Season, [the name of] the Festival, [the prescribed number of] Sacrifices, the [Temple] Song, and the Blessing; but regarding the making good [of the offerings] it makes good for the first [day of Tabernacles]. For we have learnt: He who did not bring his festal offering on the first festival day of the Feast, may bring it during the whole of the Festival even on the last festival day! If you take hold of much, you do not hold it; but if you take hold of a little, you hold it. For what legal instruction, then, did the Divine Law write [again here] the Feast of Tabernacles? To compare it with the Feast of Unleavened Bread: just as the Feast of Unleavened Bread requires [the pilgrim] to stay the night [in Jerusalem], So too, the Feast of Tabernacles requires [the pilgrim] to stay the night. And whence do we deduce it in the case of the former? b.Hag.17b It is written: And thou shalt turn in the morning, and go into thy tents.
We have learnt: if the feast of weeks fall on a Friday, Beth Shammai [CE1] say: the day for slaughter is after the Sabbath. And Beth Hillel [CE1] say: it has no day for slaughter. Surely [this means] that it has no day for slaughter at all! No, [it means] that it does not require a [special] day for slaughter. But what then does it teach us, that we can offer up [the sacrifice] on its proper day? Behold they already dispute thereon once; for we have learnt: Beth Shammai [CE1] say: Peace-offerings may be brought [on the Festival-day] and the hands not laid thereon; but not burnt-offerings. And Beth Hillel [CE1] say: Both peace-offerings and burnt-offerings may be brought, and the hands laid thereon! [Both statements are] required. For if [the Mishnah] had taught us [only that they differ] in the [latter] case, [I might have thought] in that case [only] Beth Shammai [CE1] hold this view, because it is possible [to bring the offerings] on the following day: but in the [former] case, I might have thought that they agreed with Beth Hillel [CE1]. And if [the Mishnah] had taught us [only that they differ] in the [former] case, [I might have thought] in this case [only] Beth Hillel [CE1] hold this view, because it is not possible [to bring the offering] on the following day; but in the [latter] case, I might have thought that they agree with Beth Shammai [CE1]. [Therefore both statements are] required. Come and hear: He who does not bring his festal-offering during the seven days of Passover, or the eight days of Tabernacles, or on the first festival-day of the Feast of Weeks, can no longer bring his offering. This must surely mean on the festival-day [proper] of the Feast of Weeks! No, [it means] on the day for the slaughter. If so, let us conclude therefrom that there is [only] one day for slaughter! Read, `on the days for slaughter`
Come and hear: Rabbah b. Samuel learnt: Count the days, and sanctify the New Moon Day; Count the days, and sanctity the Feast of Weeks. Just as the New Moon Festival belongs to its class [of days] by which it is determined, so the Feast of Weeks belongs to its class by which it is determined. Surely [then the Feast of Weeks] is compared with the New Moon Festival because just as [the offerings of] the New Moon Festival [are to brought] on one day, so too [the offerings of] the Feast of Weeks [are to be brought] on one day! Raba [BA4] answered: How can you think so? Do we then count for the Feast of Weeks [only] the days and not the weeks? Behold Abaye [BA4] said: It is a precept to count the days, for it is written: Ye shall number fifty days; and it is a precept to count the weeks, for it is written: Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee. Furthermore, it is written: The Feast of Weeks. The School of R. Eleazar b. Jacob [T2 or 4] taught: Scripture says: And ye shall make proclamation, and And when ye reap. Which is the Feast on which you proclaim and reap? You must say: It is the Feast of Weeks. [Now] when? Should one say on the Festival-day [itself], is reaping then permitted on the Festival-day! It must refer, therefore, to [the period after the Feast] when the offerings can still be made good. Now although the statement of R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3] in the name of R. Oshaia [PA1] has been quoted, [the teaching] of R. Eliezer b. Jacob [T2 or T4] is also required. For if we had [only] the statement of R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3] in the name of R. Oshaia [PA1], I might say: Just as [in the period] during which the offering can be made good in the case of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, it is forbidden to do work, so too [in the period] during which the offering can be made good in the case of the Feast of Weeks, it is forbidden to do work; therefore we are told the teaching of R. Eliezer b. Jacob [T2 or T4]. And if we had [only] the teaching of R. Eliezer b. Jacob [T2 or T4] b.Hag.18a , I would not know how many [days]; therefore we are told the statement of R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3] in the name of R. Oshaia [PA1].
Resh Lakish [PA2] said: [It is written]: And the Feast of Harvest. Which is the Feast on which you feast and harvest? You must say: It is the Feast of Weeks. [Now] when? Should one say on the festival-day [itself]? Is reaping then permitted on the festival-day? It must refer, therefore, to [the period after the Feast] when the offerings can still be made good. Said R. Johanan [PA2] [to him]: Now accordingly, [since it is written], the Feast of Ingathering [one can likewise argue thus]: `Which is the Feast on which there is ingathering? You must say: It is the Feast of Tabernacles. When? Should one say on the festival-day [itself] is work then permitted on a festival-day! It must refer, therefore, to the mid-festival days`. But is [work] then permitted on the mid-festival days? It must mean, therefore, the Feast that comes at the season of ingathering. Similarly here [it means] the Feast that comes at the season of reaping.
It follows therefore that both are of the opinion that on the mid-festival days it is forbidden to do work. Whence is this derived? For our Rabbis taught: The Feast of Unleavened Bread shalt thou keep; seven days. This teaches concerning the mid-festival days that work thereon is forbidden: this is the view of R. Josiah [T4]. R. Jonathan [T4] says: This is unnecessary. [It can be proved by] an argument a minore ad majus. If on the first and seventh days, which have no sanctity before or after them, work is forbidden, how much more so is it right that work should be forbidden on the mid-festival days, which have sanctity before and after them. But the six working days disprove [this argument] for they have sanctity before them and after them, and yet work thereon is permitted! [No], whereas [this applies] to the six working days which have no additional sacrifice, can you say [the same] of the mid-festival days which have an additional sacrifice? But the New Moon Day disproves this [argument]; for it has additional sacrifices, and yet work thereon is permitted! [No], whereas [this applies] to the New Moon Day which is not called a `holy convocation`, can you say [the same] of the mid-festival days which are called `holy convocation`? Since it is called `holy convocation` it is only right that work thereon should be forbidden. Another [Baraitha] taught: Ye shall do no matter of servile work this teaches that it is forbidden to do work on mid-festival days: this is the view of R. Jose the Galilean [T3]. R. Akiba [T3] says: This is unnecessary. It is said: These are the appointed seasons of the Lord, etc. Whereof does the verse speak? If of the first day, behold it has already been said: Solemn rest. If of the seventh day, behold, it has already been said: Solemn rest. The verse, therefore, must speak only of the mid-festival days, to teach thee that it is forbidden to do work thereon.
Another [Baraitha] taught: Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread; and on the seventh day shall be restraint [of work] unto to the Lord. Just as the seventh day is under restraint [in respect of work], so the six days are under restraint [in respect of work] If [you should think that] just as the seventh day is under restraint in respect of all manner of work, so the six days are under restraint in respect of all manner of work; therefore Scripture teaches: `And on the seventh day shall be restraint [of work]` only the seventh day is under restraint in respect of all manner of work, but the six days are not under restraint in respect of all manner of work. Thus Scripture left it to the Sages to tell you on which day [work] is forbidden, and on which day it is permitted; which manner of work is forbidden, and which is permitted. And mourning and fasting are permitted, in order not to confirm the view of those who say that the festival of weeks [invariably] follows the Sabbath: But behold it is taught: It happened that Alexa died at Lod, and all Israel assembled to mourn for him, but R. Tarfon [T3] did not permit them, because it was the festival-day of the Feast of Weeks. [Now] can you possibly suppose that it was [actually] the festival day? How could they come on the festival-day? You must say, therefore, because it was the day for slaughter! There is no contradiction: in the one case, the festival-day [of the Feast of Weeks] fell after the Sabbath; in the other case, the festival-day fell on the Sabbath. b.Hag.18b
[A] The House of Shammai [BCE1] say, ``They bring peace-offerings [on a festival day] but do not lay hands on them. But [they do] not [bring] whole-offerings [at all].``
[B] And the House of Hillel [BCE1] say, ``They bring [both] peace-offerings and whole-offerings, and they lay hands on them.`` y.Hag.2.3 I
[A] The House of Shammai [BCE1] say, ``Laying on of hands not in the ordinary way has been permitted.``
[B] The House of Hillel [BCE1] say, ``Laying on of hands not in the ordinary way has not been permitted.``
[C] What is laying on of hands not in the ordinary way?
[D] It is doing so on the previous day [so that the laying on of hands is not done on the festival, but on the day before the festival]. y.Hag.2.3 I:2
[A] Said R. Zeira [PA3], ``All parties concur in the case of the guilt-offering of a mesora, on which [the sacrifier] laid hands the previous day, that he has not carried out his obligation by doing so.
[B] ``As to freewill peace-offerings on which one laid hands on the previous day, one has carried out his obligation.
[C] ``Concerning what do they differ? Concerning peace-offerings brought in fulfillment of the festal-offering.
[D] ``The House of Shammai [BCE1] treat them as freewill peace-offerings. The House of Hillel [BCE1] treat them as equivalent to the guilt-offering of a mesora.``
[E] Said R. Yose, ``When you say that as to the guilt-offering of a mesora on which one laid hands on the previous day, he has not fulfilled his obligation, that applies when the beast was brought at its required time [on the eighth day]. [Since the laying on of hands was not on the eighth day but on the seventh, the mesora has not carried out his obligation.] But if the proper time for bringing the beast had passed, it is then treated as equivalent to peace-offerings brought as a festal-offering.`` y.Hag.2.3 I:3
[A] [In T.`s version:] Said the House of Hillel [BCE1], ``Now if at a time [the Sabbath] at which I am not permitted to prepare [food] for an ordinary person, I am permitted to prepare [food] for the Most High [for on the Sabbath, one is not permitted to prepare food for himself, but one is permitted to offer up daily whole-offerings and additional offerings],
[B] ``at a time [a festival day] at which I am permitted to prepare [food] for an ordinary person [for on the festival day one is permitted to prepare food], should I [as an individual], not be permitted to prepare [food - a whole-offering] for the Most High?``
[C] Said the House of Shammai [BCE1] to them, ``Sacrifices brought in fulfillment of vows and as thank-offerings will prove the matter. For [on a festival] you are permitted to prepare [food] for an ordinary person, but you are not permitted to prepare [these, as offerings on a festival day for the Most High]. [Since these offerings are not made on a festival, they may not be prepared on that day.]``
[D] Said to them the House of Hillel [BCE1], ``No. If you have stated [the rule concerning] sacrifices brought in fulfillment of vows and as thank-offerings, which are not subject to a fixed time [for their offerings], will you state [the same rule concerning] the festal-offering, the time of which is fixed?``
[E] Said to them the House of Shammai [BCE1], ``Also in the case of the festal [appearance-]offering, there are occasions at which its time is not fixed.
[F] ``For he who did not bring a festal-offering on the first day of the festival may bring a festal-offering on any other day of the festival inclusive [according to your theory] of the last festival day of the festival.``
[G] Said the House of Hillel [BCE1] to them, ``The festal-offering also is subject to a fixed time. For if one did not offer the festal-offering on the festival itself, he cannot do so after the festival.``
[H] Said the House of Shammai [BCE1] to them, ``And has it not been stated, `On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly; no work shall be done on those days; but what everyone must eat, that only may be prepared by you``` (Exod.12.16).
[I] Said the House of Hillel [BCE1] to them, ``Is there proof from that verse? For you it may not be prepared, but it may be prepared for the Most High.``
[J] R. Abba [BA3 & PA3] Saul would present another version of the statement of the House of Hillel [BCE1]: ``No. If at the time at which your oven is closed, the oven of your Master is open, at a time at which your oven is open, should not the oven of your Master be open?
[K] ``Another matter: Your table should not be loaded while your Master`s table lies barren`` [t.Hag.2.10]. y.Hag.2.3 I:4
[A] Said R. Yose b. R. Bun, ``R. Simeon b. Laqish was passing by the school and heard voices reciting the following verse of Scripture: `And they performed sacrifices to the Lord, and on the next day [offered burnt-offerings to the Lord, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel]` (l Chr.29.21).
[B] ``He stated with reference to this verse, `He who interrupts the recitation of this verse [at its middle] concurs with the House of Shammai [BCE1]. He who completes its recitation to the end concurs with the view of the House of Hillel [BCE1].`
[C] ``There is no difficulty in making sense of their offering burnt-offerings on the next day. But as to peace-offerings on the next day, in the view of the House of Shammai [BCE1], peace-offerings cannot be brought on the next day.``
[D] Said R. Yose b. R. Bun, ``David died on Pentecost, and all of Israel were in the status of mourners who had not yet buried their dead, yet so they offered up their offering for the festival on the next day.`` y.Hag.2.3 I:5
[A] [In T.`s version:] M`SH B: Hillel [BCE1] the Elder laid on hands on a burnt-offering in the Courtyard [cf. m.Hag.2.3B], and the disciples of Shammai [BCE1] ganged up on him.
[B] He said to them, ``Go and see it, for it is a female, and I have to prepare it as sacrifices of peace-offerings [which I shall eat].``
[C] He put them off with a bunch of words, and they went their way.
[D] But the power of the House of Shammai [BCE1] forthwith became mighty, and they wanted to decide the law permanently in accord with their opinion.
[E] Now there was present Baba b. Buta [BCE1], who was one of the disciples of the House of Shammai [BCE1], but who acknowledged that the law is in accord with the opinions of the House of Hillel [BCE1] in every last detail.
[F] One time he went and brought the whole Qedar-flock and set them up right in the courtyard and announced, ``Whoever is required to bring burnt-offerings and peace-offerings - let him come and take a beast and lay on hands`` [= m.Hag.2.3B].
[G] So [everybody] came along and took a beast and offered up whole-offerings, having laid on hands.
[H] On that very day the law was confirmed in accord with the opinion of the House of Hillel [BCE1],
[I] and not a single person griped about it [t.Hag.2.11].
[J] Said R. Isaac [T5 or PA3] b. R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3], ``That is to say [that he did well by establishing the law right away and not delaying]. A cup for good news must be full. The worm of the wood comes out of itself. Any twig that does not burn when it is supposed to will never burn at all.``
[K] SWB M`SH B: Another disciple of the disciples of the House of Hillel [BCE1] laid hands on a whole-offering.
[L] One of the disciples of Shammai [BCE1] found him out.
[M] He said to him, ``What`s this laying on of hands?!``
[N] He said to him, ``What`s this shutting [of your trap]?!``
[O] And he shut him up by force [t.Hag.2.12].