This Week's Article

Mitzvah of Eating a Korban

Zevachim (12:1) | Yisrael Bankier | 15 hours ago

The twelfth perek opens by discussing the distribution of the hides and meat from kodshei kadashim (specifically the chatat and asham) amongst the kohanim. The Mishnah however lists cases where the kohen cannot engage in the avodah or eat from the korban that day, but would be able to that night. The Mishnah teaches that those kohanim would not receive a share in the distribution. The Mishnah teaches that any kohen that is not fit for work (except for a kohen that has a blemish) does not receive a share of the meat and by extension the hides. We shall try to understand the importance of the kohanim eating from the korbanot.

The Minchat Chinnuch (102:1) notes that even though they would not receive a share, the tevul yom, for example, who becomes tahor that night, would still be able to eat from that meat. The same is also true for the kohen's wife and children. The point of the Mishnah is that they do not receive their own share. There is however another difference.

The Chinnuch (102) explains that there is a mitzvah for the kohanim to eat a small amount from the korbanot (chatat and asham). The Minchat Chinnuch notes that the Chinnuch taught that it is a mitzvah for the "kohanim" to eat from these parts, even though it is not just male kohanim that are allowed. He therefore understands that the mitzvah to eat from that meat is specifically on the kohanim engaged in the avodah to whom the meat is distributed. Consequently, there is an additional difference regarding the kohanim listed in our Mishnah. Even though they can eat from these parts, not only do they not receive their own share, there is also no mitzvah for them to consume it.

The Minchat Chinnuch brings further support for this understanding based an additional the comment of the Chinnuch. The Chinnuch teaches that if a kohen does not eat from the share that he received, he violates this positive mitzvah. The wording seems to suggest that the mitzvah is on the kohen that received that share to consume it.

The Beit HaLevi (I, 2:7) however maintains that mitzvah to eat from the korbanot is not a mitzvah on the person that offered it. He brings a proof from the fact that a kohen gadol is able to offer korbanot if he was a onen (on the day he lost a close relative). Even though he is uniquely allowed to do avodah, he is still not allowed to eat from korbanot. If it was his mitzvah to eat from the korban, then he would not be able to offer the korban since it would result in the violation of this positive mitzvah. Furthermore, he notes that the Rambam does not record that it is a mitzvah specifically on the kohen that offered the korban to eat from it.

Another proof the Beit HaLevi brings is from the fact that the Rambam lists the mitzvah of slaughtering and consuming the korban pesach as two separate mitzvot. For the korban pesach there is indeed a mitzvah on each individual to consume (a kezayit) from the korban. For the chatat however, the Rambam only records a single mitzvah. The simple explanation is that for other korbanot there is no mitzvah for a person to consume it, but rather that the korban be consumed. Consequently, it is another detail in the mitzvah of offering the korban, like burning the sacrificial parts, which is also not listed a separate mitzvah.

The Beit HaLevi explains that a practical difference between these two understanding is whether on must eat a kezayit's worth to fulfil the mitzvah. When there is a personal mitzvah to consume something, the minimum amount is a kezayit. The Beit HaLevi however argues that this mitzvah in not such a mitzvah. Instead, the mitzvah is simply that the meat from the korban is consumed. Consequently the meat can be shared around, each person can consume whatever amount they wish, and the mitzvah will be fulfilled as the meat is consumed. It is not a personal mitzvah of any single person*.*

Download

Calendar