Hagigah 1:5
诪讬 砖讬砖 诇讜 讗讜讻诇讬诐 诪专讘讬诐 讜谞讻住讬诐 诪注讟讬诐, 诪讘讬讗 砖诇诪讬诐 诪专讘讬诐 讜注讜诇讜转 诪注讟讜转. 谞讻住讬诐 诪专讘讬诐 讜讗讜讻诇讬谉 诪注讟讬谉, 诪讘讬讗 注讜诇讜转 诪专讘讜转 讜砖诇诪讬诐 诪注讟讬谉. 讝讛 讜讝讛 诪注讟, 注诇 讝讛 谞讗诪专, 诪注讛 讻住祝 讜砖转讬 讻住祝. 讝讛 讜讝讛 诪专讘讬诐, 注诇 讝讛 谞讗诪专 [讚讘专讬诐 讟讝:讬讝] “讗讬砖 讻诪转谞转 讬讚讜 讻讘专讻转 讛’ 讗诇讛讬讱 讗砖专 谞转谉 诇讱.”
One who has many [relatives] to feed but little property should bring copious 蝉丑鈥檒补尘颈尘 (edible sacrifices), but few olot [burned sacrifices]. [If he has] much property but few to feed, he should bring copious olot but few 蝉丑鈥檒补尘颈尘. If he has little of both [family and possessions], of him does it say [in the mishnah] to bring at least a silver coin for one and two coins for the other. If he has much of both [family and possessions], of him does the Torah speak: 鈥渁ccording to a man鈥檚 gifts, that the Lord your God has blessed him with.鈥� (Deut. 15:17)
On the three pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, Jews were required to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem and bring two sacrifices. The 谤别鈥檌测补丑 (appearance offering) was an olah (burned sacrifice). The hagigah (festive offering) was a 蝉丑鈥檒补尘颈尘 (edible sacrifice). The latter was shared by the family as a simhah, or 鈥渉appy meal.鈥� The Torah does not specify the size of these sacrifices.
Comments
The burned offering, fully consumed on the altar, was seen as a gift to God. The whole offering, from which only the forbidden fats were burned on the altar, was a treat for the priest and for the family. The three festivals required both types of ritual: devotional and celebratory.
Questions
- Can you name devotional and celebratory aspects of each festival in contemporary Jewish practice?
- The mishnah is sensitive to differential financial demands and abilities of Israelite families. Is our community equally sensitive?
