Menahot 3:7
Is there partial credit for mitzvot?
砖讘注讛 拽谞讬 诪谞讜专讛 诪注讻讘讬谉 讝讛 讗转 讝讛. 砖讘注讛 谞专讜转讬讛 诪注讻讘讬谉 讝讛 讗转 讝讛. 砖转讬 驻专砖讬讜转 砖讘诪讝讜讝讛 诪注讻讘讜转 讝讜 讗转 讝讜, 讜讗驻诇讜 讻转讘 讗讞讚 诪注讻讘谉. 讗专讘注 驻专砖讬讜转 砖讘转驻诇讬谉 诪注讻讘讜转 讝讜 讗转 讝讜, 讜讗驻诇讜 讻转讘 讗讞讚 诪注讻讘谉. 讗专讘注 爪讬爪讬讜转 诪注讻讘讜转 讝讜 讗转 讝讜, 砖讗专讘注转谉 诪爪讜讛 讗讞转. 专讘讬 讬砖诪注讗诇 讗讜诪专: 讗专讘注转谉 讗专讘注 诪爪讜转.
The seven branches of the Menorah depend upon one another [i.e. if one is defective they are all invalid]. The seven lamps depend upon one another. The two passages of the mezuzah depend upon one another. And even one writing [i.e. word] affects them. The four passages in the tefillin depend upon one another, and even one writing affects them. The four fringes [of tzitzit] depend upon one another, since the four are a single mitzvah. Rabbi Ishmael says that the four fringes are four mitzvot.
Comments
Tractate Menahot (the plural of Minhah) deals with regulations regarding the meal offerings in the temple. Chapter 3 opens discussion of offerings which are done incompletely鈥擨s there partial credit? Our mishnah extends the discussion to ritual objects鈥擨f they are lacking any part, can they still be used? In some cases (for example, wearing one of the tefillin), it is possible to have partial credit, but our mishnah identifies cases where it is all or nothing. Rabbi Ishmael鈥檚 position is rejected. In practice, if even one letter is missing from a scroll, it may not be used until it is repaired.
Questions
- Perfection seems like an unreasonable standard for ritual objects. Why isn鈥檛 the halakhah more flexible?
- Think of activities where you would say, 鈥淏etter something than nothing,鈥� and others where it鈥檚 鈥渁ll or nothing.鈥� What differentiates them?
