Temurah 4:2
By :
Daniel Nevins 91快播 Alum (Rabbinical School), Former Pearl Resnick Dean of The Rabbinical School and the Division of Religious Leadership, Adjunct Assistant Professor
Posted On Jan 1, 2008 | Mishnat Hashavua
What happens to recovered property that had once been dedicated for a sacrifice?
讛诪驻专讬砖 讞讟讗转讜 讜讗讘讚讛 讜讛拽专讬讘 讗讞专转 转讞转讬讛 讜讗讞专 讻讱 谞诪爪讗转 讛专讗砖讜谞讛, 转诪讜转. 讛诪驻专讬砖 诪注讜转 诇讞讟讗转 讜讗讘讚讜 讜讛拽专讬讘 讞讟讗转 转讞转讬讛谉 讜讗讞专 讻讱 谞诪爪讗讜 讛诪注讜转, 讬诇讻讜 诇讬诐 讛诪诇讞.
If one separated an animal to be used as a purification offering, but then lost it, and he brought another animal in its place, and then found the first one, it should die. If one separates coins to be used [to purchase] a purification offering, then lost them, and bought an offering with [other coins], and then found the [original] coins, they should be brought [i.e., thrown into] the Salt Sea.
Comments
Tractate Temurah deals with substitutions鈥攚hat happens when one animal is brought to the Temple in place of another as a sacrifice? The first animal has already been designated for sacred service, and cannot simply be used for normal needs. Yet if the sacrifice was a chatat (purification offering), and the owner has already been purified, what should be done with the first animal? This mishnah says that no benefit can come from an animal or coins once they are designated for God. According to the Talmud (Kiddushin 55b), the former animal was left to die in a barn without food.
Questions
- The image of leaving an animal to die or tossing coins into the Salt [Dead] Sea is disturbing. Wouldn鈥檛 it have been better to give the money to tzedakah?
- Extrapolate from this mishnah to the contemporary practice of making pledges for charities. What does it imply about the status of a pledge?
