💾 Archived View for scholasticdiversity.us.to › scriptures › jewish › t › Ramban%20on%20Leviticus%20… captured on 2024-05-10 at 13:35:26. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
15 [1] AND THE FLESH OF THE OFFERING OF HIS PEACE-OFFERINGS FOR THANKSGIVING SHALL BE EATEN ON THE DAY OF HIS OFFERING. “There are here many terms of amplification [all the seemingly redundant words thus being intended to widen the scope of the law]. Thus they include in this law the sin-offering and guilt-offering, the Nazirite’s ram, and the Festal-offering of the fourteenth day of Nisan, that they may all be eaten for a day and a night.” This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct, for the Festal-offering of the fourteenth day of Nisan may be eaten for two days and the one intervening night, like the rest of the peace-offerings. So also we have been taught in Tractate Pesachim: “*Neither shall any of the flesh, which thou offerest on the first day at even, remain all night until the morning*. Scripture speaks here of the Festal-offering of the fourteenth day of Nisan, teaching that it may be eaten for two days and the one intervening night, and when Scripture states *on the first day … until the morning*, it means the second morning.” Rashi himself wrote this in the *Seder R’eih Anochi*. Here, however, the Rabbi [Rashi] follows the words of Ben Teima, who says that the Festal-offering of the fourteenth of Nisan which comes with the Passover-offering, is like the Passover-offering, and may be eaten [only] on that day [the fourteenth of Nisan] and the following night, and may be eaten only roasted and until midnight, [like the Passover-offering] which is eaten only at night [but not on the fourteenth day]. But according to Ben Teima, these amplifications [referred to by Rashi] only come to indicate that it [the Festal-offering accompanying the Passover-offering] is like the Passover-offering in every respect, coming only from the sheep, a male of the first year, since it is written, *Neither shall the offering of the feast of the Passover be left unto the morning*, [which Ben Teima interpreted to mean: “*the offering of the feast*, namely the Festal-offering; *of the Passover*, namely the Passover-offering,” the same law thus applying to both], as it is stated there.
But that which the Rabbi [Rashi] wrote here [namely, that the terms of amplification of the verse teach that the Festal-offering is to be eaten only for a day and a night] is on the basis of a Beraitha taught in the Torath Kohanim, which states as follows: “*And the flesh of the offering of his peace-offerings for thanksgiving, shall be eaten on the day of his offering*. This verse comes to teach that those offerings which Scripture states are to be eaten for one day [and the following night] may only be eaten during that time [and not for two days and the intervening night, as is the period assigned for the peace-offering]. I would only know that such is the law for the thanks-offering [i.e., the offering itself, which is mentioned explicitly in the verse]. Whence do I know to include the breads thereof? Scripture therefore says, *his offering*. Whence do I know to include the offspring of the thanks-offering and animals substituted for it in the same law? Scripture therefore says, *‘and’ the flesh*. Whence do I know to include the sin-offerings and guilt-offering [that they, too, may be eaten only during the day and the ensuing night]? Scripture therefore says, *the offering*. Whence do I know to include the Nazirite’s peace-offering, and the peace-offerings which come on account of the Passover-offering? Scripture therefore says, *his peace-offerings*.”
This is the Beraitha [taught in the Torath Kohanim]. Now the Rabbi [Rashi] explained the phrase “the peace-offerings which come on account of the Passover-offering” as referring to the Festal-offering of the fourteenth day of Nisan, which comes together with the Passover-offering, [thus providing the authority for his comment here that the Festal-offering of the fourteenth of Nisan may be eaten only during the day and ensuing night.] Thus also I have found in Tractate Pesachim, in the Chapter *Mi Shehayah* (If any man shall be unclean), that Rashi gave two explanations of this phrase — “the peace-offerings which come on account of the Passover-offering” — and wrote [after explaining the first interpretation]: “Another explanation is that it means the Festal-offering of the fourteenth. This explanation I have heard.” Here then [in his commentary on the Torah] the Rabbi relied on the interpretation he had heard [and consequently he wrote that the Festal-offering of the fourteenth may be eaten only for one day and the following night].
But the matter is not so. [The correct explanation of the phrase] “peace-offerings which come on account of the Passover-offering,” is that it refers to [those animals] which remain over from the Passover-offering, such as where the owners substituted another one for it, or where the owners of a Passover-offering fulfilled their duty by bringing another offering. [In these cases they are to be eaten only for one day and the ensuing night], as since they were at the beginning only meant to be eaten for one day and the ensuing night, [namely the night following the day on which they were slaughtered, as is the law of all Passover-offerings], so also in the end [i.e., when they are offered up as peace-offerings they are to be eaten only for one day and the ensuing night]. But the Festal-offering of the fourteenth [since it is not originally brought as a Passover-offering], is eaten for two days [and the intervening night] in accordance with the words of the Sages. So also we have been taught in that very same Beraitha at the end thereof: “*And on the morrow*. This verse comes to teach that those offerings which [Scripture states] are to be eaten for two days [and the intervening night] may only be eaten during that time. I know only that this applies to the peace-offering [which is clearly mentioned in the verse]. Whence do I know to include the Festal-offering which comes at its proper time [i.e., the regular Festal-offering of the *fifteenth* day of Nisan]? etc. Now I know to include the Festal-offering which comes at its regular time. Whence do I know to include the Festal-offering which comes with the Passover-offering [that it may be eaten only for two days and the intervening night]? etc.” [Thus it is clearly stated that the Festal-offering of the *fourteenth* may be eaten for only two days and the intervening night, and not as Rashi wrote that it may be eaten only for one day and the following night].
Version: Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
Source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH002108945/NLI
License: CC-BY