Haktara
TALMUDIC METHODOLOGY
By Rav Moshe Taragin
Shiur #13: Haktara
The scheduling of the morning tamid and the maaracha of the
mizbeiach
In Parashat Tzav, the Torah describes the maintenance of coals and ashes
on the outer altar of the Mikdash. Each morning, a Kohen would
remove the previous days accumulated ashes, and others would begin constructing
the wooden pyre or maaracha to enable sacrificing the next day's ashes.
The pesukim in Tzav also demands a constant fire upon the altar
and concludes by describing the daily "menu" of
korbanot: The Olah is
sacrificed and the fats of the Shelamim offered. This list of
korbanot is cited by Rava (primarily
in Pesachim 58b Yoma 33a in a gemara that recurs throughout
shas) as demonstrating that the morning
tamid should be the first
korban offered and the evening
tamid should be the last
korban offered upon the outer altar.
Tosafot (see above gemarot) consistently question the need for this
limud, as the gemara in Zevachim (89a) already establishes a
sequencing scheme for korbanot. Based
on a pasuk that prioritizes the
sacrifice of a tamid before that of a
mussaf, the gemara infers that any
tadir (frequently occurring)
mitzva will UNIVERSALLY precede
a less tadir
mitzva. A
korban
tamid is by definition the most
frequent korban; it should therefore
precede other korbanot based on the
tadir principle, without need for
Rava's additional pasuk.
One answer recurs in the aforementioned Tosafot throughout Shas. Although
the Korban Tamid ITSELF precedes
other korbanot because of its
frequency, the haktara (burning of
animal parts) does not. Rava's additional pasuk instructs that even the
burning of animal parts should precede the burning of animal parts (eivarim)
of other korbanot.
This solution offered by Tosafot creates an interesting distinction between the
basic korban and the
haktara of the animal parts. The fact
that the essential korban
tamid is sequenced prior to the other
korbanot based on the
tadir principle, while the
haktara, is not prioritized based on
tadir suggests that haktara IS
NOT an essential part of the korban,
but rather a separate ceremony. Interestingly, Tosafot in Zevachim (2a,
s.v. kol) assert a dramatic difference between
haktara and the other elements of a
korban. Although typically all the
stages of a korban must be performed
"le-sheim baalim" (on behalf of the owner of the
korban), the
haktara does not have to be performed
with this intent. This discrepancy between
haktara and the other types of
avodot is consistent with Tosafot's view that
haktara's SCHEDULING cannot be
equated with the overall schedule of a
korban. A separate pasuk is required by Rava to sequence the
haktara of the tamid prior to the haktara of other korbanot.
The distinction between the sacrifice and the haktara also underscores
the nature of scheduling haktara of tamid first! The pasuk
may not simply be indicating which, among competing sacrifices, comes first, but
rather establishing the ingredients of the actual maaracha pyre. The
maaracha consists of wood piles AND THE
KORBAN
TAMID, all other
korbanot are sacrificed upon this
pyre. Unlike the standard tadir
halakha, which evaluates which sacrifice (and ultimately which
mitzva) should be performed
when, the unique pasuk scheduling
haktara designates the morning
korban as PART of the actual
maaracha UPON WHICH all other
korbanot are sacrificed.
The concept that the framework upon which
korbanot are burnt consists of BOTH WOOD AND THE
TAMID
SHEL SHACHAR, is reflected by several
interesting halakhot. An interesting difference would emerge if the
korban
tamid were unavailable. Presumably,
if its scheduling is based PURELY upon the
tadir principle, its absence would
not hinder the offering of other korbanot.
The tadir principle demands that if
two korbanot PRESENT themselves, the
more frequent one must be offered first; if only one
korban is available, it may
presumably be immediately processed independent of tadir concerns. This position
is articulated by R. Elchonon Wasserman in his comments to Pesachim (58).
In fact, this position is stated clearly by the Raavad in his comments to Tamid (28b).
The Rambam's language describing this schedule seems more rigid. He writes (Temidin
U-Musafin 1:3) that it is forbidden to sacrifice ANY
korban prior to the
tamid
shel shachar. It would appear that
the Rambam would disagree with the Ra'avad and forbid processing a different
korban even if the
tamid
shel shachar is unavailable. Perhaps
he would view the tamid as an
essential element of the Maaracha, without which a viable BASE for
further korban sacrifice has not been
established. The entire schedule must grind to a halt.
Another interesting question surrounds a situation in which a
korban was already sacrificed (shechita) prior to the
tamid. Should THAT
korban be processed first, since its
ceremonies began already, or should that
korban be halted, allowing the tamid
shel shachar to be inserted?
Regarding the standard sequencing of
tadir the gemara in Zevachim (89b) is quite clear that if a
less frequent korban were started
prior to a more frequent one, the started
korban should be completed first.
This question is raised by the Mishnah Le-Melekh in his comments to the
aforementioned Rambam. If the scheduling of the
tamid is based purely on the
tadir component, it should follow the
guidelines of tadir; thus, if another
korban were illegally sacrificed
prior to the tamid it would be
completed first. If the haktara of
the tamid is necessary to build the
maaracha basis for the daily
korbanot, the other option would result; the korban would be halted
even if the shechita had already
commenced. This logic is asserted by the Chazon Ish in his comments to
Menachot (33:10).
Yet an additional scenario involves a case in which two
korbanot are sacrificed
simultaneously. Several Acharonim (Kovetz Shiurim to Pesachim
and the Mikdash Dovid) argue that the
tadir requirement can be met by
performing two mitzvot, - in our case sacrificing two
korbanot - SIMULTANEOUSLY, as the
tadir
mitzva is not DELAYED by the
JOINT performance. If the tamid
shel shachar sequencing were based
solely upon tadir requirements we may
allow TWO korbanot (the
tamid as well as other
korbanot) to be offered jointly.
However, the additional requirement to build the
maaracha with the morning
tamid would demand that the
tamid be burnt. before any other
korban is burnt upon the maaracha,
Finally, if the scheduling if the tamid
first is indeed driven by tadir
concerns as well as the proper construction of a
maaracha, we would insist that the
tamid is not just
slaughtered first, but also
burned on the mizbeiach first. From a
practical standpoint, this question could be very pivotal. After all, the
shechita of the
tamid is performed before daybreak
and the sprinkling of blood happens very quickly. The primary delay of
korbanot occurs while performing the
haktara of the
tamid. If the
tamid is prioritized because of
tadir concerns, its prior
shechita may be sufficient. However,
if the tamid is necessary to
contribute to the daily maaracha, it must be completely burnt
before any other sacrifices are placed upon the
maaracha.
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