וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם. לָהֶם אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה, וְאֵין אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה לַאֲחֵרִים. לַשֵּׁבֶט הַזֶּה אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה, וְלֹא לְאַחֵר. לְכַהֵן לִי, הִתְחִיל מְלַמְּדוֹ הֵיאַךְ יְהוּ מִטַּהֲרִין וְאוֹכְלִין בַּקֳּדָשִׁים, הֵיאַךְ יְהוּ טוֹבְלִין וְאוֹכְלִין בַּתְּרוּמוֹת, הֵיאַךְ יְהוּ מִתְקַדְּשִׁין וְאוֹכְלִין בַּטָּהֳרוֹת, סִדֵּר לוֹ קְדֻשּׁוֹת טָהֳרוֹת. לְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם לְכַהֵן לִי. אָמַר רַבִּי מָנָא בְּרַבִּי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לִי, לְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים. לָקַח פַּר (שמות כט, טו), וְלֹא מִן הַגָּזֵל. וְאֵילִם שְׁנַיִם, אַיִל מִכָּן וְאַיִל מִכָּן וּפַר בָּאֶמְצַע, הֶעֱמִידָם כַּגִּבְעָה. לָמָּה שְׁלֹשָה? כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלֹשָׁה הַרְרֵי עוֹלָם, אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, פַּר, זֶה אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאֶל הַבָּקָר רָץ אַבְרָהָם. וְאֵילִם שְׁנַיִם, יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב (שמות כט, ב). וְלֶחֶם מַצּוֹת (שמות כט, ב), בִּזְכוּת לֶחֶם מַצּוֹת אֲנִי מְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַלֶּחֶם. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא בַּר אַבָּא: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיוּ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת קְרֵבִין, הָיְתָה סְאָה אַרְבֵּלִית עוֹשָׂה סְאָה סֹלֶת, סְאָה קֶמַח, סְאָה מֻרְסָן, סְאָה סֻבִּין, סְאָה קִבָּר, סְאָה גְּנִינִים. אֲבָל עַכְשָׁיו, אָדָם מוֹלִיךְ סְאָה שֶׁל חִטִּים לִטְחֹן, וְאֵינוֹ מֵבִיא אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֻלַּךְ וְיָתֵר מְעַט. לָמָּה? שֶׁבָּטֵל לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים. This is the thing that thou shalt do unto them (to hallow them … take one young bullock and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread) (Exod. 29:1). You shall do it for them, but not for any others. For this tribe You shall do it, but not for any other tribe. To minister unto Me (ibid.). He began to teach them how they should purify themselves so that they might eat in holiness; how they should immerse themselves so that they might eat in levitical purity; and how they should sanctify themselves so that they might eat in cleanliness. And He prepared for him the rules for holiness and purity. To hallow them, to minister unto Me (ibid.). R. Mana BeRabbi12See above note 6. stated in the name of R. Eliezer: Each time Scripture says unto Me it means “forever and ever.” Take one young bullock (ibid.). This implies that it may not be a stolen one. And two rams without blemish. He arranged them in the form of a mound, with one ram placed on either side and with the bullock in the middle. Why did he use three? Because they corresponded to the three illustrious men of the world, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The bullock symbolized Abraham: And Abraham ran unto the herd (Gen. 18:7); and the two rams symbolized Isaac and Jacob. And unleavened bread. Because of the merit of unleavened bread, I shall bless the bread. R. Huna the son of Abba said:13In Buber Tanhuma, Tezaveh 10, and in other sources, this saying is attributed to R. Hiyya the son of Abba. At the time the offerings were (still) brought,14I.e., now that the Temple no longer exists. an Arbelite measure (of wheat) would produce a measure of fine flour, a measure of regular flour, a measured of crushed bran, a measure of coarse bran, a measure of coarser meal, and a measure of gennim, but now, when a man takes a measure of wheat to be ground, he brings back little more than he originally took. Why? Because the show-bread15Since the show-bread was not brought to the Temple, it could not be blessed by the priest. has been abolished.
וְלֶחֶם מַצּוֹת וְחַלֹּת מַצֹּת. לֶחֶם מַצּוֹת, בִּזְכוּת שָׂרָה, לוּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂי עֻגוֹת (שמות כט, ו). לֶחֶם מַצּוֹת. רְאֵה מֶה הָיוּ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיוּ קְרֵבִין, כָּל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה מִתְקָרֵב מִן מִינוֹ, הָיָה מְבָרֵךְ אֶת מִינוֹ. And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened (Exod. 29:1). Unleavened bread was brought because of the merit of Sarah, who kneaded dough and made cakes. Unleavened bread. Observe that at the time they brought sacrifices, whatever was to be sacrificed was blessed according to its kind.
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא, אֲפִלּוּ עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁל מִזְבֵּחַ, לְשׁוּם כַּפָּרָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעֲשָׂה. מִזְבֵּחַ, מ' מְחִילַת עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם, ז' זִכְרוֹן טוֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, ב' בְּרָכָה שֶׁמְּבָרֶכֶת אֶת כָּל הַמִּינִין, ח' חַיִּים שֶׁהִיא נוֹתֶנֶת חַיִּים. לֶחֶם מַצּוֹת וְלֶחֶם הַפָּנִים שֶׁהָיוּ מַקְרִיבִין, הָיוּ מְבָרְכִין אֶת הַלֶּחֶם. וּבִכּוּרִים שֶׁהָיוּ מַקְרִיבִין, הָיוּ מְבָרְכִין אֶת פֵּרוֹת הָאָרֶץ. R. Hiyya the son of Abba said: The altar was made essentially for Israel’s atonement. In the word “altar” (mizbeah) the mem stands for the pardoning (mehilah) of their sins, the zayin stands for “remember (zikhron) Israel for good,” the bet stands for a blessing (berakhah), for You blessed each kind of offering, and the het stands for life (hayyim), for He is the giver of life. Because of the unleavened bread. Because of the show-bread they brought, the bread was blessed; because of the first fruits they brought as an offering, the fruit of the land was blessed.
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי יוֹנָתָן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב תַּחַת תְּאֵנָה אַחַת בִּימוֹת הַקַּיִץ, וְהָיְתָה הַתְּאֵנָה מְלֵאָה תְּאֵנִים יָפוֹת. יָצָא הַטַּל וְהָיוּ אוֹתָם הַתְּאֵנִים שׁוֹאֲבוֹת דְּבַשׁ וּמוֹרִידִין, וְהָיָה הָרוּחַ מְגַבְּלוֹ בֶּעָפָר, וּבָאָה עֵז אַחַת וְהָיְתָה מְנַטֶּפֶת חָלָב לְתוֹךְ הַדְּבַשׁ וְנִתְעָרֵב הֶחָלָב בַּדְּבַשׁ. קָרָא לְתַלְמִידָיו אָמַר לָהֶם: בּוֹאוּ רְאוּ מֵעֵין דֻּגְמָא שֶׁל עוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה? שֶׁהָיוּ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת קְרֵבִין. It happened that R. Jonathan the son of Eleazar was sitting one summer day beneath a fig tree laden with fine figs. When the dew lifted, the juice of the figs fell to the earth. Whereupon the wind mixed the juice with the dust of the ground. Later a goat, dripping milk, came along, and the milk and the juice were mixed together. He summoned his disciples and said to them: Observe this, for it is an illustration of what will transpire in the time-to-come.16Probably a reference to Joel 4:38, And it shall come to pass on that day that the mountain shall drop sweet wine and the hills shall flow with milk. Why did all this occur? Because they were still offering sacrifices.
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּסוֹפֵר אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עוֹלֶה לִירוּשָׁלַיִם בְּכָל שָׁנָה, הִכִּירוּהוּ בְּנֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁהָיָה אָדָם גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: טֹל מִמֶּנּוּ חֲמִשִּׁים זְהוּבִים וְשֵׁב לְךָ אֶצְלֵנוּ. אָמַר לָהֶם: יֵשׁ לִי גֶּפֶן אַחַת וְהִיא חֲבִיבָה עָלַי מִכָּל מַה שֶּׁאַתֶּם נוֹתְנִים, שֶׁהִיא עוֹשָׂה לִי שָׁלֹשׁ רְפוּאוֹת בְּכָל שָׁנָה, וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת חָבִיּוֹת עוֹשָׂה לִי בְּכָל שָׁנָה. הָרִאשׁוֹנָה הִיא עוֹשָׂה שְׁלֹש מֵאוֹת, וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה עוֹשָׂה מָאתַיִם, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית הִיא עוֹשָׂה מֵאָה, וַאֲנִי מוֹכְרָם בְּדָמִים הַרְבֵּה. מֶה עָשָׂה? הִנִּיחָם וְיָרַד לוֹ. וְכָל הַשֶּׁבַח הַזֶּה בִּזְכוּת נִסּוּךְ הַיַּיִן שֶׁהָיָה קָרֵב עַל גַּבֵּי מִזְבֵּחַ. בָּטֵל נִסּוּךְ הַיַּיִן, וְנִמְנְעוּ כָּל טוֹבוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם. It is told that a certain scribe went to Jerusalem each year, and the people of Jerusalem knew that he was an outstanding student of the law. They said to him: “Take these fifty pieces of gold and dwell among us.” “I have only a single vine,” he replied, “but it is more valuable than anything you can offer me, for it provides me with three crops a year from which I gather six hundred barrels of grapes. The first crop produces three hundred barrels, the second, two hundred, and the third, one hundred; and I am able to sell them at a considerable profit.” What did he do? He left them and returned to his vine. He received this reward because he poured the wine as on offering upon the altar. If he had failed to pour the wine, the good things of the world would have been withheld from him.
אַתְּ מוֹצֵא כְּשֶׁגָּלוּ לְבָבֶל, מָה עֶזְרָא אוֹמֵר לָהֶם: עֲלוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלֹא הָיוּ מְבַקְּשִׁים, אָמַר לָהֶם עֶזְרָא: זְרַעְתֶּם הַרְבֵּה וְהָבֵא מְעָט. אָכוֹל וְאֵין לְשָׂבְעָה, שָׁתוֹ וְאֵין לְשָׁכְרָה, לָבוֹשׁ וְאֵין לְחֹם לוֹ, וְהַמִּשְׂתַּכֵּר מִשְׂתַּכֵּר אֶל צְרוֹר נָקוּב (חגי א, ו). זְרַעְתֶּם הַרְבֵּה וְהָבֵא מְעָט, מִשֶּׁבָּטֵל לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים. אָכוֹל וְאֵין לְשָׂבְעָה, מִשֶּׁבָּטֵל נִסּוּךְ הַמָּיִם. שָׁתוֹ וְאֵין לְשָׁכְרָה, מִשֶּׁבָּטֵל נִסּוּךְ הַיַּיִן. לָבוֹשׁ וְאֵין לְחֹם לוֹ, מִשֶּׁבָּטְלוּ בִּגְדֵי כְּהֻנָּה. וְהַמִּשְׂתַּכֵּר אֶל צְרוֹר נָקוּב, מִשֶּׁבָּטְלוּ תְּמִידִים שֶׁל צִבּוּר. כָּל כָּךְ לָמָּה? שֶׁבָּטְלוּ הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת. You find that after the Israelites were exiled to Babylonia, Ezra urged them to go up to the land of Israel. But the were unwilling to do so. Ezra then called out to them: Ye have sown much, and brought in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough, ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink, ye clothe you, but there is none warm, and he that earneth wages earneth wages for a bag with holes (Hag. 1:6). You have sown much and brought in little occurred when the commandment of the show-bread was abrogated. Ye eat, but ye have not enough indicates that the libation of water had ceased. Ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink alludes to the fact that the wine libation had ceased. Ye cloth you, but there is none warm applies to the time when the wearing of priestly garments was suspended. And he that earneth wages earneth wages for a bag with holes alludes to when the community sacrifices were eliminated. All this transpired because sacrifices were abandoned (after the destrction of the Temple).
אָמַר הַנָּבִיא: כִּי תְאֵנָה לֹא תִפְרָח (חבקוק ג, יז). מִשֶּׁבָּטְלוּ הַבִּכּוּרִים. וְאֵין יְבוּל בַּגְּפָנִים (חבקוק ג, יז). מִשֶּׁבָּטְלוּ הַנְּסָכִים, כָּחַשׁ מַעֲשֵׂה זַיִת מִשֶּׁבָּטַל שֶׁמֶן הַמָּאוֹר, וּשְׁדֵמוֹת לֹא עָשָׂה אֹכֶל וּשְׂדֵי בְּהֵמוֹת לֹא עָשָׂה אֹכֶל מִשֶּׁבָּטְלוּ הַבְּכוֹרוֹת. גָּזַר מִמִּכְלָה צֹאן מִשֶּׁבָּטְלוּ הַתְּמִידִים, וְאֵין בָּקָר בָּרְפָתִים מִשֶּׁבָּטְלוּ הַפָּרִים שֶׁהָיוּ קְרֵבִין. The prophet declared: For though the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olives shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food; the flocks shall be cut off from the herd, and there shall be no herd in the stall (Hab. 3:17). For though the fig tree shall not blossom alludes to the time when the commandment of the firstborn was suspended. Neither shall fruit be in the vines indicates that the libations were suspended. The labor of the olives shall fail refers to when the oil for the light was suspended. And the fields shall yield no food implies that offering of the early fruits was suspended. The flocks shall be cut off from the fold resulted from the suspension of the daily sacrifices. And there shall be no herd in the stalls signifies that the sacrifice of the bullock was suspended.
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: מִשֶּׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, אֵין לְךָ יוֹם שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ קְלָלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאֵל זֹעֵם בְּכָל יוֹם (תהלים ז, יב). אָמַר רַבִּי זְעִירָא: הָרִאשׁוֹן קַיָּם. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר אִלְעַאי: חֲצוּפָה הִיא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִיא עוֹשָׂה פֵּרוֹת. בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה עָשָׂה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שְׁדוּפָה עַל יְדֵי עֲוֹנוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִגְבִּיר בְּרִית לָרַבִּים שָׁבוּעַ אֶחָד וַחֲצִי הַשָּׁבוּעַ יַשְׁבִּית זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה וְעַל כְּנַף שִׁקּוּצִים מְשֹׁמֵם וְעַד כָּלָה וְנֶחֱרָצָה תִּתַּךְ עַל שׁוֹמֵם (דניאל ט, כז). אֲבָל לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַחֲזִיר לָהּ הַבְּרָכוֹת שֶׁהָיְתָה עוֹשָׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאַתֶּם הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַנְפְּכֶם תִּתֵּנוּ וּפֶרְיְכֶם תִּשְׂאוּ לְעַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי קֵרְבוּ לָבוֹא (יחזקאל לו, ח). R. Simeon the son of Gamliel said in the name of R. Joshua: Since the Temple was destroyed, no day has lacked a curse, as it is said: Yea, a God that hath indignation every day (Ps. 7:12). R. Ze’era was of the opinion that the earlier curse(s) still prevail.17While the new day brings a new curse. R. Judah the son of Ilai said: The land of Israel was so irrepressible that it continued to bear fruit, despite the curse. In this world He made her (Israel) smoulder for seven years because of her sins, as it is said: And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and upon the wing of detestable things shall be that which causeth appalment; and that until the extermination wholly determined be poured out upon that which causeth appalment (Dan. 9:27). However, in the world-to-come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant her the blessings she had enjoyed previously, as it is said: But Ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My people Israel; for they are at hand to come (Ezek. 36:8).