[this intimates] that it must absorb [thereof] in its flesh. You might think that if it touched a part of a piece of flesh, the whole of it is unfit. Therefore it says, ‘[Whatever] shall touch’: only that which touches is unfit. How so? The part which absorbed is cut away. ‘[In] the flesh thereof’: but not the tendons, bones, horns or hoofs. (1) ‘Shall be holy’, to be as itself, so that if it [the sin-offering] is unfit, that [which touches it] becomes unfit; while if it is fit, it may be eaten [only] in accordance with its stringencies. Yet why so? (2) let the positive command (3) come and override the negative injunction! (4) — Said Raba, A positive injunction does not override a negative injunction in the Temple. For it was taught: Neither shall ye break a bone thereof. (5) R. Simeon b. Menassia said: [This refers to] both a bone which contains marrow and a bone which does not contain marrow. Yet why so? let the positive injunction (6) come and override the negative injunction? Hence you can infer that a positive injunction does not override a negative injunction in the Temple. R. Ashi said: ‘Shall be holy’ is a positive injunction: thus there are a positive and a negative injunction, (7) and a positive injunction cannot override a positive and a negative injunction [combined]. We have thus found that a sinoffering sanctifies (8) [whatever touches it] through absorption; whence do we know it of other sacrifices? — Said Samuel on R. Eleazar's authority: [Scripture saith,] This is the law of the burntoffering, of the meal-offering, and of the sinoffering, and of the guilt-offering, and of the consecration-offering, and of the sacrifice of peace-offerings. (9) ‘Of a burnt-offering’: as a burnt-offering requires a utensil, (10) so all require a utensil. What utensil is meant? If we say, a basin? (11) in respect of public peaceofferings too it is written, And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins! (12) Rather, it means a knife. (13) And how do we know it of a burnt-offering itself? — Because it is written, And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife [to slay his son], (14) and there it was a burnt-offering, as it is written, And offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. (15) ‘Of a meal-offering’: as a meal-offering may be eaten by male priests [only], so all may be eaten by male priests only. Which [are thus inferred]? If the sinoffering and the guilt-offering? [surely] it is explicitly written in connection with them, Every male among the priests may eat thereof! (16) If public peace-offerings? that is deduced from a Scriptural extension, [viz.] In a most holy place shalt thou (17) eat thereof; every male may eat thereof: (18) this teaches that public peace-offerings may be eaten by male priests only! — It is a controversy of Tannaim:

---

(1). ↑ These do not render the flesh that touches them ‘holy’.
(2). ↑ Why does the flesh of the fit sacrifice become unfit through absorbing of the unfit?
(3). ↑ Ex. XXIX, 33: and they shall eat those things wherewith atonement was made (sc. the flesh of the sacrifices).
(4). ↑ Forbidding the unfit to be eaten, e.g. in Lev. VI, (23) q.v. It is a general principle that a positive injunction overrides a negative injunction when the two are in conflict.
(5). ↑ Ex. Xli, 46. This refers to the Passover-offering.
(6). ↑ To eat the flesh (which includes marrow), sc. and they shall eat the flesh in that night (Ex. Xli, 8).
(7). ↑ Forbidding the flesh which absorbed the taste of the disqualified sacrifice.
(8). ↑ In the sense stated above.
(9). ↑ Lev. VII, 37. The enumeration of all these together with the single superscription ‘this is the law’ teaches that they are all assimilated to one another, and the Talmud proceeds to explain in which respect they are so assimilated.
(10). ↑ The Heb. Keli denotes a vessel or a utensil.
(11). ↑ For receiving the blood; and this teaches that a peace-offering too needs a basin. That a burntoffering requires a basin is inferred from Ex. XXIV, 5f, q.v.
(12). ↑ Ibid. 6. The blood was that of burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. Hence peace-offerings need not be inferred from burnt-offerings.
(13). ↑ A burnt-offering must be killed with a knife (a utensil) and not e.g. with a sharp piece of stone (unfashioned into a utensil), and the text intimates that the same applies to the others.
(14). ↑ Gen. XXII, 10.
(15). ↑ Ibid 13.
(16). ↑ Lev. VII, 6.
(17). ↑ Sc. Aaron.
(18). ↑ Num. XVIII, 10.