The Exact Fistful of Aaron at the Mishkan Dedication

Sifra, Mekhilta deMiluim II 11

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

11) (Vayikra 9:17): "And he presented the meal-offering and he filled his hand from it": "filling" is stated here, and "filling" is stated elsewhere (Vayikra 5:2). Just as the "filling" there is "his full fistful," so the "filling" here is his full fistful. And just as with the "filling" there, if he took a fistful and there entered into it a pebble, a grain of salt, or a particle of frankincense, it is invalid; here, too, it is invalid.

Themes

PriesthoodSacrificePurity

Biblical References

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Ben SiraHigh Priest Before the AltarForget the sterile descriptions in history books. Ben Sira, in chapter 50 of his wisdom book, gives us a series of breathtaking images to help us do just that. Letter of AristeasThe King Sends Lavish Offerings to the High PriestAmong the oldest Jewish texts outside the Hebrew Bible is a peculiar document called the Letter of Aristeas, not a letter in scripture, but a letter about scripLetter of AristeasPtolemy — Andreas Before the AltarLetter of Aristeas turns to Ptolemy, Andreas Before the Altar. The letter opens with the high priest acknowledging receipt of Ptolemy's correspondence. But thisLetter of AristeasHoly Temple at the TempleLetter of Aristeas turns to Holy Temple at the Temple. This letter, a fascinating document from the Hellenistic period, purports to be written by a Greek officiTestaments of the Twelve PatriarchsLevi's Ascent Through the Seven Heavens to Receive the PriesthoodLevi, third son of Jacob and Leah, called his sons together when he knew his death was near. It had been revealed to him that he would die. When they gathered, Antiquities of the Jews (Josephus)The Sacrificial System Established at SinaiThere was a goat that carried the sins of an entire nation into the wilderness and was never seen again. Every year on Yom Kippur, the tenth day of the seventh