Choosing the Unblemished Lamb for the Passover Offering

"A lamb without blemish" (Exodus 12:5). The term "lamb" (seh) includes both a kid and a young sheep, as it is said, "a lamb of the sheep and a lamb of the goats." "Without blemish" excludes one that has a defect. "A male" excludes one of doubtful sex (tumtum), a hermaphrodite, and a female. "A year old": I know only one literally a year old; from where do I learn that any animal within its first year qualifies? Rabbi Yishmael used to say a conclusion from the lesser to the greater: if the burnt offering, which is stringent, is fit to be brought throughout its year as though on the day it turned a year old, then the Passover offering, which is lenient, is it not right that it be valid throughout its year as though a year old? Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: if a ram, which is unfit at the start of its second year yet fit at its end, then the Passover offering, which is fit at its start, is it not right that it be fit at its end as well? "From the sheep or from the goats" (Exodus 12:5): from this one on its own and from that one on its own. Or might it mean from both together? Scripture teaches, "and if his offering is from the flock" (Leviticus 1:10), from this one on its own and from that one on its own. And here is an argument from the lesser to the greater: if the burnt offering, which is stringent, is fit to be brought from a single kind, then the Passover offering, which is lenient, is it not right that it be brought from a single kind? So why does Scripture say "from the sheep or from the goats"? From this one on its own and from that one on its own. "It shall be for you" (Exodus 12:6) teaches you to bring the Passover offering for the generations only from the sheep or from the goats; these are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Yoshiyah says: why is "you shall take" stated? Since it says, "you shall slaughter the Passover offering to the LORD your God, of the flock and the herd" (Deuteronomy 16:2) -- the flock for the Passover offering and the herd for the festival offering. Or might it mean one of these and one of those for the Passover offering, and how then do I uphold "a lamb without blemish, a male, a year old"? That it applies only to the Passover of Egypt, but for the Passover of the generations one may bring from this and from that? Scripture teaches, "from the sheep or from the goats you shall take" -- these are the words of Rabbi Yoshiyah. Rabbi Yonatan says: the flock for the Passover offering, the herd for the festival offering. Or might it mean one of these and one of those for the Passover offering? And how then do I uphold "a lamb without blemish"? That it applies to the Passover of Egypt, but for the Passover of the generations one may bring from this and from that? Scripture teaches, "and you shall perform this service in this month" (Exodus 13:5) -- as the service you performed in Egypt, so do for the generations; these are the words of Rabbi Natan. Rabbi Eliezer says: the flock for the Passover offering and the herd for the festival offering, and so on. And how do I uphold "a lamb without blemish"? For the Passover of Egypt; but for the Passover of the generations one may bring from this and from that? Scripture teaches, "and you shall keep this matter" (Exodus 12:24) -- here the Passover of the generations is spoken of. If so, why does Scripture say, "you shall slaughter the Passover offering to the LORD your God, of the flock and the herd" (Deuteronomy 16:2)? The flock for the Passover offering and the herd for the festival offering. Rabbi Akiva says: one verse says, "you shall slaughter the Passover offering... of the flock and the herd," and one verse says, "from the sheep or from the goats." How can both verses be upheld? You must say this is a principle in the Torah: when two verses stand one against the other and contradict one another, they remain in their place until a third verse comes and decides between them. Scripture teaches, "draw out and take for yourselves of the flock" (Exodus 12:21) -- the flock for the Passover offering and the herd for the festival offering, and not the herd for the Passover offering. Rabbi Yishmael says: Scripture speaks of the festival offering that comes with the Passover. Or perhaps it speaks of the Passover itself? When it says "a lamb without blemish, a male, a year old," the Passover itself has already been stated. So why does Scripture say, "you shall slaughter the Passover offering to the LORD your God, of the flock and the herd"? Of the festival offering that comes with the Passover. Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] says: Scripture speaks of a sacrifice that comes from the flock and from the herd, and which is this? The peace offering. From here they said: the surplus of a peace offering goes toward a peace offering, and the surplus of a Passover offering goes toward a peace offering.