Whatever Touches the Altar Becomes Holy

(Exodus 29:37-39) It was taught: Rabbi Yose says: since it is said "whatever touches the altar shall become holy" (Exodus 29:37), I might think this applies whether the items are fit or unfit; Scripture therefore says "lambs" (Exodus 29:38): just as lambs are distinctive in that they are fit, so too anything that is fit. And Rabbi Akiva says: "burnt offering": just as a burnt offering is fit, so too anything fit. What is the difference between them? Rav Adda bar Ahavah said: an invalid bird burnt offering is the difference between them; one master derives the rule from "burnt offering" and the other from "lambs." And according to the one who derives it from "lambs," is it not written "burnt offering"? Had "lambs" been written and not "burnt offering," I would have said this applies even to living animals; the Merciful One wrote "burnt offering." And according to the one who derives it from "burnt offering," is it not written "lambs"? Had "burnt offering" been written and not "lambs," I would have said even a meal offering; the Merciful One wrote "lambs." What is the difference between these Tannaim and the Tannaim of our Mishnah? As we learned: the altar sanctifies whatever is fit for it; if it went up, it shall not come down, as it is said "this is the burnt offering on the firewood" (Leviticus 6:2): just as a burnt offering, which is fit for the fires, if it went up does not come down, so too anything fit for the fires, if it went up does not come down. Rabban Gamliel says: whatever is fit for the altar, and so forth. The only difference between Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua concerns the blood and the libations, for Rabban Gamliel says they do not come down and Rabbi Yehoshua says they come down. Rabbi Shimon says: whether the sacrifice is valid and the libations invalid, or the libations valid and the sacrifice invalid, or even both invalid, the sacrifice does not come down but the libations come down. What is the difference between these Tannaim and the Tannaim of our Mishnah? Rav Pappa said: handfuls that were sanctified in the vessels are the difference between them. According to our own Tannaim they do not come down, and so forth. These, if they went up, do not come down: those that became disqualified by being kept overnight, or by leaving the courtyard, and so forth. This passage is well expounded in the portion of Pinchas. "And this is what you shall offer upon the altar" (Exodus 29:38) is written at reference 188.