Lamb and Goat Are Equal and the Disgrace of Issachar of Kfar Barkai

"And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat was removed from off the sacrifice of peace offerings" (Leviticus 4:31): just as is specified for the peace offering - the fat that covers, the membrane that is peeled off, the two kidneys and the lobe of the liver - so too here. "And he shall make atonement for him" - that his atonement be for his own sake, that one not atone for two as one, and that a priest atone for himself. "And he shall be forgiven" - that one not leave anything over for him until the Day of Atonement; one might think even if he sat and did not bring, the verse teaches "for him." "And if he bring a lamb as his offering for a sin offering" (Leviticus 4:32) - Rabbi Shimon says: lambs precede goats in every place. One of four cries that the Temple court cried out: "Get out of here, Issachar man of Kfar Barkai, who honors himself and profanes the name of Heaven" - for he would wrap his hands in silk and perform the service. And what befell him? A king and queen were sitting at a meal. The king said, "The kid is better," and the queen said, "The lamb is better." They said, "Who shall decide? Let the high priest decide, for he offers sacrifices before the Holy One, blessed be He, every single day." He came and gestured with his hand: "If the kid were better, it would be offered as the daily offering." The king said, "Since he has no fear of royalty, let his right hand be cut off." Issachar gave a bribe and they cut off his left. The king heard and said, "Let them go back and cut off his right." Rav Yosef said: Blessed is the Merciful One, who gave Issachar his recompense in this world. Rav Ashi said: Issachar man of Kfar Barkai did not study the Mishnah, for we learned: Rabbi Shimon says lambs precede goats in every place. One might think it is because they are choicer; the verse teaches "and if he bring a lamb as his offering," teaching that the two are weighed as one. Ravina said: he did not even read Scripture, for it is written "and if a lamb" and it is written "and if a goat be his offering" - if he wishes, let him bring a lamb; if he wishes, let him bring a goat. Why does the verse say "he shall bring," "he shall bring" [twice]? From where do you say that one who set aside his sin offering and it was lost, and set aside another in its place, and did not manage to offer it until the first was found, and now both stand - from where that he brings whichever he wishes? The verse teaches "he shall bring." One might think he brings both; the verse teaches "he shall bring it" - he brings one and not two. "And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering" (Leviticus 4:33) - to include the nazirite's sin offering, the leper's sin offering, and the sin offering of one who defiles the Sanctuary in the laying on of hands.