The core debate boils down to this: Did the descendants of Noah, meaning all humanity before the giving of the Torah at Sinai, offer only burnt offerings, or did they also offer peace offerings? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina are our guides in this discussion, disagreeing on this very point. Rabbi Elazar argues they offered peace offerings, while Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina maintains they only offered burnt offerings.
Rabbi Elazar brings a powerful argument: the story of Abel from the Book of Genesis (4:4). Abel "brought from the firstborn of his flock and the choicest of them [meḥelvehen]." Rabbi Elazar interprets meḥelvehen as something whose fat [ḥelev] is offered on the altar, which would make it a peace offering. See, with a burnt offering, everything is consumed by the fire. But with a peace offering, only certain parts are burned, and the rest is eaten. So, Rabbi Elazar is saying Abel's offering, with its emphasis on the fat, seems more like a peace offering.
But Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina isn't so easily swayed. He interprets "the choicest of them" as simply meaning the fattest of the flock, still suitable for a burnt offering.
The debate continues, with Rabbi Elazar bringing up further challenges. What about when the young men of Israel offered sacrifices in (Exodus 24:5), before the Torah was given? "He sent the young men of the children of Israel and they offered burnt offerings and they slaughtered peace offerings [shelamim]." Doesn't that imply peace offerings were offered before the Torah? Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina cleverly interprets this verse according to another opinion: that the offerings were "complete [shelemim]" meaning they were offered with their hides intact, without the usual flaying and quartering.
Then there's Yitro, Moses' father-in-law. (Exodus 18:12) says, "Yitro, father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt-offering and feast offerings to God." Another strike in favor of peace offerings before the Torah. Not so fast! Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina explains this by citing the opinion that Yitro converted after the giving of the Torah.
This brings up a related debate, this time between Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yanai: When did Yitro convert? Before or after the giving of the Torah? Rabbi Huna ingeniously suggests that these debates aren't separate but intertwined. The timing of Yitro's conversion hinges on whether the descendants of Noah offered peace offerings or not. If Yitro converted before the Torah, then he's part of that pre-Torah world, and his offerings could include peace offerings. But if he converted after, then he's bound by the laws of the Torah.
Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina even brings in a verse from the Song of Songs (4:16) as support: "Awake, north, and come, south." He interprets the "north" as referring to the burnt offering, which was slaughtered in the northern part of the Temple courtyard. Why "awake"? Because, he says, the patriarchs sacrificed burnt offerings, which were then dormant during the Israelite's time in Egypt. The giving of the Torah "awakened" them. He sees the "south" as the thanks offering, a new innovation that "came" into being.
He also reads (Leviticus 6:2) "This is the law of the burnt offering, it is the burnt offering" as implying this offering was already familiar to the world, offered by the descendants of Noah.
Rabbi Elazar, however, provides a different interpretation to the verse from Song of Songs (4:16). He sees it as a prophecy! "Awake, north" refers to the exiles in the north who will eventually return and settle in the south (Jeremiah 31:7). He even connects it to the coming of Gog from the north (Ezekiel 39:2) and the messianic king who will rebuild the Temple in the south (Isaiah 41:25). It’s quite a different take, isn't it?
Rabbi Yosei, citing Rabbi Binyamin bar Levi, adds a beautiful thought: In this world, the north and south winds don't blow simultaneously. But in the World to Come, God will bring a rare wind that blows in both directions, gathering all of God’s children from the farthest reaches of the earth (Isaiah 43:6).
And finally, Rabbi Yoḥanan offers a lovely teaching about etiquette from the Torah: that a bridegroom doesn't enter the wedding canopy until the bride gives permission, drawing a parallel to (Song of Songs 4:16) and 5:1. "Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat his delicious fruits," followed by, "I came to my garden, my sister, my bride."
So, what are we left with? More than just a debate about ancient sacrifices. We have a glimpse into the intricate world of rabbinic interpretation, where verses are examined from every angle, where seemingly unrelated texts illuminate each other, and where even disagreements can lead to profound insights. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? How many layers of meaning are hidden within the words we read?
Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina, Rabbi Elazar said: The descendants of Noah sacrificed peace offerings. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: The descendants of Noah sacrificed [only] burnt offerings. Rabbi Elazar raised an objection to Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: “Abel, he too brought from the firstborn of his flock and the choicest of them [meḥelvehen]” (Genesis 4:4), an item whose fat [ḥelev] is offered [on the altar].14This is a peace offering, as opposed to a burnt offering, which is burned in its entirety on the altar. Although Abel preceded Noah, his case is brought as precedent because the expression “descendants of Noah” is a general expression for anyone other than Israel. What does Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina do with this? He will interpret it as the choicest of them.15Rabbi Ḥanina argues that the reference is not to a peace offering, but to a burnt offering from the fattest of the flock. Rabbi Elazar raised an objection to Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: “He sent the young men of the children of Israel and they offered burnt offerings and they slaughtered peace offerings [shelamim]” (Exodus 24:5).16Since this occurred before the giving of the Torah, the children of Israel were no different than other descendants of Noah, and yet the verse states that they slaughtered peace offerings. What does Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina do with this? He interprets it in accordance with the one who said: They were complete [shelemim] with their hides, without flaying and quartering. Rabbi Elazar raised an objection to Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: “Yitro, father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt-offering and feast offerings to God” (Exodus 18:12). What does Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina do with this? He interprets it in accordance with the one who said: Yitro converted after the giving of the Torah.17Thus, he interprets the entire incident recorded in Exodus chapter 18 as having occurred after the giving of the Torah. Since Yitro converted, he was no longer a descendant of Noah, but rather, a full-fledged Jew. Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yanai disagreed: One said Yitro converted after the giving of the Torah, and one said Yitro converted before the giving of the Torah. Rabbi Huna said: They do not disagree.18Their dispute is not primarily regarding the timing of Yitro’s visit, but rather an outgrowth of the dispute regarding the type of offering sacrificed by the descendants of Noah. The one who said Yitro converted before the giving of the Torah holds in accordance with the one who said the descendants of Noah sacrificed peace offerings. The one who said Yitro converted after the giving of the Torah holds in accordance with the one who said the descendants of Noah sacrificed burnt offerings. This supports Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: “Awake, north, and come, south” (Song of Songs 4:16). “Awake, north,” this is the burnt offering that is slaughtered in the north.19It is slaughtered in the northern part of the Temple courtyard. Why is it called to “awake”? It is a matter that was asleep and awakened.20The patriarchs had sacrificed burnt offerings. During their stay in Egypt they were not sacrificed. With the giving of the Torah they were awakened in the sense that the Israelites were commanded to renew their sacrifices. “Come, south,” this is the thanks offering that is slaughtered in the south. Why is it called to “come”? It is because it is an innovation. The verse, too, supports Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: “This is the law of the burnt offering, it is the burnt offering” (Leviticus 6:2) that the descendants of Noah sacrificed.21The midrash interprets the extraneous phrase “it is the burnt offering” to mean that it is a type of offering already known to the world. But when it comes to the peace offering: “This is the law of the peace offering” (Leviticus 7:11). It is not written here “that they sacrificed to the Lord,” but rather: “That one will sacrifice to the Lord” (Leviticus 7:11), from now on. How does Rabbi Elazar interpret the verse of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: “Awake, north”? When the exiles situated in the north awaken, they will come and encamp in the south, as it is stated: “Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north” (Jeremiah 31:7). When Gog, who is situated in the north, will awaken, he will come and fall in the south, just as it says: “I will lead you astray and I will entice you and I will cause you to ascend from the ends of the north” (Ezekiel 39:2). The messianic king, who is situated in the north, will come and build the Temple, which is situated in the south. That is what is written: “I roused one from the north and he came from the rising sun” (Isaiah 41:25). Rabbi Yosei said in the name of Rabbi Binyamin bar Levi: Because in this world, when the south wind blows the north wind does not blow, and when the north wind blows the south wind does not blow; but in the World to Come, the Holy One blessed be He says: ‘I will bring a rare wind that will blow in two directions.’ That is what is written: “I will say to the north: Give, and to the south: Do not withhold; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 43:6). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Torah taught you proper etiquette, that a bridegroom does not enter the wedding canopy until the bride gives him permission. That is what is written: “Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat his delicious fruits” (Song of Songs 4:16),22This is the continuation of the verse in Song of Songs cited above, and that is why this part of the midrash appears. and then: “I came to my garden, my sister, my bride” (Song of Songs 5:1).
