Scripture specified it (the fourteenth day) as mandatory

Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Mekhilta Tractate Pischa 5:13

Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team · Published January 10, 2025

Scripture specified it (the fourteenth day) as mandatory. It is not the second assumption, then, that is to be accepted, but the first. "And it shall be to you for a keeping": Scripture hereby apprises us that it was inspected (for possible blemishes) for (a period of) four days before being slaughtered. From here you learn (the same for) the tamid (the daily offering), viz. "keeping" is stated here, and "keeping" is stated in respect to the tamid. Just as the Pesach (Passover) is observed four days before slaughtering, so, the tamid. From here they ruled: There are not to be fewer than six inspected lambs in the "chamber of lambs" (in the Temple), enough to suffice for a Sabbath accompanied by two festival days of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year); and they are constantly replenished (as needed).

Themes

Temple Shabbat Bible Holidays Egypt

Continue Reading

Other Texts Eve Before the Altar It's really. Take, for instance, a seemingly straightforward verse about offerings in the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar). an... Other Texts Knowledge and Innocence of Passover For the Jewish people, the Exodus from Egypt is that moment. And it echoes even in the details of how we celebrate Passo... Apocrypha Passover Celebrated Only at God's Chosen Sanctuary Not just any Passover, but the Passover as envisioned in the Book of Jubilees. The Book of Jubilees, for those unfamilia... Apocrypha Passover — Levites at the Gate It's considered apocryphal by some, pseudepigraphal by others (meaning, falsely attributed to a biblical figure), but no... Apocrypha The Passover Must Never Leave the Temple Gates The Book of Jubilees, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is an ancient Jewish text. Think of it as a retelling – and ... Apocrypha The Temple Defiled and the Gates Set on Fire Then you remember who you are, what you stand for, and you fight back. That's the spirit that leaps off the page when we... Book of Jasher Abram and the Angels The Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text that fills in gaps in the biblical narrative, offers some fascinating gl... Book of Jasher Jacob Sends His Sons to Egypt for Grain Remember, this is an ancient Hebrew text, not considered canon, but full of fascinating stories filling in gaps in the b... Book of Jasher Jacob Before the Flood Book of Jasher, a fascinating, albeit non-canonical, work that expands upon biblical narratives. According to Jasher, Ja...