Rosh Hashana 5

We count the days of Festivals by days, weeks and/or months, depending on clues given to us in the Torah.  As we learned in Rosh Hashana 5, we are required to stay overnight in Jerusalem when we bring offerings on Festivals.  The rabbis look at different Festivals, wondering whether each might require different lengths of residence in Jerusalem.

We explore the requirement to "not delay" in giving offerings.  First the rabbis note that the Paschal lamb is sometimes included in references to peace-offerings. 

Deuteronomy 23:22 tells us that "When you vow a vow" to G-d, you should not delay in the offering, for G-d requires it, and it would be a sin in you otherwise.   Of course, the rabbis suggest that this refers to vows, and not to other offerings.  However Leviticus (7:15) tells us that a vow or a gift-offering also is subject to the "do not delay" directive.  

The rabbis compare burnt-offerings, peace-offerings, sin-offerings and peace offerings regarding a temurah, substitute.  When are we allowed to substitute one animal for another?  Are all of these offerings subject to the "do not delay" mitzvah?  And might there be different guidelines for different offerings with regard to the firstborn animal and its condition (has it been set aside; has it developed a blemish)?  Does a substitute offering take on its predecessor's 'wait time', or can we add on another three Festivals' time when the substitute arrives?  Have we "delayed" too long if we offer a substitute animal that has been set aside before completing one's commitment?

The rabbis end our daf with a complicated argument about when and whether to eat an offering.  Is the offering consecrated because of any number of factors? Is it disqualified because of the "delay", or because of a substitution?  

A few thoughts have stayed with me over the course of today's learning.  First, I am not clear on who ate these offerings. Was it the priests?  Or was it the person who brought the offering?  Are the rules different depending on the offering?  Was the paschal lamb the only offering eaten by its owners?  If the Israelite population were to eat of their own offerings, the notion of offering becomes much more palatable.  For some reason, I have been picturing animals being sacrificed and not being eaten.  But in fact it is clear that sacrificing was in fact creating a holiness around a regular (and some would argue necessary - I won't get into that now) action - eating one's animals.

Second, the listing of vows and the comparison between vows and other offerings reminded me of Yom Kipur. I have studied the Kol Nidre in some depth, and the many sorts of vows have continually caught my attention.  There are so many ways that we can vow to G-d.  And it is powerful to imagine that G-d cares whether or not we complete that vow.  Particularly when we are the only person who knows of our vows, we hurt ourselves when we break our vows to G-d. We are showing ourselves that we are not to be trusted.  If we can't trust ourselves, we cannot trust anyone else.

One final thought - why might we be given a year to complete our vow or to give the offering that we promised?  Could we not annul that vow at Yom Kippur?