Shevuot 15: Offerings, Shira of Toda, the Procession

As discussed yesterday, the rabbis consider one who enters the azarah or a sanctioned addition to the Temple in a state of ritual impurity and/or consumes sanctified food.  Now the rabbis compare this to klei sharet, sanctified vessels, that Rav Simi bar Chiya says were shown to Moshe.  These vessels were annointed with oil.  The rabbis acknowledge that this would not be the only way to demonstrate sanctification.  After the time of Moshe, sanctification was achieved through usage.

The Gemara turns its attention to the two offerings of thanksgiving that were required of certain transgressors.  The rabbis attempt to identify what would be used in these offerings.  The shewbread was mentioned, but what about the meat?  The bull is the largest species that could be offered.   We learn about a number of possibilities, including incense, chametz, and different types of matzah (loaves, wafers, and matzah first scalded in boiling water).  In their discussion about these offerings, the rabbis note that the Temple was only built during the day and not during the night.

Shira, singing, was mentioned as well.  The Shira of Toda, the thanksgiving songs, are those of Tehilim 100, 30, 91, and 3.  A baraita explains that these songs included harps, cymbals, and were on every corner and every big rock.  We learn that we are not permitted to use words of Torah to heal ourselves but we are permitted to use words of Torah to protect ourselves.  To that end, we learn that Tehilim 3 was used by some rabbis to help them sleep.  

Finally the Gemara brings us back to the procession described in our Mishna.  Do the beit din walk in front of the loaves?  Are the loaves carried?  If so, how was this done?  Rabbis hold different opinions.  Regarding consumption of the loaves, we had learned that the inner loaf was eaten and the outer loaf was burned.  The rabbis consider different ways that the rabbis would know which loaf was "inner" and which was "outer".