5. “A place in which men are accustomed to do work on the ninth of Ab;”[141] “They may work.” “A place in which they are not accustomed to work?” “They may not work.” But everywhere the disciples of the Sages are idle. Rabban Simon, the son of Gamaliel, said, “a man may always make himself a disciple of the Sages.” But the Sages say, “in Judah they did work on the eves of the passovers for half a day, and in Galilee they did nothing.” And work in the night before the passover the school of Shammai disallowed; but the school of Hillel “allowed it till sunrise.”
6. Rabbi Meier said, “every work which was begun before the fourteenth day of Nisan may be finished on the fourteenth; but it must not be commenced on the fourteenth, even though it can be finished.” And the Sages say, “three trades can carry on business on the eves of the passovers for half a day; and these are they—the tailors, and the barbers, and the washers.” Rabbi José, the son of Judah, said, “also shoemakers.”
7. Persons may set hens on their nests on the fourteenth. “But if the hen ran off?” “They may return her to her place.” “And if she died?” “They may set another instead of her.” They may clear away from beneath the feet of beasts on the fourteenth. But on the holiday (or middle-days) they put it aside. They may carry to and bring vessels from the house of the trader, even though they be not necessary for the holiday.
8. The men of Jericho did six things, in three they were prohibited, and in three they were allowed. And these are they in which they were allowed: they engrafted dates the whole fourteenth day of Nisan, and they shortened the “Hear,”[142] and they reaped and stacked new corn before “the sheaf”[143] was offered; and they were allowed. And in these they were prohibited: they used the produce of what was consecrated, and they ate on the Sabbath the fruit that had fallen down from the trees, and they gave[144] (to the poor) the corners of the fields of vegetables. And the Sages prohibited them from these things.[145]
9. Bereitha—External Tradition.—Hezekiah the king did six things; to three the Sages consented, and to three they did not consent. He carried the bones of his father (Ahaz) on a rope bed,[146] and they consented. He powdered the brazen serpent,[147] and they consented. He concealed the book of medicines,[148] and they consented. And to three they did not consent: he cut off (the gold from) the doors of the temple[149] and sent it to the Assyrian king, and they did not consent. He stopped the waters of the upper Gihon,[150] and they did not consent. He introduced an intercalary Nisan, and they did not consent.
Chapter V
1. The daily offering was slaughtered at half-past eight,[151] and offered at half-past nine. On the eve of the passover it was slaughtered at half-past seven and offered at half-past eight, whether the passover fell on a week-day or on the Sabbath. When the eve of the passover began on the eve of the Sabbath (Friday), it was slaughtered at half-past six, and offered at half-past seven, and the passover followed after it.
2. “The passover offering, which was slaughtered without intention—and the priest took its blood, and he went and sprinkled it without intention?” or “with intention, and without intention?” or “without intention and with intention?” “It is disallowed.” “How can it be with intention and without intention?” “With intention partly for the passover, and with intention partly for peace-offerings.” “Without intention and with intention?” “With intention partly for peace-offerings, and with intention partly for the passover-offering.”
3. “If he slaughtered the passover for those who may not legally eat it—for those who are not reckoned in one company—for the uncircumcised, and for the unclean?” “It is disallowed.” “For those who may eat, and for those who may not eat it?” “For those who are reckoned in one company, and for those who are not so reckoned?” “For circumcised, and for uncircumcised?” “For unclean, and for clean?” “It [pg 094] is allowed.” “If he slaughtered it before noon?” “It is disallowed.” Because it is said “between the evenings.”[152] “If he slaughtered it before the daily offering?” “It is allowed.” Except that one must keep stirring[153] its blood, till the blood of the daily offering be sprinkled. “But if it be even sprinkled (before?)” “It is lawful.”