4. “He who slaughtered the passover-offering possessing leaven?” “He transgressed a negative command.”[154] Rabbi Judah said, “this applies even to the daily offering (of that evening).” Rabbi Simon said, “the slaughter of the passover on the fourteenth with intention for the passover makes (a man possessing leaven) guilty; but if it be slaughtered without intention for the passover he is free.” “And in all other sacrifices during the feast, whether one sacrifice with or without the proper intention?” “He is free.” “When one thus offers in the feast itself with proper intention?” “He is free.” “Without proper intention?” “He is guilty.” “And in all the other sacrifices, when one possessing leaven offers either with or without intention?” “He is guilty, only excepting the sin-offering, which was slaughtered without intention.”
5. The passover was slaughtered[155] for three bands in succession, as is said, “The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel”[156]—assembly, congregation, Israel. The first band entered, the court was filled, the doors of the court were locked. The trumpeters blew with the trumpets, blew an alarm, and blew. The priests stood in rows, and in their hands were bowls of silver and bowls of gold. All the silver row was entirely silver, and all the golden row was entirely gold. They were not mingled. And the bowls were not flat-bottomed, lest they should lay them down, and the blood be coagulated.
6. When an Israelite slaughtered, and a priest caught the blood, he gave it to his companion, and his companion to his companion, and he took the full, and returned the empty bowl. The priest nearest the altar poured it out at once in front of the foundation of the altar.
7. The first band went out, the second band entered; the second went out, the third entered. As was the proceeding of the first, so was the proceeding of the second and the third. They read the praise.[157] When they finished they repeated it, and after repeating it they read it a third time, even though they did not complete it thrice in their time. R. Judah said, “during the time of the third band they did not reach to ‘I love the Lord, for He hath heard,’ because the people were few.”
8. As was the proceeding in ordinary days, so was the proceeding on the Sabbath, save that the priests washed out the court,[158] though not with the will of the Sages. R. Judah said, “a cup was filled with mixed-up blood,[159] and poured out at once upon the altar;” but the Sages “did not admit it.”
9. “How did they hang up and skin the passover sacrifices?” “Iron hooks were fixed in the walls and pillars, and on them they hung them, and skinned them.” “And every one who had not a place to hang them up and skin them?” “Thin smooth rods were there, and he rested one on his shoulder and on the shoulder of his companion, and hung it up and skinned it.” Rabbi Eliezer said, “when the fourteenth began on a Sabbath, he rested his hand on the shoulder of his companion, and the hand of his companion on his shoulder, and he hung it up and skinned it.”
10. He cut it open, and took out its entrails. He put them on a dish and incensed them on the altar. The first party went out, and sat down on the Mountain of the House. The second party were in the Chel,[160] and the third party remained in their place. When it grew dark they went out and roasted their passovers.
Chapter VI
1. These things in the passover abrogate the command against work on the Sabbath: its slaughtering, and the sprinkling of its blood, and purging its inwards, and incensing its fat. But its roasting and the rinsing of its inwards do not abrogate the Sabbath. But to carry it, and to bring it beyond a Sabbath [pg 096] day's journey, and to cut off its wen, do not abrogate the Sabbath. Rabbi Eleazar said, “they abrogate it.”