2. Said Rabbi Eleazar, “and is not this the teaching? when slaughtering is work it abrogates the Sabbath. Things which are for ‘resting’ do not abrogate the Sabbath.”[161] To him said Rabbi Joshua, “a holiday will give the proof; the Sages permitted that which is work, and they forbade that which is resting.” Rabbi Eleazar said to him, “what do you mean, Joshua? what comparison is there between a command and that which is voluntary?” Rabbi Akiba answered and said, “sprinkling[162] will give the proof, because it is a positive command, and it is for ‘resting,’ and does not abrogate the Sabbath; but you should not wonder at this, even though it be a command, as it is for ‘resting,’ and does not abrogate the Sabbath.” Rabbi Eleazar said to him, “and on that I form my judgment, when slaughtering is work it abrogates the Sabbath; sprinkling, which is for ‘resting,’ does it not teach that it abrogates the Sabbath?” Rabbi Akiba said to him, “on the contrary, if sprinkling, which is for ‘resting,’ does not abrogate the Sabbath, slaughtering, which is for work, is it not the teaching? should not abrogate the Sabbath.” Rabbi Eleazar said to him, “Akiba, thou hast annulled what is written in the Law, ‘between the evenings,’ ‘in its appointed time,’ whether it be a week-day or a Sabbath.” He said to him, “My teacher, give me proof of an appointed time for these things, like the appointed time for slaughtering the passover-offering?” The rule is, said R. Akiba, “all work for the passover which it is possible to do on the eve of the Sabbath does not abrogate the Sabbath; slaughtering, which it is impossible to do on the eve of the passover which falls on a Sabbath, abrogates the Sabbath.”
3. “When do men bring with the passover a feast-offering?” “When the passover falls on a week-day, when those who offer it are legally clean, and when the lamb is too small for the eaters. But when the passover falls on a Sabbath, when the lamb is too much for the eaters, and there is legal uncleanness, they should not bring with it a feast-offering.”
4. The feast-offering[163] came from flocks, from herds, from [pg 097] sheep and goats, from rams and ewes, and it may be eaten during a period of two days and one night.
5. “The passover which was slaughtered without the proper intention on a Sabbath?” “The offerer of it is indebted for a sin-offering.” “And all the other sacrifices which he slaughtered for the passover?” “If they be not suitable for it he is guilty.” “And if they be suitable?” Rabbi Eleazar declares him “indebted for a sin-offering.” But R. Joshua “frees him.” Said Rabbi Eleazar, “what! if the passover which was allowed for proper intention when the offerer changed its intention, makes him guilty; is it not the teaching that sacrifices, which are disallowed for want of proper intention when the offerer changed their intention, make him also guilty?” Rabbi Joshua said to him, “no; if thou saidst in the passover when he changed its intention it is changed to a thing disallowed, thou wilt say in the other sacrifices when he changed their intention they are changed to a thing allowed.” Rabbi Eleazar said to him, “the congregational offerings will give the proof, because they are rendered lawful on the Sabbath by intention, but whoever slaughtered (another) sacrifice with their intention is guilty.” Rabbi Joshua said to him, “no; if thou sayest so in the congregational offerings, which are a determined number, thou wilt also say so in the passover sacrifice which has no determined number.” Rabbi Meier said, “even he who slaughtered other offerings on the Sabbath, with the intention of the congregational offerings, is free.”
6. “When one slaughtered the passover, but not for its eaters, or not for those numbered to eat it, for uncircumcised and for unclean persons?” “He is guilty.” “For its eaters and not for its eaters? For its reckoning and not for its reckoning? For circumcised and uncircumcised? For clean and unclean?” “He is free.” “He slaughtered it, and it was found blemished?” “He is guilty.” “He slaughtered it and it was found torn in secret?” “He is free.” “He slaughtered it, and it became known that its owners retired from it, or died, or became legally unclean?” “He is free, because he slaughtered it with lawful permission.”
Chapter VII
1. “How do men roast the passover?” “They bring a stick of pomegranate and thrust it through its mouth to its tail. And they put its legs and intestines inside it.” The words of R. José, the Galilean. Rabbi Akiba said, “that is a kind of boiling, therefore they hang them outside of it.”
2. Men must not roast the passover on a spit or a gridiron. Said R. Zaduk, “it happened to Rabban Gamaliel that he said to Zabi, his servant, ‘go and roast for us the passover on the gridiron.’ ” “If it touch the side of the oven?” “That part must be peeled off.” “If its gravy drop on the side of the oven, and again return on it?” “That part must be taken out.” “If the gravy drop on the fine flour?” “That part must be pulled out” (and burned).
3. “If men anointed (basted) it with oil of the heave-offering?” “If it be a company of priests, they may eat it.” “If it be a company of Israelites?” “If it be raw they can wash it away.” “But if roast?” “They must peel off the surface.” “If it was anointed with oil of the second tithe?” “Its value in money must not be charged to the members of the company, because they cannot redeem[164] the second tithes in Jerusalem.”