ב"ה
Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day
Pesulei Hamukdashim - Chapter 9
Pesulei Hamukdashim - Chapter 9
1When a dove from an unspecified group flies to free spaces or among doves that are consigned to death,1 or one of the doves dies, a second one should be taken for its pair.אקֵן סְתוּמָה שֶׁפָּרַח מִמֶּנָּה גּוֹזָל לָאַוִּיר, אוֹ שֶׁפָּרַח לְבֵין הָעוֹפוֹת שֶׁיָּמוּתוּ כֻּלָּן, אוֹ שֶׁמֵּת גּוֹזָל אֶחָד - יִקַּח זוֹג לַשֵּׁנִי.
2If it flies among doves that are fit to be offered, it is disqualified and it disqualifies one of the group, for when a dove flies from an unspecified group to among those which will be offered, it becomes disqualified and it disqualifies another one corresponding to it.2בפָּרַח לְבֵין הַקְּרֵבוֹת - פָּסוּל, וּפוֹסֵל אֶחָד כְּנֶגְדּוֹ; שֶׁהַגּוֹזָל הַפּוֹרֵחַ מִקֵּן סְתוּמָה לְבֵין הַקְּרֵבוֹת - פָּסוּל, וּפוֹסֵל אֶחָד כְּנֶגְדּוֹ.
What is implied? A dove from a group of unspecified doves flies to an unspecified group of ten doves. If the priest offered five on the lower portion of the altar and six on the upper portion, five of the burnt-offerings from the six offered on the upper portion are acceptable3 and four of the sin-offerings from the five offered on the lower portion are acceptable. The rationale is that one says: “Perhaps the dove that flew is one of the five offered on the lower portion.”4כֵּיצַד? פָּרַח גּוֹזָל מִן הַסָּתוּם לַעֲשָׂרָה עוֹפוֹת סְתוּמוֹת: אִם עָשָׂה חֲמִשָּׁה לְמַטָּה וְשִׁשָּׁה לְמַעְלָה, הֲרֵי חֲמִשָּׁה עוֹלוֹת כְּשֵׁרוֹת מֵהַשִּׁשָּׁה שֶׁל מַעֲלָה, וְאַרְבַּע חַטָּאוֹת כְּשֵׁרוֹת מֵהַחֲמִשָּׁה עוֹפוֹת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לְמַטָּה; שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר: שֶׁמָּא הַגּוֹזָל הַפּוֹרֵחַ הוּא אֶחָד מֵהַחֲמִשָּׁה שֶׁל מַטָּה.
Similarly, if he offered six on the lower portion and five on the upper portion, five sin-offerings and four burnt-offerings are acceptable. For one might say: “Perhaps the dove that flew is one of the five offered on the upper portion.” Thus from the ten from the second group, nine are acceptable and the dove disqualified one.וְכֵן אִם עָשָׂה מֵהֶם שִׁשָּׁה לְמַטָּה וַחֲמִשָּׁה לְמַעְלָה - נִמְצָא הַכָּשֵׁר חָמֵשׁ חַטָּאוֹת, וְאַרְבַּע עוֹלוֹת; שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר: שֶׁהַגּוֹזָל מֵהַחֲמִשָּׁה שֶׁל מַעְלָה. נִמְצָא הַכָּשֵׁר מֵהָעֲשָׂרָה, תִּשְׁעָה - הֲרֵי פָּסַל אֶחָד.
3The following rules apply when there is one unspecified group of four doves and another unspecified group of four doves. If one from the first group flew to the second group, it disqualified one of the second group.5גאַרְבָּעָה עוֹפוֹת סְתוּמוֹת וְאַרְבָּעָה עוֹפוֹת שְׁנִיּוֹת סְתוּמוֹת, פָּרַח אֶחָד מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת לַשְּׁנִיּוֹת - פָּסַל אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁנִיּוֹת.
If, after it became intermingled among them,6 one of the second group flew to the first group, it disqualifies one of the first group.7 Thus there are only two doves in the first group that are acceptable.8אַחַר שֶׁנִּתְעָרְבוּ, חָזַר אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁנִיּוֹת וּפָרַח לָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת - פָּסַל אֶחָד מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת. וְנִמְצָא הַכָּשֵׁר מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת שְׁתַּיִם בִּלְבַד.
4If, again, one of the first group flew back to the second group, even if they continue flying back and forth the entire day, they do not add to the number disqualified,9 for even if they become entirely intermingled with each other, half are acceptable and half are disqualified, as we explained.10דחָזַר אֶחָד וּפָרַח מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת לַשְּׁנִיּוֹת, אַפִלּוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם - אֵין מוֹסִיף לְהַפְסִיד יָתֵר עַל זֶה; שֶׁאַפִלּוּ הֵן מְעֹרָבוֹת כֻּלָּן זוֹ בְּזוֹ - מֶחְצָה כָּשֵׁר וּמֶחְצָה פָּסוּל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.
5The following rules apply when there is one unspecified group of two doves, a second group of four doves, a third of six, a fourth of eight, a fifth of ten, a sixth of twelve, and a seventh of fourteen. If one of the first group flew to the second,11 one of the second12 flew to the third, one of the third to the fourth, one of the fourth to the fifth, one of the fifth to the sixth, and one of the sixth to the seventh—and then, one flew back from group to group until one returned to the first group from which the original one had flown, one dove is disqualified in the first movement from group to group and one is disqualified in the return.הצִבּוּר אֶחָד יֵשׁ בּוֹ שְׁנֵי עוֹפוֹת, וּבְשֵׁנִי אַרְבָּעָה, וּבִשְׁלִישִׁי שִׁשָּׁה, וּבִרְבִיעִי שְׁמוֹנָה, וּבַחֲמִישִׁי עֲשָׂרָה, וּבְשִׁשִּׁי שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר, וּבְצִבּוּר שְׁבִיעִי אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר, וּפָרַח גּוֹזָל מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לַשְּׁנִיָּה, וְאֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁנִיָּה לַשְּׁלִישִׁית, וּמִשְּׁלִישִׁית לִרְבִיעִית, וּמֵרְבִיעִית לַחֲמִישִׁית, וּמֵחֲמִישִׁית לְשִׁשִּׁית, וּמִשִּׁשִּׁית לִשְׁבִיעִית, וְחָזַר אֶחָד וּפָרַח מִצִּבּוּר לְצִבּוּר, עַד שֶׁחָזַר לָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁפָּרַח מִמֶּנָּה הָרִאשׁוֹן - פּוֹסֵל אֶחָד בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ, וְאֶחָד בַּחֲזִירָתוֹ.
Thus the first and second groups do not have any acceptable doves; the third group has two; the fourth, four; the fifth, six; the sixth, eight, and the seventh, twelve.13הָרִאשׁוֹנָה וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה אֵין לָהֶם כְּלוּם, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית יֵשׁ לָהּ שְׁנֵי עוֹפוֹת, וְהָרְבִיעִית יֵשׁ לָהּ אַרְבָּעָה, וְהַחֲמִישִׁית יֵשׁ לָהּ שִׁשָּׁה, וְהַשִּׁשִּׁית יֵשׁ לָהּ שְׁמוֹנָה, וְהַשְּׁבִיעִית יֵשׁ לָהּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה.
If one of the doves flew from group to group a second time and then one flew back from the last group, going from group to group until it reaches the first, one dove is disqualified in the movement from group to group and one is disqualified in the return. The third14 and the fourth groups do not have any acceptable doves; the fifth group has two; the sixth, four, and the seventh, ten.חָזַר אֶחָד וּפָרַח פַּעַם שְׁנִיָּה מִזּוֹ לְזוֹ, וְחָזַר אֶחָד וּפָרַח מִן הָאַחֲרוֹנָה לְשֶׁל מַעְלָה מִמֶּנָּה עַד שֶׁחָזַר לָרִאשׁוֹנָה - פּוֹסֵל אֶחָד בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ, וְאֶחָד בַּחֲזִירָתוֹ. הַשְּׁלִישִׁית וְהָרְבִיעִית אֵין לָהֶם כְּלוּם, וְהַחֲמִישִׁית יֵשׁ לָהּ שְׁנֵי עוֹפוֹת כְּשֵׁרִים, וְהַשִּׁשִּׁית יֵשׁ לָהּ אַרְבָּעָה, וְהַשְּׁבִיעִית יֵשׁ לָהּ עֲשָׂרָה.
If one of the doves flew from group to group a third time and then one flew a fourth time, going from group to group, one dove is disqualified in the movement from group to group and one is disqualified in the return. Thus the fifth and the sixth are disqualified entirely and the seventh has eight acceptable doves remaining, i.e., when the fourteen doves are offered on the altar, seven on the upper portion and seven on the lower portion, eight will be acceptable and six will be disqualified because of the intermingling of the doves that flew back and forth.פָּרַח פַּעַם שְׁלִישִׁית גּוֹזָל מִזּוֹ לְזוֹ, וְחָזַר פַּעַם רְבִיעִית מִזּוֹ לְזוֹ - פּוֹסֵל אֶחָד בַּהֲלִיכָתוֹ, וְאֶחָד בַּחֲזִירָתוֹ. הַחֲמִישִׁית וְהַשִּׁשִּׁית נִפְסְלוּ כֻּלָּן, וְהַשְּׁבִיעִית נִשְׁאֲרוּ לָהּ שְׁמוֹנָה עוֹפוֹת כְּשֵׁרִין. כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה הָאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר, שֶׁבַע לְמַטָּן וְשֶׁבַע לְמַעְלָן, יִהְיוּ שְׁמוֹנָה מֵהֶן כְּשֵׁרִין וְהַשִּׁשָּׁה פְּסוּלִין, מִפְּנֵי תַּעֲרֹבֶת גּוֹזָלוֹת אֵלּוּ שֶׁפָּרְחוּ בַּהֲלִיכָה וּבַחֲזִירָה.
6The following laws apply when there was a group of doves that was unspecified and another group in which the doves for the sin-offering and the burnt-offering had already been specified. If one of the doves from the unspecified group flew to the group that had been specified, the owner of the unspecified group should take a partner for the remaining dove.15וקֵן סְתוּמָה וְקֵן מְפֹרֶשֶׁת, פָּרַח מִן הַסְּתוּמָה לַמְּפֹרֶשֶׁת - יִקַּח זוּג לַשֵּׁנִי.
If the above group became intermingled and then of the doves returned to the unspecified group or at the outset, one of the doves from the specified group flew to the unspecified group and it was not known whether it was the one designated as a burnt-offering or the one designated as the sin-offering,16 all of the doves in the unspecified group should be consigned to death. The rationale is that if it was the one designated as a burnt-offering that became intermingled, all of the sin-offerings in that group are disqualified.17 And if it was the one designated as a sin-offering that became intermingled, all of the burnt-offerings in that group are disqualified. Therefore,18 they should all be consigned to death.חָזַר, אוֹ שֶׁפָּרַח אֶחָד מִן הַמְּפֹרָשׁוֹת לַסְּתוּמָה, וְלֹא יָדַע זֶה שֶׁפָּרַח אִם הָיָה עוֹלָה אוֹ חַטָּאת - יָמוּתוּ כָּל הָעוֹפוֹת שֶׁבַּסְּתוּמָה; שֶׁאִם עוֹלָה נִתְעָרְבָה בָּהֶן, כָּל הַחַטָּאוֹת שֶׁבָּהּ פְּסוּלוֹת, וְאִם חַטָּאת נִתְעָרְבָה בָּהֶן, כָּל הָעוֹלוֹת שֶׁבָּהּ פְּסוּלוֹת; לְפִיכָךְ יָמוּתוּ כֻּלָּן.
7The following laws apply when there were a group of doves that were designated as sin-offerings on one side, others designated as burnt-offerings on the other side, and an unspecified group in the middle. If one of the unspecified group flew to the group on one side and another, to the other group, nothing is lost. Instead, the owner should say: “The one which flew to the sin offerings is a sin-offering. The one which flew to the burnt-offerings is a burnt-offering.”19זחַטָּאת מִכָּאן וְעוֹלָה מִכָּאן, וּסְתוּמָה בָּאֶמְצָע, פָּרַח מִן הָאֶמְצָע לַצְּדָדִין, אֶחָד הֵילָּךְ וְאֶחָד הֵילָּךְ - לֹא הִפְסִיד כְּלוּם, אֶלָא יֹאמַר: זֶה שֶׁהָלַךְ אֵצֶל הַחַטָּאוֹת חַטָּאת, וְזֶה שֶׁהָלַךְ אֵצֶל הָעוֹלוֹת עוֹלָה.
If, after they became intermingled, one from each of the sides returned to the center, the two in the center should be consigned to death, for they are a burnt-offering and a sin-offering mixed together and those on the sides should be offered—these as sin-offerings and these as burnt-offerings—as was their original state. If those which returned to the center flew to the sides, they must all be consigned to death for perhaps20 the burnt-offering became intermingled with the sin-offerings and the sin-offering became intermingled with the burnt-offerings.חָזַר אַחַר שֶׁנִּתְעָרְבוּ, וּפָרַח אֶחָד מִכָּאן וְאֶחָד מִכָּאן לָאֶמְצָע - הַשְּׁנַיִם הָאֶמְצָעִיִּים יָמוּתוּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי הֵן חַטָּאת וְעוֹלָה מְעֹרָבִין; וְהַצְּדָדִין - אֵלּוּ יִקְרְבוּ חַטָּאת וְאֵלּוּ עוֹלָה כְּשֶׁהָיוּ. פָּרַח מִן הָאֶמְצָעִיּת לַצְּדָדִין - כֻּלָּן יָמוּתוּ, שֶׁמָּא עוֹלָה נִתְעָרְבָה בַּחַטָּאוֹת, וְחַטָּאת בָּעוֹלוֹת.
Footnotes
1.
Because they have become intermingled with a dove designated as a sin-offering.
2.
The redundancy in the Rambam’s ruling is a quote from Kinim 2:1.
3.
I.e., it is obvious that one of the six offered as burnt-offerings is unacceptable, because there only five in the second group. The sixth is either one of the original group that should have been offered as a burnt-offering and is thus unacceptable. Or it is the one that flew into it, in which instance, it is unacceptable, because perhaps it was to be offered as a sin-offering. See the Rambam's Commentary to the Mishnah (Kinim 2:1).
4.
And one of the sin-offerings in that group had been offered together with the burnt-offerings.
5.
As described in the previous halachah.
6.
If, however, it is obvious that the dove that flew from the first group flew back to it, none of the doves are disqualified (ibid.).
7.
And it is disqualified itself.
8.
They should be offered one as a burnt-offering and one as a sin-offering. Similarly, in the second group, only one pair of doves should be offered, for we surmise that it was one of the three that was acceptable that flew to the first group.
9.
I.e., each group has two acceptable doves and two which are disqualified.
10.
Chapter 8, Halachah 5.
11.
And became intermingled there. The dove that flies into the group is unacceptable and it disqualifies another dove in the group. Thus of the group of four, only two acceptable doves remain. This principle applies every time one dove flies from one group to another, as evident from Halachah 3.
12.
If it is discernable that the dove that flew from the first group to the second flew from the second to the third, etc., all of these rules do not apply [the Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah (Kinim 2:3)].
13.
More acceptable doves remain in the last group because only two doves are disqualified in each circuit, while in all the other groups four are disqualified each time.
14.
As mentioned above, all of the doves in the first and second group were disqualified in the first phase of movement.
15.
One should be offered as a sin-offering and one as a burnt-offering. With regard to the doves from the group that had been specified. We are speaking about a situation where the identity of one of the doves—for argument’s sake, the burnt-offering—is still known and the one designated as the sin-offering has become intermingled with the dove that flew into that group. Hence one burnt-offering and two sin-offerings should be offered and only one of the sin-offerings is acceptable. See the Rambam’s Commentary to the Mishnah (Kinim 2:4).
16.
If, however, the identity of the dove which became intermingled is known, different laws apply, as explained in Chapter 8.
17.
The rationale is that since the doves are intermingled and it is known that one was a burnt-offering, none may be offered on the lower portion of the altar.
18.
I.e., since we do not know whether it was a burnt-offering or a sin-offering that was intermingled.
19.
Determining their identities with that statement. The fact that the priest offering the doves does not know which doves were brought by which person is not significant. See Chapter 6, Halachah 4.
20.
And even the possibility warrants that the doves be consigned to death.
Rabbi Eliyahu Touger is a noted author and translator, widely published for his works on Chassidut and Maimonides.
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