Daily Mitzvah (Rambam)

And the 89th prohibition is that we are forbidden from offering any sacrifice outside, i.e., outside the courtyard of the Temple. This prohibited action is called, ma'aleh bachutz.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "Be careful not to offer your burnt-offerings in just any place that you may see fit."

In the words of the Sifri,2 "This verse only speaks of burnt-offerings. What is the source to apply this law to all sacrifices? It is the verse,3 'Only there shall you prepare all [the offerings] I have commanded you.' But one could still think that for a burnt-offering there is both a positive commandment and a prohibition, whereas for other sacrifices only a positive commandment! The Torah therefore says,4 'Only there shall you sacrifice burnt-offerings.' Burnt-offerings were already included; why, then, were they singled out? This was done to make a hekesh:5 just as burnt-offerings are specifically mentioned as coming under both the positive commandment and the prohibition, so too all sacrifices which come under the positive commandment come under the prohibition."

Although the explanation of this verse is simple, I will explain it to you in order to clarify the subject:

The burnt-offering has a verse which prohibits its being sacrificed outside, i.e., G‑d's statement,6 "[Be careful] not to offer your burnt-offerings [in just any place that you may see fit]." Another verse commands that the burnt-offering must be sacrificed inside, i.e. His statement,7 "Only there shall you sacrifice burnt-offerings," which is a positive commandment to sacrifice the burnt-offering "in the place G‑d shall choose"8 [i.e., the Temple].

Other sacrifices, however, are only mentioned as having the positive commandment to be sacrificed inside, from His state­ment,9 "Only there shall you sacrifice all [the offerings] I have commanded you." The statement, "only there shall you sacrifice," does imply a prohibition against sacrificing outside; but we have a principle that a prohibition which is derived from a positive com­mandment is itself considered a positive commandment. This is the meaning of their statement [in Sifri], "But one could still think that ... for other sacrifices there is only a positive commandment!," i.e., that one who offers another kind of sacrifice outside would trans­gress only a prohibition which is derived from a positive commandment [rather than a regular prohibition].

The verse,10 "'Only there shall you sacrifice burnt-offerings" [which seems extra, since the other half of the verse includes all sacrifices, including the burnt-offering], is therefore written to create a means of comparing all offerings to the burnt-offering: just as one who offers a burnt-offering outside transgresses a prohibition, so too there is a prohibition for all offerings.

One who transgresses this prohibition intentionally is punished by kares, and if unintentionally, must bring a sin-offering. The verse which mentions kares for one who is ma'aleh bachutz is in the portion of Acharei Mos,11 "[One] who offers a burnt-offering or other sacrifice and does not bring it to the Communion Tent to present it to G‑d, that person shall be cut off [spiritually] from his people."

The Sifra12 says, "The verse, 'that person shall be cut off [spiritually] from his people,' states the punishment. From which verse do we derive the prohibition? From the verse,13 "Be careful not to offer your burnt-offerings...." In the words of the Talmud in tractate Zevachim:14 "For sacrificing [outside] there is written both the punishment and the prohibition. The punishment is from the verse, "and does not bring it to the Communion Tent ... that person shall be cut off." The prohibition is from the verse, "Be careful not to offer your burnt-offerings...."

The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the 13th chapter of tractate Zevachim.

Footnotes

1.

Deut. 12:13.

2.

Re'eh. The Rambam explains this Sifri immediately below.

3.

Ibid., 12:14.

4.

Ibid.

5.

A means of comparison.

6.

Deut. 12:13.

7.

Ibid., 12:14.

8.

Ibid.

9.

Ibid.

10.

Ibid.

11.

Lev. 17:8-9.

12.

Kapach, 5731, note 47, states that our versions of Sifra don't have this wording. However, the Weiss edition, Vienna, 5622 (1862), has virtually the same wording.

13.

Deut. 12:13.

14.

106a.

And the 39th mitzvah is that we are commanded to bring two sheep, called temidin, daily as offerings in the Temple.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "[Year-old sheep without blemish,] two each day as a regular daily burnt-offering."

The order of their preparation and sacrifice is explained in the 2nd chapter of tractate Yoma2 and in tractate Tamid.

Footnotes

1.

Num. 28:3.

2.

26b.

And the 29th mitzvah is that we are commanded to burn a constant fire on the altar each day.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,1 "Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out." This is impossible2 without a command to constantly place wood [on the fire] each morning and evening, as explained in the 2nd chapter of tractate Yoma3 and in tractate Tamid.4

Our Sages said explicitly,5 "Even though the fire came down from the heavens, it is a commandment for mortals to bring it."

The details of this commandment, i.e., of arranging the fires on the altar each day, have been explained in the 4th chapter of tractate Kippurim6 and in the 2nd chapter of tractate Tamid.

Footnotes

1.

Lev. 6:6.

2.

Perhaps the Rambam is trying to explain how this can count as a commandment even though the verse doesn't phrase it as a direct command.

3.

26b.

4.

Chapter 2.

5.

Yoma 21a. From this quote we see explicit mention that it counts as a mitzvah, such as, "you shall burn a fire."

6.

I.e., Yoma, Chapter 4, Mishneh 6.

And the 81st prohibition is that we are forbidden from extinguishing the fire on the altar.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out."

The Sifra2 says, "The phrase 'it must not go out,' teaches that one who extinguishes [the fire] transgresses a prohibition." One who transgresses this prohibition and extinguishes even a single coal from the altar is punished by lashes.

The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the 10th chapter of tractate Zevachim.3

Footnotes

1.

Lev. 6:6.

2.

Tzav.

3.

91b.

And the 30th mitzvah is that the priests are commanded to remove the ashes from the altar each day. This is called, "terumas hadeshen."

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "The priest shall then put on his linen garment, and put linen pants on his body ... and he shall remove the ashes."

The details of this mitzvah have been explained in tractate Tamid2 and in tractate Kippurim.3

Footnotes

1.

Lev. 6:3.

2.

Chapter 1, Mishneh 4.

3.

Yoma 20a.