Sifra 3.0.18

Tzav, Chapter 12

1) (Vayikra 7:15): "And the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace-offerings, on the day of his offering shall it be eaten." This comes to teach us of those (offerings) that are eaten for a day, that their eating is one day and one night. This tells me of the thank-offering (itself). Whence do I derive the same for the bread? From "his offering," (bread having been referred to as "offering" in the preceding verse). Whence do I derive the same for the offering and substitutes (of a thank-offering)? From (the redundant) "And the flesh." Whence do I derive the same for sin-offering and guilt-offering? From "the sacrifice." Whence do I derive the same for the peace-offerings of a Nazirite, (which require bread as it does) and peace-offerings that come from the (surplus of the) Pesach offering? From "his peace-offerings."

2) "on the day of his offering shall it be eaten.": This tells me only that its eating is for one day. Whence is it derived that its sacrifice at the outset be with the thought of eating it for one day?

3) From (Vayikra 22:29): "And when you slaughter a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the L–rd, that it be acceptable for you shall you slaughter it. (Vayikra 22:30) On that day shall it be eaten." This need not be stated, (for we know it already). If it is not needed for (the halachah of) eating, learn it as applying to sacrifice, that its sacrifice at the outset must be with the thought of eating it for one day.

4) This tells me only of the thank-offering. Whence do I derive the same for all (offerings) that are eaten for one day? From (the redundant) "And when you slaughter a sacrifice."

5) (Vayikra 7:15): "He shall not leave over of it until morning." But he may eat it the entire night. Why, then, did the sages say (that he may eat it only) until midnight? To keep one far from transgression. But (adverse) thought (at the sacrifice) does not render them unfit and they are not rendered nothar (abiding beyond the prescribed time) until the morning star rises.

6) (Vayikra 7:16) ("And if a vow or a gift is the sacrifice of his offering, on the day that he offers his sacrifice shall it be eaten, and on the next day, that which remains of it may be eaten.") This comes to teach about those offerings that are eaten for two days that they are eaten for two days. This tells me only of peace-offerings (viz. Vayikra 7:18). Whence do I derive (the same for) the festive offering (chagigah)? I would derive a festive offering that comes in its time (the first day of the festival). Whence would I derive a chagigah that comes (all seven days) as indemnity (for the first day), peace-offerings (of joy) that come in the midst of the festival (in addition to those of the chagigah and (left-over) peace-offerings (of joy) that come after the festival? From (the redundant) "And if a vow or a gift" (Vayikra 7:16).

7) Whence do we derive (the same for) the chagigah that comes with the Pesach (on the fourteenth of Nissan)? Because it is written (Devarim 16:4) "And there shall not remain of the flesh that you sacrifice towards evening on the first day until the morning," which teaches us about the chagigah of the fourteenth that it is eaten for two days and one night. I might think (that it is eaten) for one day and one night. It is, therefore, written "until the morning" — the morning of the second day. And how would I satisfy "a chagigah is eaten for two days"? (A different chagigah,) aside from this one. It is, therefore, written (to negate this, the redundant) "And if a vow or a gift."

8) And whence do I derive (for the same learning) the substitutes and the offspring (of those eaten for two days)? From (the redundant) "And if a vow or a gift." Whence do I derive (the same learning) for a first-born and a tithe? From (the redundant) "the sacrifice."

9) "on the day that he offers his sacrifice shall it be eaten, and on the next day": This tells me only of their eating (the offering) for two days. Whence do I derive that even at the outset their sacrifice must be with the thought of eating them for two days; it is, therefore, written (Vayikra 19:5): "And when you slaughter a sacrifice of peace-offerings to the L–rd … (Vayikra 19:6) on the day that you slaughter it shall it be eaten, and on the next day." Let this not be written, (for we already know about their eating from here.) If it is not needed for eating, learn it as applying to slaughtering — that even at the outset their slaughtering must be with the intent of eating them for two days.

10) This tells me only of peace-offerings. Whence do I derive the same for all (offerings) that are eaten for two days? From (the redundant) "And when you slaughter a slaughtering of peace-offerings."

11) (Vayikra 7:16) "on the day that he offers his sacrifice shall it be eaten": on the first day. I might think, for two days. It is, therefore, written "and on the next day." If "on the next day," I might think it is a mitzvah to eat it for two days. It is, therefore, written "and what remains" — If he left something over, he left it over.

12) Or, "and what remains": I might think that if he left all of it over (on the first day) it becomes unfit. It is, therefore, written "it shall be eaten" — even all of it.

13) I might think it could be eaten on the eve of the third day. And this would follow, viz.: There are sacrifices that are eaten for one day and there are sacrifices that are eaten for two days. Just as with the former, its night follows it (for eating), so, with the latter, its night follows it. It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 19:6): ("And what remains) until the third day (shall be burned with fire") — until the (end of the second) day it is eaten, and it is not eaten on the eve of the third.

14) I might think that it must be burned immediately (at nightfall after the second day), and this would follow, viz., There are sacrifices that are eaten for one day and there are sacrifices that are eaten for two days. Just as (what remains of) the sacrifices eaten for one day are burned immediately after eating, so (what remains of) the sacrifices eaten for two days are to be burned immediately after eating. It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 7:17) ("And what remains from the flesh of the sacrifice) on the (third) day, (with fire shall it be burned.") It is burned in the daytime and not at night. Or, perhaps the meaning is that on the third day it is to be burned; but if the third day passed it is not to be burned (but buried). It is, therefore, written "it shall be burned" — even forever.

15) "from the flesh": and not from the bones, and not from the sinews, and not from the horns, and not from the hooves. ("from the flesh of) the sacrifice" — to exclude the fetus and the placenta. "on the third day, with fire shall it be burned": This is the prototype for all (consecrated food) that is burned, that it is to be burned only in the daytime.