Temurah 4:3-4
משנה תמורה ד:ג-ד
Seder: Kodashim | Tractate: Temurah | Chapter: 4
📖 Mishna
Mishna 4:3
משנה ד:ג
Hebrew:
הַמַּפְרִישׁ מָעוֹת לְחַטָּאתוֹ וְאָבְדוּ, וְהִפְרִישׁ מָעוֹת אֲחֵרִים תַּחְתֵּיהֶן, לֹא הִסְפִּיק לִקַּח בָּהֶן חַטָּאת עַד שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ הַמָּעוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, יָבִיא מֵאֵלּוּ וּמֵאֵלּוּ חַטָּאת, וְהַשְּׁאָר יִפְּלוּ לִנְדָבָה. הַמַּפְרִישׁ מָעוֹת לְחַטָּאתוֹ וְאָבְדוּ, וְהִפְרִישׁ חַטָּאת תַּחְתֵּיהֶן, לֹא הִסְפִּיק לְהַקְרִיבָהּ עַד שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ הַמָּעוֹת, וַהֲרֵי חַטָּאת בַּעֲלַת מוּם, תִּמָּכֵר, וְיָבִיא מֵאֵלּוּ וּמֵאֵלּוּ חַטָּאת, וְהַשְּׁאָר יִפְּלוּ לִנְדָבָה. הַמַּפְרִישׁ חַטָּאתוֹ וְאָבְדָה, וְהִפְרִישׁ מָעוֹת תַּחְתֶּיהָ, לֹא הִסְפִּיק לִקַּח בָּהֶן חַטָּאת עַד שֶׁנִּמְצֵאת חַטָּאתוֹ, וַהֲרֵי הִיא בַעֲלַת מוּם, תִּמָּכֵר וְיָבִיא מֵאֵלּוּ וּמֵאֵלּוּ חַטָּאת, וְהַשְּׁאָר יִפְּלוּ לִנְדָבָה. הַמַּפְרִישׁ חַטָּאתוֹ וְאָבְדָה, וְהִפְרִישׁ אַחֶרֶת תַּחְתֶּיהָ, לֹא הִסְפִּיק לְהַקְרִיבָהּ עַד שֶׁנִּמְצֵאת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, וַהֲרֵי שְׁתֵּיהֶן בַּעֲלוֹת מוּם, יִמָּכְרוּ, וְיָבִיא מֵאֵלּוּ וּמֵאֵלּוּ חַטָּאת, וְהַשְּׁאָר יִפְּלוּ לִנְדָבָה. הַמַּפְרִישׁ חַטָּאתוֹ וְאָבְדָה, וְהִפְרִישׁ אַחֶרֶת תַּחְתֶּיהָ, לֹא הִסְפִּיק לְהַקְרִיבָהּ עַד שֶׁנִּמְצֵאת הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, וַהֲרֵי שְׁתֵּיהֶן תְּמִימוֹת, אַחַת מֵהֶן תִּקְרַב חַטָּאת וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה תָּמוּת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין חַטָּאת מֵתָה אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּמְצֵאת מֵאַחַר שֶׁכִּפְּרוּ הַבְּעָלִים, וְאֵין הַמָּעוֹת הוֹלְכוֹת לְיַם הַמֶּלַח אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ מֵאַחַר שֶׁכִּפְּרוּ הַבְּעָלִים:
English:
In the case of one who designates money for purchase of his sin offering, and the money was lost, and he designated other money in its stead, and he did not manage to purchase a sin offering with that money before the original money was found, he should bring a sin offering from a combination of this original money and that money designated in its stead, and the remainder shall be allocated for communal gift offerings. In the case of one who designates money for purchase of his sin offering, and the money was lost, and he designated an animal as a sin offering in its stead, and he did not manage to sacrifice the animal before the money was found, and the animal that he designated as a sin offering is blemished, the animal shall be sold; and he brings a sin offering from a combination of this original money and that money received for the sale of the blemished animal, and the remainder shall be allocated for communal gift offerings. In the case of one who designates a sin offering and the animal was lost, and he designated money in its stead, and he did not manage to purchase a sin offering with that money before his sin offering was found, and the animal is blemished, the animal shall be sold; and he brings a sin offering from a combination of this money that he designated and that money received for the sale of the blemished animal, and the remainder shall be allocated for communal gift offerings. In the case of one who designates his sin offering and the animal was lost, and he designated another animal in its stead, and he did not manage to sacrifice the sin offering before the first sin offering was found, and both of the animals are blemished, the animals shall be sold; and he brings a sin offering from a third animal that he buys with a combination of the money from the sale of this animal and from the sale of that animal, and the remainder shall be allocated for communal gift offerings. In the case of one who designates his sin offering and the animal was lost, and he designated another animal in its stead, and he did not manage to sacrifice the sin offering before the first sin offering was found, and both of the animals are unblemished and fit for sacrifice, one of them shall be sacrificed as a sin offering and the other shall be left to die; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. And the Rabbis say: A sin offering is not left to die unless it was found after its owner achieved atonement; and the money is not taken to the Dead Sea unless it was found after its owner achieved atonement.
Claude on the Mishna:
This lengthy mishna systematically works through various scenarios involving lost and found consecrated items designated for a sin offering. The core issue is: what happens when someone sets aside something for their sin offering, loses it, designates a replacement, and then the original is found?
The mishna presents four main scenarios with different combinations of money and animals, blemished and unblemished. In most cases where at least one item is blemished (and thus cannot be sacrificed), the solution is straightforward: sell the blemished item(s), combine all the money, purchase one sin offering, and the remainder goes to communal gift offerings (nedavah).
The critical dispute arises in the final case: two unblemished animals, both fit for sacrifice. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi rules strictly - one is sacrificed and one must be left to die, because a person cannot have two valid sin offerings for the same transgression. The Sages disagree, establishing an important limiting principle: a sin offering only enters the category of “must be left to die” if it was found AFTER atonement was already achieved. Since both animals were found before atonement, neither needs to die - one is simply sacrificed and the other can be dealt with differently.
Key Terms:
- מָעוֹת (ma’ot) = Money designated for purchasing an offering
- חַטָּאת (chatat) = Sin offering, brought for inadvertent transgressions
- בַּעֲלַת מוּם (ba’alat mum) = Blemished (animal), unfit for sacrifice
- תְּמִימוֹת (temimot) = Unblemished, fit for sacrifice
- נְדָבָה (nedavah) = Voluntary/gift offering - leftover consecrated money goes to this communal fund
- תָּמוּת (tamut) = “Shall be left to die” - one of the fates of certain disqualified sin offerings
- יַם הַמֶּלַח (Yam HaMelach) = The Dead Sea - where disqualified consecrated money is disposed of
- כִּפְּרוּ הַבְּעָלִים (kipperu habe’alim) = “The owners achieved atonement” - the critical moment that changes the status of remaining items
Mishna 4:4
משנה ד:ד
Hebrew:
הַמַּפְרִישׁ חַטָּאתוֹ, וַהֲרֵי הִיא בַעֲלַת מוּם, מוֹכְרָהּ וְיָבִיא בְדָמֶיהָ אַחֶרֶת. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, אִם קָרְבָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁחֲטָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, תָּמוּת, שֶׁכְּבָר כִּפְּרוּ הַבְּעָלִים:
English:
In the case of one who designates a sin offering and the animal is blemished, he sells the animal and must bring another sin offering with the money received in its sale. Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says: If the second animal is sacrificed before the first is slaughtered for non-sacred consumption, the first animal shall be left to die. Although it was sold and rendered non-sacred, its status is now that of a sin offering whose owner already achieved atonement with another animal.
Claude on the Mishna:
This mishna addresses a seemingly simple case that reveals a fascinating halachic debate. A person designates an animal as a sin offering, but it turns out to be blemished. The basic ruling is straightforward: sell the blemished animal and use the proceeds to buy a valid replacement.
Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon introduces a striking complication. He argues that even though the blemished animal was sold and is now technically non-sacred (chullin), it retains a “memory” of its original consecrated status. If the replacement animal is sacrificed before the original blemished animal is slaughtered for ordinary consumption, a retroactive transformation occurs: the original animal is now considered “a sin offering whose owner already achieved atonement” - one of the five categories of sin offerings that must be left to die.
This opinion suggests that the sale doesn’t completely sever the animal’s connection to its original sacred purpose. The kedushah (sanctity) lies dormant, ready to reassert itself under certain conditions. The anonymous first opinion (the Tanna Kamma) presumably disagrees and holds that once sold, the animal is fully non-sacred regardless of subsequent events.
Key Terms:
- מוֹכְרָהּ (mochrah) = He sells it - the standard procedure for blemished consecrated animals
- בְדָמֶיהָ (bidameha) = With its monetary value/proceeds
- נִשְׁחֲטָה (nishchatah) = Slaughtered (here: for non-sacred consumption)
- רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן = Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a Tanna known for innovative rulings