Sukkah, Daf Nun Heh, Part 4
Introduction
This section deals with the issue of which watch (mishmar) offers the bull sacrifices on Shemini Atzeret, an issue addressed by the mishnah from yesterday.
גמרא. נימא מתניתין רבי היא ולא רבנן, דתניא: פר הבא בשמיני – בתחילה מפיסין עליו, דברי רבי. וחכמים אומרים: אחת משתי משמרות דלא שלשו בפרים עושה אותו! –
Gemara. Shall we say that our mishnah represents the view of Rabbi [Judah Hanasi], and not that of the other rabbis, since it has been taught: For the bull which is offered on the Eighth Day lots are cast as at first, the words of Rabbi. But the sages say: One of the two watches which did not have a third turn in the bulls offered it.
The mishnah had stated that on the eighth day they returned to casting lots, as was done on the first day. The Talmud now quotes a baraita which gives the impression that the opinion in the mishnah accords with Rabbi [Judah Hanasi]. The other sages hold that the watches that didn’t get to offer three bulls during Sukkot had the chance offer this bull.
אפילו תימא רבנן, אטו שתי משמרות לא אפוסי בעי?
You may even say that it represents the view of the Rabbis, for do not two watches still require the casting of lots?
The mishnah might even accord with the rabbis. The mishnah only says that they cast lots on the eighth day to decide who would offer the bull. Even if only two watches were eligible to offer this bull, they would still need to cast lots to decide which of them does so. Thus Rabbi would hold that all watches cast lots, whereas the other rabbis would hold that only those lots that had not yet offered two bulls could cast lots.
כמאן אזלא הא דתניא: כל המשמרות שונות ומשלשות, חוץ משני משמרות, ששונות ואין משלשות.
נימא רבי ולא רבנן!
Whose view is followed in that which has been taught: All the watches repeated a second and a third time, except for two who repeated a second time but not a third one?
Must we say that it follows that of Rabbi, and not that of the Rabbis?
The Talmud now cites a baraita that states that all of the watches went through two full cycles of sacrifices except for the last two. This again seems to follow Rabbi who said that on Shemini Atzeret, they go back to a regular system of casting lots.
אפילו תימא רבנן, מאי לא שלשו – בפרי החג.
The Talmud resolves that even the other rabbis can agree with this baraita. The last two watches do get a chance to participate in all three casting of lots. The only thing they don’t get is a certainty about receiving a third bull.
ומאי קא משמע לן? – הא קא משמע לן; מי שהקריב פרים היום לא יקריב למחר, אלא חוזרין חלילה.
What then does this teach us? It is this that it teaches us: He who offered bulls on one day shall not offer them the next, but they must all take their turns in rotation.
What then does this baraita teach us? After all, we could do the count ourselves without the baraita specifically telling us that one of the last two watches does not get a third bull?
The answer is that the baraita teaches that the watch that receives the meat of the bull this day, will not receive the meat of a bull tomorrow.
אמר רבי (אליעזר) +מסורת הש"ס: [אלעזר]+ הני שבעים פרים כנגד מי – כנגד שבעים אומות. פר יחידי למה – כנגד אומה יחידה. משל למלך בשר ודם שאמר לעבדיו: עשו לי סעודה גדולה. ליום אחרון אמר לאוהבו: עשה לי סעודה קטנה, כדי שאהנה ממך.
אמר רבי יוחנן: אוי להם לגויים שאבדו ואין יודעין מה שאבדו, בזמן שבית המקדש קיים – מזבח מכפר עליהן, ועכשיו מי מכפר עליהן?
R. Elazar stated: These seventy bulls [that were offered during the seven days of the Festival], to what do they correspond? To the seventy nations.
To what does the single bull [of the Eighth Day] correspond? To the unique nation. This may be compared to a flesh and blood king who said to his servants, "Prepare for me a great banquet"; but on the last day he said to his beloved friend, "Prepare for me a simple meal that I may have the pleasure of being with you."
R. Yohanan said: Woe to the idolaters, for they had a loss and do not know what they have lost. When the Temple was in existence the altar atoned for them, but now who shall atone for them?
During Sukkot 70 bulls are offered in total. These correspond to the 70 nations that there are in Jewish lore. Each bull sacrificed offers atonement for one nation.
The final bull offered on Shemini Atzeret corresponds with Israel. Israel is that favored friend in the parable, who God asks to stay on just one more day, so that God can enjoy our company.
R. Yohanan offers an expression of lament for the non-Jews who lost their mechanism for atonement when the Temple was destroyed. It is as if he is saying, "Look, our Temple was not only for the atonement or protection of the people of Israel. It was for the whole world, at least on this most universalistic of holidays, Sukkot. You destroyed. This was your loss as well as ours."