Study Arakhin folio 13B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
המבוקרים בלשכת הטלאים ארבעה ימים קודם שחיטה, ומני — בן בג בג היא, דתניא: בן בג בג אומר, מנין לתמיד שטעון ביקור ארבעה ימים קודם שחיטה?
that have been inspected in the Chamber of the Lambs for 4 days prior to the time of their slaughter. The reserve of 6 lambs ensured that each lamb would be available for inspection for 3 days prior to the day of its sacrifice, for a total of 4. And whose opinion is this? It is the opinion of ben Bag Bag, as it is taught in a baraita that ben Bag Bag says: From where is it derived that the daily offering requires examination 4 days prior to its slaughter?
תלמוד לומר: ״תשמרו להקריב לי במועדו״, ולהלן הוא אומר: ״והיה לכם למשמרת עד ארבעה עשר יום לחדש הראשון״, מה להלן טעון ביקור ארבעה ימים קודם שחיטה, אף כאן טעון ביקור ארבעה ימים קודם שחיטה.
The verse states with regard to the daily offering: “My food that is presented to Me for offerings made by fire, of a pleasing aroma to Me, should you safeguard to offer to Me in its due season” (Numbers 28:2); and it states there, with regard to the Paschal offering: “In the 10th day of this month they should take to them every man a lamb…and it should be for you as a safeguard until the 14th day of this month” (Exodus 12:3–6), i.e., the 1st month. Since the word “safeguard” appears in both verses, it is derived that just as in the verse there, the Paschal offering requires examination 4 days prior to its slaughter, so too here, the daily offering requires examination 4 days prior to its slaughter.
דיקא נמי, דקתני ״כדי לשבת״, ולא קתני ״לשבת״, שמע מינה.
The Talmud notes: The language of the Mishnah is also precise, according to the explanation that the Mishnah is referring to Shabbat and Rosh HaShana merely as a mnemonic device, as it teaches that the 6 lambs are sufficient for Shabbat and the two Festival days of Rosh HaShana, and it does not teach that the 6 lambs are for use on Shabbat and the two days of Rosh HaShana. The Talmud concludes: Learn from the language of the Mishnah that this explanation is correct.