Zevachim ( he, זְבָחִים; lit. "Sacrifices") is the first

tractate A tractate is a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject; the word derives from the Latin ''tractatus'', meaning treatise. One example of its use is in citing a section of the Talmud, when the term ''masekhet'' () is used i ...

of Seder Kodashim ("Holy Things") of the

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...

, the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

and the

Tosefta The Tosefta (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Overview In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...

. This tractate discusses the topics related to the sacrificial system of the

Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusa ...

, namely the laws for animal and bird offerings, and the conditions which make them acceptable or not, as specified in the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...

, primarily in the book of Leviticus ( and on). The tractate has fourteen chapters divided into 101 mishnayot, or paragraphs. There is a

Gemara The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah w ...

– rabbinical commentary and analysis – for this tractate in the

Babylonian Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

, and no Gemara in the

Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...

. The fifth chapter of

''Zevachim'' Chapter 5 of ''Zevachim'' is recited in the daily morning prayer service. (It was included in the ''siddur'' at this stage because it discusses all the sacrifices and the sages do not dispute within it.) It goes as follows: **A. ''Eizehu mekoman shel z'vachim'' Places for the ''zevachim korbanot'' to be offered: "...The slaughter of the bull and the he-goat of Yom Kippur is in the north

f the altar F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...

.." **B. ''Parim hanisrafim'' Bulls that are completely burned: "...These are burned in the place where the ltarashes are deposited." **C. ''Chatot hatzibur v'hayachid'' Sin offerings of the community and the individual: "...The he-goats...are eaten within the emple courtyardcurtains by male priests...until midnight." **D. ''Ha'olah qodesh qodashim'' The elevation offering is among the offerings with a major-degree-of-holiness: "...it is entirely consumed by fire." **E. ''Zivchei shalmei tzibur v'ashamot'' Communal peace offerings and guilt offerings: "...are eaten within the emple courtyardby males of the priesthood...until midnight." **F. ''Hatodah v'eil nazir qodashim kalim'' The thanksgiving offering and the ram of a Nazirite are offerings of a minor-degree holiness: "They are eaten throughout the city

f Jerusalem F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...

by anyone, prepared in any manner...until midnight..." **G. ''Sh'lamim qodashim kalim'' The peace offerings are of lesser (lighter) holiness: "...Is eaten by the ''kohanim''...throughout the city

by anyone..." **H. ''Hab'chor vehama'aser vehapesach qodashim kalim'' The firstborn and tithe of animals and the Passover offering are offerings of lesser (lighter) holiness: "...The Passover offering is eaten only at night...only if roasted."

References

External links

Full text of the Mishnah for tractate Zevahim (Hebrew)
Jewish animal sacrifice Land of Israel laws in Judaism Mishnah Oral Torah Tabernacle and Temples in Jerusalem Talmud {{Judaism-book-stub

References

Further reading

External links