Halakhic string theory, part 3

[hatam_soferet]

Zevahim 107b discusses the concept of Temple zones. The sacrificial cult that was Temple-based Judaism was centred on the Temple. More specifically, the Temple’s courtyards and the walls of Jerusalem define concentric zones in which sacrifices may be offered, particularly holy sacrifices may be eaten, and lesserly holy Temple foods may be eaten (respectively).

History: remember that there were two Temples. The first one was destroyed, then there was some downtime, and then they built another one. But in between times, there were still Jews, and there was time when Jews had access to the Temple precincts but hadn’t yet rebuilt the Temple.

So, Zevachim 107b:

Let’s talk about one who offers sacrifices outside the sacrifice-zone in our day (when there is no Temple). Rabbi Yohanan says he is liable (to punishment for having offered sacrifices outside the zone); Resh Lakish says he is exempt.	איתמר: המעלֶה בזמן הזה: ר’ יוחנן אמר חייב, ריש לקיש אמר פטור
Rabbi Yohanan says he is liable – the sanctity of the original sacrificing-zone (in the First Temple) made the zone fit for sacrifice both in its time and eternally.	ר’ יוחנן אמר חייב — קדושה ראשונה קידשה לשעתה וקידשה לעתיד לבא
Resh Lakish says he is exempt – the sanctity of the original sacrificing-zone ended with the Temple structure.	ריש לקיש אמר פטור — קדושה ראשונה קידשה לשעתה ולא קידשה לעתיד לבא

In other words, what happens if we remove the Temple from the world? To what extent can we – should we – still behave as though there is a Temple? Rabbi Yohanan is apparently saying the Temple’s effects – in this respect, at any rate – are permanent; Resh Lakish is saying that we can’t go around behaving as though the Temple is still there when it isn’t.

Rabbi Yehoshua said, I heard that they made sacrifices even when there was no Temple; and they would eat holy-holy sacrifice-meats even when there were no curtains [temporary structures put up while the second round of building was going on, to define the Temple zones], and they would eat lesser-holy sacrifice-meats even when there were no Walls.

א”ר יהושע: שמעתי שהיו מקריבין אע”פ שאין בית ואוכלים קדשי קדשים אע”פ שאין קלעים קדשים קלים ומעשר שני אע”פ שאין חומה מפני שקדושה ראשונה קידשה לשעתה וקידשה לעתיד לבא

Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Yehoshua both seem to be saying, in a sense, that the halakhic system is made not of string, but of wire. (Excuse the wobbliness of the wires in this picture. Wire’s harder to work with than string, and I didn’t take the time to fetch out hammer and pliers. Imagine them beautifully non-wobbly, if you would.)

With wire, when you remove a pin, everything stays in the same place. You can continue with everything pretty much as it was before, and indeed you should. You should offer sacrifices even when there is no Temple. The rules about offering sacrifices outside the sacrifice-zone should apply even when those zones don’t really exist any more.

So, what have we got so far? We have a midrash suggesting that the halakhic system works like a system of pins and strings, and we have a baraita suggesting that really those strings are more like wires. Every halakhic data point has an effect upon every other halakhic data point, of whatever magnitude; we explore the extent to which sudden removal of halakhic data points affects the remaining ones. Rabbi Yehoshua seems to be suggesting that the connections are rigid; even if the Temple is missing, we should behave as though it is not missing.

Now. It is very easy to mock the extreme of that idea. You’ve heard of those strange communities which refuse to admit that their rebbe is dead, and every Shabbat they give him the fifth aliyah, and the congregation solemnly responds “Amen” to the dead rebbe’s inaudible blessing.

But wiry behaviour patterns also help us. Consider justice. Sometimes we witness miscarriages of justice. Our belief in the ability of the judicial system to judge rightly may be rather shaken. But most of us don’t go off and campaign for judicial reform, do we? Most of us prefer to tell ourselves that the Temple is still there, that the miscarriage of justice was a fluke, and continue as before.

Reshaping patterns is hard, and it’s much easier to let the wires hold the pattern for us. More about the considered selection of wires and string required of us as living Jews, tomorrow.

Mirrored from hasoferet.com.