The Eddie B. Sit edition, an audio series of the Talmud Bavli, specifically Masechet Zevachim, has been dedicated by our good friend and student of the Shiur Daf Yomi, Binyamin HaKohen, commonly known as Benny C. He has dedicated this Masechet with the hope that, with God's help, he will achieve success and prosperity. Being a Kohen, it is our prayer that when the Mashiach comes, he will serve in the Beit HaMikdash alongside the other Kohanim, in the merit of dedicating this Masechet, which specifically discusses the avodah of the Kohanim in the Beit HaMikdash concerning the Korbanot.
Today’s study, Daf kuf yud zayin, is dedicated to the elevation of the soul of Avraham ben Esther, may his soul rest in the Garden of Eden, and for the complete recovery of Mikki ben Jamie, as well as for the success of Binyamin Mordechai ben Esther. We begin today’s Daf right in the middle, starting at the two dots. The Mishnah states: “They came to Gilgal and the bamot were permitted.” Initially, when they were in the Midbar, with the Mishkan, the bamot were prohibited. Upon entering Eretz Yisrael, during the first fourteen years—seven years of conquering and seven years of dividing—the bamot became permissible again. Gilgal had the status of a bamah gedolah, but it did not have the status of a Mishkan.
The Gemara continues with a teaching from the Rabbis: “Any korban that could be brought as a neder or a nedavah (donation), meaning it is not obligatory, could be offered on a bamah, even on a bamah ketanah.” However, a korban of chovah cannot be brought on a bamah. We will clarify which opinion holds this view. A minchah and offerings of a nazir can indeed be brought on a bamah because they are considered like a neder. The words of Rabbi Meir suggest that offerings made as a neder are permissible on a bamah ketanah.
The Sages, however, argue that an individual may only bring olot and shlamim on the bamah of a private individual, and not minchah or offerings related to nezirut. We will explore this dispute further. Rabbi Yehuda states that any type of korban that the public and an individual would bring in the Ohel Moed in the Midbar can also be brought in the Ohel Moed in Gilgal. This means that public offerings could certainly be brought in Gilgal, and even individual offerings that are not typically offered on a bamah yachid can be brought there.
The first opinions, Rabbi Meir and the Sages, maintain that a chatat or an asham cannot be brought even on a public bamah. They discussed the permissibility of minchah and offerings related to nezirut, but no one claimed that a chatat or asham could be offered on a public bamah. According to Rabbi Yehuda, however, he allows for the offering of a korban chatat or korban asham on the public bamah, which provides more leniency.
The Gemara continues: “What is the difference between the Ohel Moed in the Midbar and the Ohel Moed in Gilgal? In the Ohel Moed in the Midbar, the bamot were not permitted, whereas in the Ohel Moed in Gilgal, the bamot were permitted.” The Gemara elaborates that on the bamah on a roof, one could only offer olah and shlamim, in accordance with the opinion of the Sages.
While Rabbi Yehuda is lenient regarding chatat and asham, he is strict concerning minchah and offerings related to nezirut on a public bamah. The Sages assert that whatever was offered in the Mishkan can also be offered in Gilgal. However, both in the case of a private bamah and a public bamah, the individual only brings olah and shlamim.
According to the Sages, korbanot chovah, such as chatat and asham, cannot be offered for an individual on a public bamah. Thus, according to this opinion, only public offerings that were brought in the Mishkan can be brought in Gilgal. A chatat is not a public offering, nor is an asham, so they cannot be offered on a public bamah.
Moving forward, Rabbi Shimon states that the public did not offer anything except for Pesach and obligatory offerings that have a set time. He emphasizes that only the korban Pesach, which is an obligation for the public, and other obligatory offerings with fixed times can be brought on the public bamah. This contrasts with the Sages, who argue that any public obligation can be offered on the larger altar.
The reasoning behind Rabbi Meir's position is that offerings made as a neder or nedavah can be brought on a private bamah. The verse states, “Do not do as we do here today,” indicating that upon entering Eretz Yisrael, the people were instructed to offer only voluntary offerings on the bamah, but not obligatory ones.
In summary, the Gemara clarifies that while minchah can be made as a voluntary offering, it cannot be brought on a bamah. The same applies to offerings related to nezirut, as they are considered obligatory once a neder is made. The discussions continue, highlighting the intricacies of the halachic distinctions concerning offerings, public and private altars, and the various opinions that shape our understanding of these laws.