<.header.>
Rambam - Sefer HaMitzvos
As Divided for The Daily Learning Schedule

Negative Mitzvot 139, 112;
Positive Mitzvah 65


  Day 159Day 161  

Negative Mitzvah 139: The Priest is forbidden to eat from those sacrifices which are brought on the inner altar
Leviticus 6:23 "And any sin offering whose blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting, to make atonement in the holy place, shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire"

The Torah describes the service of each of the sacrifices, in detail.

Different types of sacrifices require different rites and procedures.

Some involve sprinkling the blood on the altar which stood in the courtyard of the Beit HaMikdash. Other sacrifices required the priest to sprinkle the blood on the altar which stood inside the sanctuary.

The sin offerings whose blood is sprinkled on the inside altar differ from others. Generally, the meat of the sin-offerings are divided; one part is eaten by the priests and one part is burnt on the altar.

However, the sin offerings whose blood is sprinkled on the inner altar are completely burnt. The priests are not allowed to eat from these offerings.


Negative Mitzvah 112: We are forbidden to separate a bird's head from its body while preparing it for a sacrifice
Leviticus 5:8 "He shall pinch off its head close by its neck, but shall not divide it in two"

HaShem designed a special process for preparing a bird brought as a sin-offering.

Instead of slaughtering it with a knife, part of this procedure requires the priest to cut off the bird's flow of life from the back of its neck, by pinching or squeezing it.

This process is called "Melikah".

This Negative Mitzvah cautions the priest not to separate the bird's head from the rest of its body when he is preparing it for a sacrifice.


Positive Mitzvah 65: Laws of the Guilt-offering
Leviticus 7:1 "This is the law of the guilt-offering"

We are commanded to follow the procedures and rules detailed in the Torah for presenting a guilt offering.


The doctor has been licensed from Above to heal, not to make predictions. Ignore the predictions and think only good thoughts.

From: Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman - tzvif@aol.com


  Day 159Day 161  
<.footer.>