Siman - Pesachim Daf 64
- Shechting the tamid and other offerings over chametz
In the Mishnah on Daf 63a, Rebbe Yehudah stated, אף התמיד – that one is also chayav for shechting the tamid while owning chametz. The Gemara asks what Rebbe Yehudah’s reason is, and answers that Rebbe Yehudah would say from the word זבחי we expound, זבח המיוחד לי – the zevach that is designated to Me, meaning Hashem, and which zevach is that? It is the tamid. The Gemara continues and explains Rebbe Shimon’s reason that one is chayav for shechting other types of korbanos while owning chametz during Pesach, is based on the two times זבחי is mentioned in different pesukim. קרי ביה זבח זבחיי – Read it; “a sacrifice, My sacrifices” which alludes to other korbanos. The reason the Torah did not state זבחיי and instead separated them is to teach that during the time when there is a pesach, meaning the fourteenth of Nissan, one is not chayav for other korbanos, but during the time where there is no pesach, such as during the chag, one is chayav for other korbanos.
- The gates of the azarah closing miraculously
The next Mishnah states, הפסח נשחט בשלש כתות שנאמר ושחטו אתו כל קהל עדת ישראל – The pesach was shechted in three groups for it is stated, “The whole assembly of the congregation of Yisroel shall shecht it," with each term representing a group. The Mishnah continues and states that when the first group entered, נעלו דלתות העזרה – they closed the gates of the courtyard. Abaye said, ננעלו תנן – The Mishnah teaches “The gates were closed," meaning that when the entire group filled the azarah the gates would miraculously close on their own. Rava said, נועלין תנן, that our Mishnah teaches, “They close the gates.” The Gemara clarifies that the difference between them is למסמך אניסא – whether to rely on a miracle. Abaye said that our Mishnah is teaching that as many as go in let them go in, and we rely upon a miracle that the gates will close on their own. Rashi explains that we need not worry that everyone will enter the first time and there will not be three groups. Rava says that we close the gates and do not rely on miracles.
- Aggripas wanting the Kohen Gadol counting the pesach offerings
It was stated in a Baraisa, פעם אחת ביקש אגריפס המלך ליתן עיניו באוכלוסי ישראל – One time Agrippas hamelech wanted to keep his eyes on the count of the masses of Yisroel. He said to the Kohen Gadol to keep his eyes on the pesach offerings. The Kohen Gadol took a kidney from each pesach and they found six hundred thousand pairs of kidneys, representing double the amount of the יוצאי מצרים, and this is besides whoever was tamei or who was a distance away, who did not bring a pesach. ואין לך כל פסח ופסח שלא נמנו עליו יותר מעשרה בני אדם – And there was no korban pesach that did not have more than ten people registered for it, and they called it, פסח מעובין – the “Thick Pesach” because there were so many people.
The Gemara asks how the Kohen took the kidneys since they have to be burned on the mizbeyach along with the other parts of the korban, and they have to be burned one at a time, and answers, דשקיל מינייהו עד דיהבין מידי אחרינא – he took the kidneys from them until they gave them something in their place. Rashi explains that he held each kidney only long enough to show it to an aide, who would then take a bean or rock to represent it.
