Mira Balberg
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780520295926
- eISBN:
- 9780520968660
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520295926.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter shows that the rabbis redefined the biblical sacrificial process by centering it almost exclusively on one substance: blood. The activities that follow the ritual manipulation of blood, ...
More
This chapter shows that the rabbis redefined the biblical sacrificial process by centering it almost exclusively on one substance: blood. The activities that follow the ritual manipulation of blood, namely, the consumption of the offering either by fire or by human beings, are bracketed as an addendum to the ritual rather than as a critical component of it. The implications of this reframing of the sacrificial process are far-reaching: in determining that nothing actually has to be burnt on the altar for the sacrifice to be valid, the rabbis altogether reject the notion that the deity has to “receive” anything when sacrifice is performed. They thus put forth a new understanding of sacrifice as a religious activity, defined not by interaction but by correct procedure. By developing this non-interactive model the rabbis both make a claim on what sacrifice is not (a channel of communication between individual and deity) and make a claim on what sacrifice is: the ultimate example of a perfect religious action, which serves to construct, bolster, and express communal piety.Less
This chapter shows that the rabbis redefined the biblical sacrificial process by centering it almost exclusively on one substance: blood. The activities that follow the ritual manipulation of blood, namely, the consumption of the offering either by fire or by human beings, are bracketed as an addendum to the ritual rather than as a critical component of it. The implications of this reframing of the sacrificial process are far-reaching: in determining that nothing actually has to be burnt on the altar for the sacrifice to be valid, the rabbis altogether reject the notion that the deity has to “receive” anything when sacrifice is performed. They thus put forth a new understanding of sacrifice as a religious activity, defined not by interaction but by correct procedure. By developing this non-interactive model the rabbis both make a claim on what sacrifice is not (a channel of communication between individual and deity) and make a claim on what sacrifice is: the ultimate example of a perfect religious action, which serves to construct, bolster, and express communal piety.
Mira Balberg
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780520295926
- eISBN:
- 9780520968660
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520295926.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The fourth chapter brings together the themes discussed in the previous chapters by looking closely at the Passover sacrifice as a test-case. Two sets of disputes underlie the rabbinic discussions ...
More
The fourth chapter brings together the themes discussed in the previous chapters by looking closely at the Passover sacrifice as a test-case. Two sets of disputes underlie the rabbinic discussions and controversies regarding the Passover sacrifice: first, is the Passover an individual or congregational sacrifice, and second, does the essence of the Passover sacrifice lie in the blood or in the meat. These two disputes are closely intertwined in rabbinic discussions, and point toward more fundamental questions regarding the significance and function of the Passover sacrifice. The first part of the chapter shows that rabbinic texts present a strong tendency to collectivize the Passover sacrifice, and to consider it — formally or informally — as a congregational offering, despite the fact that it is funded and consumed by individuals. The second part of the chapter traces a persistent position within rabbinic texts that underplays the consumption component of the Passover offering and places all the emphasis on the manipulation of the offering’s blood.Less
The fourth chapter brings together the themes discussed in the previous chapters by looking closely at the Passover sacrifice as a test-case. Two sets of disputes underlie the rabbinic discussions and controversies regarding the Passover sacrifice: first, is the Passover an individual or congregational sacrifice, and second, does the essence of the Passover sacrifice lie in the blood or in the meat. These two disputes are closely intertwined in rabbinic discussions, and point toward more fundamental questions regarding the significance and function of the Passover sacrifice. The first part of the chapter shows that rabbinic texts present a strong tendency to collectivize the Passover sacrifice, and to consider it — formally or informally — as a congregational offering, despite the fact that it is funded and consumed by individuals. The second part of the chapter traces a persistent position within rabbinic texts that underplays the consumption component of the Passover offering and places all the emphasis on the manipulation of the offering’s blood.
