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 ...
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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.
