About Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Rabbi Jack Abramowitz served as Director of Programs for NCSY before becoming Associate Director of the Pepa and Rabbi Joseph Karasick Department of Synagogue Services. Rabbi Abramowitz holds degrees in Jewish studies, communications and Higher Education Administration. Among his accomplishments, he authored NCSY's Torah on One Foot series of educational pamphlets and created negiah.org, the first abstinence web site for Jewish teens. Rabbi Abramowitz is the author of The Shnayim Mikra Companion on Torah, The Nach Yomi Companion volumes 1 and 2 on the books of the Prophets and the Writings, and The Tzniyus Book.

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Taryag: A Mitzvah a Day

Questions? Contact us at taryag@ou.org

PARSHAT Re'eh
MITZVAH COUNTER
Mitzvos to date: 469
Positives:193
Negatives:276
That can be performed today:203
Plus those that can be performed only in Israel:20

469. This Little Piggul: The prohibition against eating blemished or otherwise unfit sacrifices


Do not eat anything detestable. (Deuteronomy 14:3)

If an animal intended for an offering became blemished, rendering it unusable, it may not be eaten. This applies specifically in a case where the animal became blemished through some human action, rather than "just because." (See Talmud Bechoros 34a.) It is also the case if the sacrifice became disqualified after it was already slaughtered. In these cases, the Torah calls the unfit sacrifice an abomination.

In addition to disqualified offerings, this mitzvah also includes such sacrificial “abominations” as nosar (a sacrifice eaten after its prescribed time limit) and piggul (a sacrifice offered with improper intentions - see Mitzvos #143 and #144, respectively), though its specific referent is the blemished sacrifice.

The reason for this mitzvah is that the animal has been sanctified to God. Even though its use as a sacrifice may have been invalidated, that does not give us license. We must condition ourselves to treat that which is holy with extra reverence. This will reinforce within us the trait of proper respect and deference for the Temple in general and for God in particular.

This mitzvah applies in all times and places. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Bechoros on pages 34a-b. It is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the nineteenth chapter of Hilchos Pesulei HaMekudashim. This mitzvah is #140 of the 365 negative mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos; it is not listed in the Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar of the Chofetz Chaim.



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