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.

Recent Posts

Taryag: A Mitzvah a Day

Questions? Contact us at taryag@ou.org


PARSHAT Re'eh
MITZVAH COUNTER
Mitzvos to date: 486
Positives:200
Negatives:286
That can be performed today:211
Plus those that can be performed only in Israel:22

486. There’s Always Room for Chagigah: The prohibition against leaving over from festive offerings


...nor shall any flesh...remain overnight... (Deuteronomy 16:4)

The korban Pesach (Passover offering) wasn’t the only sacrifice brought for the occasion; there was also the korban chagigah (Festival offering), brought on the holiday itself. While the meat of the korban Pesach had to be finished that night, the korban chagigah had a longer “shelf life.” How long? In this mitzvah, we are informed that one may not leave over from the korban chagigah until the third day. Therefore, the chagigah could be eaten on the 14th and 15th of Nisan, after which time it must be burned.

The reason for this mitzvah is that Passover is an extremely joyous occasion. This sacrifice, in addition to the korban Pesach, magnifies our celebration of the Exodus from Egypt. But to leave the meat around too long makes it not so nice and kind of degrading, at which point it is no longer appropriate for us to use it. To eat sacrificial meat beyond its designated time would violate the prohibition of nosar, as detailed in Mitzvah #143.

This mitzvah only applies in Temple times. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Pesachim on pages 71a-b. It is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the tenth chapter of Hilchos Korban Pesach. This mitzvah is #118 of the 365 negative mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos.



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