When the 15th of Nisan Fell on Motzei Shabbat… The Mishna reads, "These things in (connection with) the Korban Pesach override Shabbat: its slaughter, the sprinkling of the blood on the altar, the cleansing of its entrails and the burning of its fat (that part of the sacrificial animal which is burnt on the Mizbei'ach). But its roasting… does not override Shabbat…"(Pesachim 6:1). "Once the 14th of Nisan fell on Shabbat and they (the Sanhedrin)… did not know whether (the slaughter of the Korban) Pesach overrode Shabbat or not… they were told that a certain man… Hillel… who studied under the two greatest men of the generation (the sages Shemaya and Avtalyon)… knew whether Pesach overrode Shabbat or not… They summoned him and (Hillel said to them,) 'Have we only one 'Passover' during the year which overrides Shabbat? We have many more than two hundred 'Passovers' during the year which override Shabbat (i.e. the Temidin - the two daily burnt offerings, the Musafin, the additional Korbanot, offered on Shabbat and Yom Tov, etc.). The term B'MO'ADO - in its appointed time - is said in connection with the Korban Pesach in the same way that B'MO'ADO is said in connection with the Tamid. Just as B'MO'ADO, which is said concerning the Tamid, overrides Shabbat, so does B'MO'ADO which is said in connection with the Korban Pesach override Shabbat…" But everyone knew that the Olei Regel were forbidden to carry their slaughtering knives to the Mikdash on Shabbat. What should they do? "Leave it to Israel. If they are not prophets, still they are the sons of prophets!' On the next day - the 14th of Nisan (which was Shabbat) - he whose Korban Pesach was a lamb stuck his knife in the wool; he whose Korban Pesach was a goat stuck it between the horns. Hillel saw this… and said, 'This is indeed the tradition that I received from Shemaya and Avtalyon'" (Pesachim 66a). The people had instinctively devised this unusual method of having their sacrificial animals convey the slaughtering knives to the Mikdash. On Erev Pesach, the time of slaughter of the afternoon Tamid was advanced one hour to allow the Kohanim extra time to sacrifice the huge number of Korbanot Pesach. (When Erev Pesach and Erev Shabbat coincided, the time of slaughter was advanced two hours. The roasting of the Korbanot Pesach had to be completed before Shabbat.) When the 14th of Nisan did not fall on Shabbat, the Sages ordained that another Korban, Chagigat Arba Asar should be offered together with the Korban Pesach to ensure that there would be enough meat to satisfy everyone in the Chavura. (By the time the Korban Pesach was to be slaughtered, all circumcised Jewish males above the age of 13, and all women and girls above the age of 12 who were "not distant" from Jerusalem, were required to join a Chavura. A Chavura was usually an extended family together with friends and neighbors that joined together to offer and eat the Korban Pesach as a group.) Satiated by the meat of the Chagigat Arba Asar, they would less likely come to violate the Lo Ta'aseh of breaking a bone of the Korban Pesach (Shemot 12:46). "The Pesach was slaughtered in three groups… When the first group entered and the Azara was filled, the gates of the Azara were closed. A Teki'ah, a Teru'ah and a Teki'ah were sounded. The Kohanim stood in rows and in their hands were vessels of silver and vessels of gold. In one row, all the vessels were of silver and in another row, all the vessels were of gold, they were not mixed together…A Yisrael slaughtered his own offering (if he was able, if not professional help was available) and a Kohein caught the blood. The Kohein passed the vessel to his fellow, and he to his fellow… and the Kohein nearest to the altar tossed (poured) the blood in one action against the base (of the Mizbei'ach)… When the first group went out, the second group came in, when the second group went out, the third group came in… the Leviyim sang Hallel… As the rite was performed on a weekday so was it performed on Shabbat… (Pesachim 5:5-8). But on Shabbat, the Sages did not permit the people to immediately return to their Chavura with their sacrificial meat. "When the first group went out (after slaughtering their Korbanot Pesach) they remained on Har HaBayit, the second group remained within the Cheil. The third group remained where they were (in the Azara). After nightfall (i.e. after Shabbat) they went out and roasted their Korbanot Pesach." (The Cheil was the area between the Soreg and the outer wall of the Ezrat Nashim. The Soreg was the outer boundary of the Cheil, an expanse 10 Amot wide, which surrounded the outer walls of the Azara and the Ezrat Nashim. The rabbinical literature describes it as a reticulated partition made of slats of wood. There were gaps in the Soreg, guarded by Leviyim, before each gate of the Azara and the Ezrat Nashim, to enable Kohanim and Yisraelim to enter the Mikdash complex. Josephus writes that it "was a partition made of stone all around, whose height was three cubits: its construction was very elegant, upon it stood pillars, at equal distance from one another, declaring the law of purity, some in Greek and some in Roman letters, that "no foreigner should go within that sanctuary…" (J. Wars V, 5:2). Probably the Soreg was originally constructed of wood, and later when Herod renovated the Mikdash, he replaced the wooden fence with a stone wall.) They had to hurry! Even though the Chavura started roasting the Korban Pesach hours later than usual, the Seder had to be completed and the Pesach consumed on time, Halachic midnight. As soon as Shabbat ended, Chavura members who had not gone to the Mikdash started preparing the coals so the oven would be ready when their colleagues returned with the meat of the Pesach. "How do they roast the Korban Pesach? They bring a skewer of pomegranate wood and thrust it through (the animal), from its mouth to its rear" (Pesachim 7:1). The innards of the Pesach (that which were not burnt on the Mizbei'ach) were also skewered on the pomegranate spit and roasted. The two ends of the branch were placed in notches at the top of the oven thus suspending the lamb (or goat) above the charcoal. The Olei Regel observed three positive Mitzvot D'oraita (some Mitzvot Lo Ta'aseh, as well as some De'rabbanan, drinking four cups of wine, etc.) on the night of the 15th of Nisan.Magid - They discussed Yetzi'at Mitzrayim (Shemot 13:3). "And whoever enlarges on the tale of the exodus from Egypt, that one merits praise." In Mikdash days, the youngest participant asked five questions, not four. The original fourth question was, "On all other nights, we eat meat that is roasted, stewed, or boiled in water - but on this night (referring to the Korban Pesach) only roasted meat. Achilat Matza - The eating of a Ke'zayit (olive's bulk) of Matza (Shemot 12:18). All members of the Chavura were required to eat a minimum of one Ke'zayit of Korban Pesach accompanied by Matza and Maror (Shemot 12:8). Before fulfilling the Mitzva, they recited the Beracha, "…Asher Kideshanu Bemitzvotav Vetzivanu Al Achilat HaPesach (Hil Chametz U'Matza 8:7). Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrims Prospective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service [The
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