Daf Yomi - Chagigah 7 - Highlights

The Mishnah states that the following items have no set amount: Peah, which means leaving over a corner of the field for the poor, Bikkurim, which is bringing some of the first fruits to Jerusalem, the rayon, which the Gemara will explain, acts of loving-kindness, and Torah study. (7a)

Rabbi Yochanan maintains that the rayon refers to being seen in the Courtyard of the Bais HaMikdash, whereas Reish Lakish maintains that the rayon refers to being seen with a sacrifice. (7a)

The Jewish People are commanded to ascend to Jerusalem three times a year, on Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos. They cannot appear half-way, which the Gemara will explain further. (7a)

One verse states that one should refrain from entering his friend’s house, which the Gemara interprets to mean that one should refrain from offering a chatas and asham offering. A second verse states that one should arrive at HaShem’s house with olos, which refers to one who should bring olos and shelamim offerings. (7a)

Rav Yosef understood that when the Baraisa states that one should not appear on the festival half-way, this means that if he has ten sons, he should not have five sons appear in the Bais HaMikdash today and five sons appear tomorrow. Abaye disputes this thesis, because the father cannot allow for five of his sons to fulfill the mitzvah zealously and for five of the sons to be lazy. Rather, the Baraisa refers to a teaching that was learned earlier (4a) that those who have foul odors, such as one who works with excrement from a dog for the purpose of tanning hides, one who smelts copper, and a tanner, are exempt from making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. These people are deemed to be appearing half-way, because they would have to form their own minority group. (7b)

The Mishnah states that olos that are brought on Chol HaMoed are brought from Chullin, and shelamim offerings are brought from Maaser. Regarding the first day of Pesach, Bais Shammai maintains that the offerings are brought from Chullin and Bais Hillel maintains that they are brought from Maaser. An Israelite fulfills his obligation of joy on the festival by bringing vowed and donated offerings and Maaser from an animal. A Kohen, however, fulfills his obligation by eating from the chatas and asham offerings offered by an Israelite on the festival, from the firstborn animal offerings and from the chest and the thigh that is taken from the shelamim of the pilgrims. A Kohen cannot fulfill his obligation of joy on the festival with a bird chatas and with a Minchah offering. (7b)


Bais Shammai maintains that one can bring a shelamim offering on the festival because eating from the shelamim is deemed to be a necessity on the festival, but one cannot perform semichah, leaning on the animal. The reason for this prohibition is because leaning on the animal is deemed to be a shevus, a rabbinic injunction, and one cannot violate a rabbinical injunction on the festival. Bais Shammai further maintains that one cannot even offer an olah on the festival, whereas Bais Hillel maintains that one can offer shelamim and olos on the festival and one can perform semichah on the animal. Bais Hillel reasons that since one can offer the animals on the festival, the Chachamim did not institute a prohibition regarding performing semichah. (7b)