When a Jew is Oleh regel for the Three chagim, Pesach, Shavuos and Succos, he must offer three sacrifices in the Beis Hamikdash:
- The olas Re’iyah: The first is a Korban that gets completely burnt and it literally means that he should be seen by Hashem (Re’iyah—seen).
- Shalmei Chagigah: The second is a Korban that is divided three ways:
- The emurim get burned on the Mizbeiach.
- The Kohen gets the chest and the thigh.
- The Host (owner), family, and guests eat the rest of the meat. Chagigah—meaning celebrate—so the Korban is celebrating the Yom Tov.
- Shalmei Simcha: Thirdly, the Korban Simcha is derived from the words VeSamachta Bechagecha which show a requirement of rejoicing. Eating from this meat brings one to fulfill this Mitzva. Nowadays that we don’t have the Korbanos to enjoy, we eat meat and drink wine on Yom Tov to bring us pleasure.
Much of the mesechta deals with Tumah and Tahara because one must purify him/herself before the chag so that they are fit to bring and eat from the Holy sacrifices.
Review of the Laws of Tahara
The following is a concise review:
- A human corpse produces an Av Hatumah.
- A Neveila (dead animal) or Sheretz (eight species of creeping creatures) also produces an Av Hatumah.
- A Zav, Zavah, Niddah, Metzora, or a Yoledes are also sources; anyone who touches one of these becomes an Av Hatumah.
All these cases become purified by immersing in a mikvah, with one exception: one who touched a corpse needs to be purified through the sprinkling of the ashes from a Para Aduma and immersing in a mikvah. According to the Torah, when one becomes tomei, his whole body is tomei. The Rabbonim decreed that hands alone can become tomei, and washing them or dipping them in a mikvah is…
Last Piece of Gemara Daf 27A
Begin reading from Amar Rebbi Abahu (2nd wide line). Rebbi Abahu said in the name of Rebbi Elazar:
“Talmidei Chachamim are not ruled over by the fire of Gehenim. As we learn from a Kol V’chomer from an animal called Salamandra which is created from a fire which burned for seven years. If one smears the blood of this animal on himself then fire will not rule over him even though this animal is only an offspring of fire so certainly Talmidei Chachamim who are entire fire from their studying will not be ruled by fire.”
From where do we know that they are completely fire? From the Pasuk in Yirmiah (23:24) “Are not my words mighty as fire” says Hashem. Rav Tzadok explains that the Torah learning of the Talmidei Chachamim refines them and purifies them so the fires of Gehenim are not needed by them.
Another statement is quoted by the Gemara from Reish Lokish:
“The fire of Gehenim does not rule over the sinners of Israel. This we know also from a Kol vechomer—If the Golden Mizbeiach whose thickness is only as a gold coin (the Dinar), and yet the fires that burned on it for many years didn’t ruin it (which is a clear miracle), so certainly the sinners, who are still considered full of mitzvos like a pomegranate, will not be ruled by the fires of Gehenim.”
How do we know that the sinners are full of mitzvos? Because it says in the Pasuk in Shir Hashirim (4:3, 6:7) “like a section of pomegranate are your empty ones” (your temples). We switch the word Rakoseich in the Pasuk for Reikoniech—from “temples” to “empty ones.”