Negative Commandment 131 (Digest)
Consuming Leftover Sacrificial Meat
"But a stranger shall not eat of them, because they are holy"—Exodus 29:33.
It is forbidden to eat sacrificial meat after the deadline for their consumption has passed.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> And the 131st prohibition is that we are forbidden from eating nosar, i.e., the meat of a sacrifice which remains after the time for its consumption has passed.
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> The Torah does not explicitly prohibit consuming it, but it does state in Scripture that one who eats nosar is punished by kares. This is G‑d's statement in the Torah portion Kedoshim,;) when speaking of the peace offering, "But anything left over until the third day must be burned in fire. If one [even plans to] eat it on the third day, it is considered pigul and it is not acceptable. One who eats them has desecrated that which is holy to G‑d, and he shall bear his guilt. This person shall be cut off [spiritually] from his people."
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> From here it is clear that [the punishment is] kares if one acts intentionally. If one ate unintentionally, he must bring a sin-offering.
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> The punishment is written in Scripture, but the actual prohibition is [derived] from what is written regarding the Inauguration sacrifices,;) "Do not eat them, because they are holy." The expression, "them,";) includes any sacrifice which became invalid and thereby prohibited from consumption, such as nosar.
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> The Mishneh;) says, "Pigul and nosar are not counted together,;) because they have different names."
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> Our Sages, in tractate Me'ilah,;) say on this, "This statement only applies to impurity of the hands,;) which is of Rabbinic origin. As far as eating is concerned, they are counted together,;) as the Beraisa says, 'R. Eliezer says, the verse, "Do not eat them, because they are holy," adds a prohibition to eat any holy things which became invalid.'" Since both pigul and nosar are sacrifices which became invalid, the statement, "Do not eat them, because they are holy," prohibits the consumption of each one of them.
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> We have already explained that the punishment for [eating] nosar is kares.
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> Footnotes
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> 1.
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> Ibid., 19:6-8.
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> 2.
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> Ex. 29:33. These sacrifices inaugurated Aaron and his sons into the priesthood.
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> 3.
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> It is difficult to understand it literally as plural, because only one animal is discussed in the verse (the others having been completely burned). See Kapach 5731, note 71. Heller, 5706, note 12.
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> 4.
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> Me'ilah 17b.
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> 5.
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> I.e., if one has half an ounce of pigul and half an ounce of nosar, they are not counted together as one ounce of "invalid sacrificial meat."
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> 6.
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> 17b.
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> 7.
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> There is a Rabbinic decree that if one touches pigul or nosar, his hands are deemed impure. This is only if there is the minimum amount (either a kezayis or k'beitzah — see Pesachim 121b)") of either pigul or nosar. But if it is half pigul and half nosar, they are not counted together and his hands remain pure.
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> 8.
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> Therefore, if one ate half a kezayis of pigul and half a kezayis of nosar, they are counted together as if he ate a full kezayis of prohibited meat.