Bar-Ilan University
Parashat Hashavua Study Center
Parashat Phinehas 5771/ July 16, 2011
Lectures on the weekly Torah reading by the faculty of Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan,
Israel. A project of the Faculty of Jewish Studies, Paul and Helene Shulman Basic Jewish
Studies Center, and the Office of the Campus Rabbi. Published on the Internet under
the sponsorship of Bar-Ilan University's International Center for Jewish Identity.
Prepared for Internet Publication by the Computer Center Staff at Bar-Ilan University.
Inquiries
and
comments
to:
Dr.
Isaac
Gottlieb,
Department
of
Bible,
gottlii@mail.biu.ac.il
Prof. Ido Kantor
Department of Physics
The Rationale of the Sukkot Sacrifices
The last 28 verses of Parashat Phinehas provide a detailed description of the number
of sacrifices offered on each of the days of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. On each day
of the festival 17 fixed sacrifices were offered: 14 yearling lambs, 2 rams, and one
goat. Unlike these fixed offerings, the number of bulls changed, decreasing from day
to day. Thirteen were offered on the first day, 12 on the second, 11 on the third, etc.,
until the seventh day, on which 7 bulls were sacrificed. The total number of bulls
comes to 70.
The number of 70 bull sacrifices and the manner in which they were distributed over
the days of the festival raises several questions:
1.
Why 70 bulls and why precisely in decreasing order?
2. Is there no other way to divide 70 bull offerings over the days of the festival? Why
did the Torah choose precisely this way?
The first question is discussed as early as the gemara (Tractate Sukkah 55b): "Why seventy
bulls? For the seventy nations." In other words, seventy bulls are offered, one for each of
the seventy nations of the world; but why must we sacrifice a bull for each and every
nation? The midrash answers this (Song of Songs Rabbah, ch. 1[15]2, Soncino ed., p. 176),
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explaining that the sacrifices were given instead of the rest of the nations, for their benefit
and expiation, and so that rain would fall on all living things: "Just as the dove makes
atonement for the pilgrims,1 so Israel makes atonement for the other nations, since the
seventy bullocks that they offer on Tabernacles correspond to the seventy nations, and are
brought in order that the earth may not be left desolate of them."
But why are the offerings made in decreasing order, from 13 on the first day, down to 7 on
the seventh day? This question is answered only in later sources (Midrash Aggadah [Buber],
Numbers, ch. 28):
The total comes to seventy, which is for the nations of the world, of which there are
seventy, so that the Lord shall deliver us from their hands and they disappear from
the world; hence the number steadily decreases.
A similar interpretation is found in Pesikta Zutreta ([Lekah Tov], Numbers, Parashat
Phinehas, p. 137a):
Seventy bullocks were sacrificed on the festival, for the seventy nations of the world.
One bullock and one ram on Atzeret, for Israel being the one nation in the land. Just
as the bullocks decreased in number as the festival progressed, thus the Canaanites
are diminished, but Israel is not diminished.
The decreasing number of bulls symbolizes the drop in the number and status of the nations
of the world who oppose Israel.
Thus we see that in the course of the seven days of the festival, seventy bulls are to be
sacrificed, as against the seventy nations of the world, and it is significant that the number
steadily diminishes. The series which the Torah chose is: 13 + 12 + 11 + 10 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5
+ 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 70. Are there other possible descending series of seven elements whose
sum equals 70? It turns out that there are only two other possibilities, namely: 19 + 16 + 13
+ 10 + 7 + 4 + 1 = 70 and 16 + 14 + 12 + 10 + 8 + 6 + 4 = 70. Why did the Torah not choose
one of these other two other series? The answer is to be found in the Mishnah (Tractate
Sukkah 5.6):
On the first Holy-day of the Festival of Tabernacles there were there thirteen
bullocks and two rams and one he-goat. There still remained (there) fourteen helambs for the eight Watches. On the first day six offered two each, and the rest one
each. On the second day five offered two each, and the remainder one each. On
the third day four offered up two each, and the rest one each. On the fourth day
three offered two each, and the others one each. On the fifth day two offered two
each, and the remainder one each. On the sixth day one offered up two each, and
the remainder one each. On the seventh day all were equal. On the eight day they
reverted to the casting of lots as on all other Festivals. They said, the one that had
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The midrash is expounding the words "your eyes are like doves," Song of Songs 1:15.
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offered bullocks on one day should not offer them on the next day but must take it
in turns.
Let us briefly explain this Mishnah. The priests were divided into twenty-four watches, and
each week a different watch would officiate in the Temple. During festivals, when the
number of sacrifices offered was vastly greater than on regular days, each watch wished to
officiate. In order to prevent rivalry and contention between the watches, it was established
that each of the twenty-four watches would officiate and offer at least one offering each
day of the festival. In order to fulfill this requirement it was necessary to sacrifice at least 24
offerings on each day of the festival. This was achieved as follows: on the first day 13 bulls
and another 17 fixed sacrifices were offered (14 lambs + 2 rams + 1 goat), totaling 30
offerings on the first day. On the last day of the festival, the seventh day, 7 bulls and
another 17 fixed sacrifices were offered, totaling 24 offerings – precisely one offering per
watch.
Hence we can understand why the Torah did not choose either of the other two possible
series totaling 70. According to these series, on the seventh day of Sukkot either 4 bulls or
just one bull would have been offered, so that the total number of sacrifices on the seventh
day would have come only to 21 or 18. In this manner it would have been impossible to
preserve equality among the 24 priestly watches, with every watch offering at least a single
sacrifice each day of the festival. Thus we see that the Torah's solution for the number of
bulls to be offered each day is the only possible solution satisfying the requirement that
every watch offer at least a single sacrifice per day and that the number of bulls throughout
the festival total 70.
Thus we see that concern for peaceful relations among all the priestly watches officiating
during the festival is implicit in the series chosen by the Torah.
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