What is more frequent than its neighbor precedes its neighbor, [it being written (Numbers 28:29): "aside from the morning burnt-offering of the daily burnt-offering." If it is written "the morning burnt-offering," why is it necessary to state "of the daily burnt-offering"? But the Torah hereby teaches us that whatever is more frequent takes precedence], and whoever is more sanctified than his neighbor precedes his neighbor. [For thus do we find with a Cohein, of whom it is written (Leviticus 21:8): "And you shall sanctify him," and we say: (It is for the Cohein) to open (the Torah blessings) first, and to bless (grace) first, and to take a choice portion first.] If the bullock of (atonement for) the anointed priest and the bullock of (atonement for) the congregation are waiting (to be sacrificed), the bullock of the anointed priest takes precedence to the bullock of the congregation in all of its procedures. [Since the Cohein "atones for" and the congregation is "atoned for" it stands to reason that the "atoner for" should take precedence to the atoned for, and thus is it written (Ibid. 16:17): "and he shall make atonement for himself, and for his household, and for the entire congregation of Israel."]
Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
התדיר מחבירו הוא קודם – as Scripture states (Numbers 28:23): “You shall present these in addition to the morning portion of the regular burnt offering.” For since it is written, “the morning portion of the regular burnt offering,” why does it mention “the regular burnt offering?” But, because the All-Merciful stated – because it is more frequent, it precedes it in the first part [of the verse].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
Introduction
This mishnah teaches which sacrifice takes precedence over other sacrifices, in a case where both are ready to be sacrificed.
The importance of this mishnah is that it does not just give specific rules for precedence in sacrificial law, but teaches general principles, which are still applied today, especially in laws of prayer.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
וכל המקודש מחבירו וכו' – for so we find with the Kohen as it is written concerning him (Leviticus 21:8): “and you must treat them as holy,[since they offer the food of your God; they shall be holy to you, for I the LORD who sanctify you am holy],” and we say to open first [with the Torah reading] and to bless first (with the invitation to the group to recite the Birkat HaMazon/Blessing after the Meals) and to take the first nice portion.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
Whatever is more frequent than another takes precedence over that other; And whatever is more sacred than another takes precedence over that other. If the bull of the anointed priest and the bull of the congregation are standing [to be sacrificed], the bull of the anointed priest precedes that of the congregation in all its details. Something that is frequently done is performed before something else that is not frequently done. This is learned from the fact that in the morning the tamid burnt offering is sacrificed before any of the special festival sacrifices are offered. Since the tamid is a daily offering and is therefore frequent, it takes precedence over less frequently offered sacrifices. We should note that this principle seems somewhat counterintuitive. A person would naturally be more inclined to do first that which is special, more unusual, and only afterwards do what is regular and routine. Judaism teaches that it is the routine which takes precedence and not the special occasion. Through this mishnah, we learn to appreciate not just what is ordinary, but to take note of the importance of those things that we do regularly. We should not allow their frequency to diminish their significance. A couple of examples where this principle is still evoked. During Shabbat and festival kiddush, one first recites the blessing over the wine and only then the blessing over Shabbat. This is because the blessing over the wine is more frequent than the blessing over the Shabbat. Another example: in morning prayers we recite a psalm for each day of the week. On Rosh Hodesh (the first day of the new month) we also recite a special psalm. The psalm that is recited for the day of the week is done first, because it is more frequently recited than the one for Rosh Hodesh.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
פר משיח קודם – for since the anointed bull atones and the community atones, and it is by law that what atones comes prior to that which obtains atonement. And similarly, Scripture states (Leviticus 16:17): “When he has made expiation for himself and his household”, and afterwards,“for the whole congregation of Israel.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
In cases where one cannot apply the previous rule, then the rule is that whatever is more sacred comes first. We will see an application of this principle in the next section, and in the next mishnah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
If the bull that is offered by the high priest for an errant ruling, and the bull that is offered by the community for their having followed the errant ruling of the court are both waiting to be sacrificed, the bull of the high priest takes precedence. This is because the high priest is more sanctified than the general populace, and also because he brings atonement for others (see Leviticus 4:16), whereas they are just being atoned for. This is also hinted at in Leviticus 16:17, “And he (the high priest) will make expiation for himself and his household, and for the whole congregation of Israel.” He takes precedence over all of Israel.
