[Concerning] communal <i>Shelamim</i> [offerings whose various parts are consumed by its owners, the Kohanim and the fire on the altar] and <i>Ashamim</i> [offerings brought to alleviate guilt], these are the <i>Ashamim</i>: The <i>Asham</i> for robbery, the <i>Asham</i> for misuse of consecrated property, the <i>Asham</i> for [having relations with] a <i>Shifchah Charufah</i> [a non-Jewish female slave partially freed, and betrothed to a Jewish slave], the <i>Asham</i> of the <i>Nazir</i> [a person who swears abstention from all grape products like wine, from cutting his hair, and avoidance of corpse impurity], the [purification] <i>Asham</i> of the <i>Metzora</i> [one rendered severely impure from an unsightly skin disease. Upon recovery and purification he must bring offerings], and the uncertain <i>Asham</i> [brought upon possible commission of a sin]. These [offerings] are slaughtered on the north [side of the altar], and their blood is collected in a consecrated vessel on the north [side of the altar]. Their blood requires two applications, which [amount to] four, and they are eaten within the curtains [of the Temple courtyard] by male priests, prepared in any manner, during that day and [subsequent] night until midnight.
Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
זבחי שלמי צבור – the sheep for Atzeret/Shavuot.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Zevachim
Introduction
Today’s mishnah teaches details concerning the asham and the public shelamim sacrifices.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
אשם גזילות – that are stated for the oath of deposit.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Zevachim
The shelamim of the public and the ashams: This mishnah will deal mostly with different types of ashams, but it also deals with the shelamim offering of the public, which consists of two sheep offered on behalf of the entire congregation of Israel on Shavuot. See Leviticus 23:19. Other types of shelamim have different rules and we shall deal with them below in mishnah seven.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
שאם מעילות – who benefits from that which is dedicated to Temple property.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Zevachim
These are the[different types of] ashams: The asham for robbery; The asham or illegal use of holy property; The asham for a betrothed maidservant; A nazirite's asham; A leper's asham; And the suspended asham. There are six different types of ashams. I shall briefly explain each one and provide biblical reference: The asham for robbery: This is brought by one who swore that he had not stolen something, and then confessed to his crime. See Leviticus 5:25 and Mishnah Shevuot 5:1. The asham for illegal use of holy property: Someone who makes personal use of holy property, such as something that was dedicated to the Temple, must bring an asham to atone for his sin. See Leviticus 5:15. For a betrothed maidservant: This is brought by a man who sleeps with a maidservant betrothed to another man. See Leviticus 19:20-21. We will deal more extensively with this passage when we get to tractate Keritot 2:5. A nazirite's asham: Brought by a nazirite who had come into contact with a dead body. See Numbers 6:12. A leper's asham: Brought by the leper (one with some sort of skin affliction) when he has recovered from his disease. See Leviticus 14:12. And the suspended asham: This is brought by a person who is not sure if he transgressed a prohibition for which a hatat is usually brought. He would bring this asham and then if he found out later that he had sinned, he would have to bring a hatat. In that sense this asham “suspends” for the punishment is suspended until it is determined whether a transgression has been committed. See Leviticus 5:17-18.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
אשם שפחה חרופה – he who comes into [sexual elations] with a slave woman who is half a slave and half a free woman who is designated to a Hebrew slave who is permitted to a maidservant and someone who is a free woman.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Zevachim
These are slaughtered in the north, and their blood is received in a service vessel in the north, and their blood requires two sprinklings, which constitute four. The rules here are the same as those concerning the sprinkling of the blood of the olah above in mishnah four.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
אשם נזיר – who became defiled [by contact] with the dead, as it is written concerning hm (Numbers 6:12): “And rededicate to the LORD his erm as nazirite.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Zevachim
And they are eaten within the curtains [of the Tabernacle], by male priests, prepared in any manner, the same day and night, until midnight. These sacrifices can be eaten. The same rules that applied to the hatat (see mishnah three) apply to the asham and to the public shelamim.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
אשם תלןי – doubtfully inadvertently sinned in a manner where one is liable for extirpation for sinning willfully, and it is doubtfulif he didn’t sin inadvertently. But it is written in Leviticus (5:17-18) regarding the guilt-offering for misuse of sacred property.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
אשם ודאי – we do not read this [in the Mishnah], for all of these are definite guilt-offerings, except for the uncertain guilt-offering.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
שתי מתנות שהן ארבע – that regarding the guilt offering it is also written (Leviticus 7:2) “The reparation offering shall be slaughtered at the spot where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and the blood shall be dashed on all sides of the altar.” It is written זריקה/dashing/casting and סביב/on all sides.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Zevachim
ונאכלין לפנים מן הקלעים – as it is written with regard to the reparation/guilt offering (Numbers 18:10): “You shall partake of them as most sacred donations.” But Scripture juxtaposed the peace-offerings/sacrifices of well-being of the community to the sin offering, as it is written (Leviticus 23:19): “You shall also offer one he-goat as a purification offering and two yearling lambs as a sacrifice of well-being,” to inform you that their law is like that of a sin-offering, which are not consumed other than inside fom the curtain and only by males of the priesthood. But they do not require four gifts like a sin offering, for there isn’t among all of the sacrifices that which requires four gifts other than only the sin-offering.
