{"collection":"Judaism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/jud/bar/bar121.htm","path":"jud/bar/bar121.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/jud/bar/bar121.htm","text":"The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878]\nThe Heifer's Age\u2014Ages of other Offerings\u2014Places from which the Red Heifer may come\u2014Blemishes\u2014Black hairs\u2014Separation of the Priest for burning the Red Heifer\u2014Sprinkling\u2014Lads who drew water from Siloam\u2014Number of Red Heifers\u2014Bridge to the Mount of Olives\u2014Procession of Heifer and Attendants\u2014Pile for burning\u2014Position of the Heifer\u2014Position of the Priest\u2014Slaughter of the Heifer\u2014Sprinkling the Blood\u2014Kindling the Pile\u2014Gathering the Ashes\u2014Doctrine of Intention\u2014Vessels\u2014Pumpkin Bottles\u2014A Hollow Reed\u2014Purifications\u2014Cases of Casuistry\u2014Seas\u2014Wells\u2014Reptiles\u2014A Clean Place\u2014Hyssop\u2014Sprinkling.\n1. Rabbi Eliezer said, \"the red heifer must be a calf of a year old, or an heifer of two years.\" But the Sages say, \"a calf of two years, and an heifer of three years, or of four years.\" Rabbi Meier said, \"even of five years she is allowed, or older. But they are not to wait (longer) for her, lest she turn black, and be disallowed.\" Rabbi Joshua said, \"I only heard, third.\" They said to him, what is the meaning of \"third?\" He said to them, \"thus I heard it without explanation.\" The son of Azai said, \u201cI will explain it, if you say \u201cthird,\u201d that is to others in counting; but if you say one of three, that is, of three years.\u201d As when they say, a fourth vineyard.\u201d They said to him, \"what means fourth?\" He said to them, \"thus I heard it without explanation.\" Said the son of Azai, \"I will explain. If you say 'fourth,' that is, to others in counting. But as you say one of four, that is, of four years. As when they\nsay, he who eats in a leprous house an half loaf, 1 of three loaves to the cab of flour.\" They say to him, \"say eighteen loaves to the seah of flour.\" He said to them, \"Thus I heard it without explanation.\" Said the son of Azai, \"I will explain. If you say three to the cab, there is no dough-offering. But if you say, eighteen to the seah, the dough-offering diminishes it.\"\n2. R. Jos\u00e9 the Galilean said, \u201cthe cleansing of the Levites required bullocks of two years old, as is said, \u201cAnd another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering. 2\u201d But the Sages say, \"even of three years.\" R. Meier said, \"bullocks even of four and five years are allowed, but old ones are not brought, for honour's sake.\"\n3. Sacrifices required lambs of a year old, and rams of two years old, and all (are reckoned) from day to day. 3 If they be thirteen months old, neither ram nor lamb are allowed. R. Tarphon called it, \"half and between.\" The son of Azai called it, \"pointed out\" R. Ishmael called it, \"recalled coin.\" If the ram be brought for offering, and the libation of the ram be brought with him, it does not pass for his offering, except he be thirteen months and one day old. That is the law for the ram.\n4. The sin-offering of the congregation, and their burnt-offerings, the sin-offering of an individual, and the trespass-offering of the Nazarite, and the trespass- offering of the leper, are allowed for thirty days and upwards, and even on the thirtieth day. And if they are brought on the eighth day, they are allowed, vows, free-will-offerings, the first-born, and the tithe, and the passover, are allowed from the eighth day and upwards, and even on the eighth day.\n300:1 The Jews say that Solomon, who understood all the commands of God, could not comprehend the full meaning of the Red Heifer.\n301:1 The meaning is that he who spends as much time in a leprous house, as is sufficient for eating a loaf of such a size, becomes defiled in his garments. See Leprosy, xiii. 10.\n301:2 Numb. viii. 8.\n301:3 The age of the lamb was reckoned from its birthday in Elul of last year, till the first day of Elul in the current year.","title":"The Talmud: Treatise XVI. The Heifer: Chapter I","type":"page"}