*Omitted (should not have been added to the Laws)
**Changed (a misinterpretation of the Law or based on the wrong scripture)
***No Longer Kept (No longer applicable today)
The following Laws pertain to blemished animals being
considered as offerings. As with the
Kohen, blemished animals, whether permanent or temporary, may not be used as an
offering or slaughtered for an offering.
These Laws cover the entire process of offering an animal, from bringing
it to the altar door, to slaughtering it to the sprinkling of its blood by the
Priest at the altar. You will also note
*** by all of them. This indicates they
are no longer kept outside of a Temple.
A few of these have * indicating they need to be omitted from the List
of Commandments and ** indicate they need to be changed to fit the scripture
reference of another scripture should be referenced.
***Law #336 To offer only unblemished animals
Lev. 22:21 “And whosoever offers a sacrifice of peace
offering unto the Most High to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in
beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish
therein.”
The Command is that an unblemished animal shall be
acceptable.
***Law #337 Not to dedicate a blemished animal for the altar
Lev. 22:20 “But whosoever has a blemish, that shall ye not
offer for it shall be acceptable for you.
The Command is not to dedicate a blemished animal for the
altar.
***Law #338 Not to slaughter it
Lev. 22:22 “…Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen,
or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Most High, nor make an
offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Most High.
Making an offer by fire requires the slaughter of the
animal. Because a blemished animal is
unacceptable to offer, the Command here is not to slaughter a blemished animal
for an offering.
***Law #339 Not to sprinkle its blood
Lev. 22:24 “Ye shall not offer unto the Most High that which
is bruised or crushed or broken or cut; neither shall ye make any offering
thereof in your land.”
The sprinkling of its blood is one of the final steps in the
offering process prior to removing some of its inner parts.
***Law #340 Not to burn its fat
Lev. 22:22 “…Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen,
or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Most High, nor make an
offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Most High.
***/**Law #341 Not to offer a temporarily blemished animal
Deut. 17:1 “Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the Most High your
God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evil favouredness: for
that is an abomination…”
Per Maimonide’s List, the Command here is not to offer any
temporarily blemished animal. However,
this scripture reference is actually found in Lev. 22:19-20 implies this in its
mention of broken bones, which is a temporary blemish. Therefore, the scriptural reference should be
changed
***Law #342 Not to sacrifice blemished animals even if
offered by non-Jews
Lev. 22:25 “Neither from a stranger’s hand shall ye offer
the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and
blemishes be in hem: they shall not be accepted for you.”
The Command is not to offer blemished animals offered by
non-Jews (stranger).
***Law #343 Not to inflict wounds upon dedicated animals
Lev. 22:21 ““And whosoever offers a sacrifice of peace
offering unto the Most High to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in
beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish
therein.
According to Maimonide’s List, the Command is not to inflict
wounds upon a dedicated animal. The
Command refers to once an unblemished animal is received for offering, to make
certain it remains unharmed during the sacrificial process.
***Law #344 To redeem dedicated animals which have become
disqualified
Deut. 12:15 “Notwithstanding thou may kill and eat flesh in
all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusts after, according to the blessing of
the Most High which he has given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat
thereof, as of the roebuck and as the hart.”
The Command here is to redeem (or consume) dedicated animals
which have become disqualified. The
animals that were not good enough for offering were still good enough for
consumption.
***Law #345 To offer only animals which are at least eight
days old
Lev. 22:27 “When a bullock, or sheep, or a goat, is brought
forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and
thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Most
High.”
The Command is not to offer animals less than eight days
old.
***Law #346 Not to offer animals bought with the wages of a
harlot or animal exchanged for a dog
Deut. 23:19 “Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother;
usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of anything that is lent upon usury…”
The Command is not to offer animals bought with the wages of
a harlot or the animal exchanged for a dog.
***Law #347 Not to burn honey or yeast on the altar
Lev. 2:11 “No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the
Most High, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any
honey in any offering of the Most High by fire.”
The Command is not to burn honey or yeast on the altar
***Law #348 To salt all sacrifices & *Law #349 Not to
omit the salt from sacrifices
Lev. 2:13 “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt
though season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of
thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou
shalt offer salt.
The Command is to salt the sacrifices. According to Maimonide’s List, there is an
additional Law (#349) based on the exact same scripture that says, “Not to omit
the salt from sacrifices,” which is the same Law as #348. Therefore, Command #349 needs to be omitted
as it is a repeat of the previous Law.
