The Purification Offering (Ḥatat)

5:3. [There are different types of] purification offerings: for the community and for the individual. These are the purification offerings for the community: the goats for new months and holidays are slaughtered in the north [of the Temple], and their blood is collected in serving vessels in the north, and their blood requires four applications on the four corners of the altar. How [was this done]? [The priest] ascended the ramp [to the altar] and turned to the [walkway] surrounding [the altar]. He reached the southeast corner, the northeast corner, the northwest corner, and the southwest corner [to pour the blood at each corner]. The rest of the blood he would pour on the southern base [of the altar]. [These sacrifices] were eaten within the curtains [of the Temple] by male priests in any edible form, during the day and night—until midnight. [ . . . ]

6:1. The holiest of the holy sacrifices were slaughtered at the head of the altar. R. Yosi says: It is as if they were slaughtered in the north. [ . . . ] Grain offerings would be taken anywhere in the courtyard and eaten within the curtains [of the Temple] by male priests in any edible form, during the day and night—until midnight.

2. A bird purification offering was performed on the southwest corner [of the altar]. It was acceptable [to perform this sacrifice] in any place [within the Temple], but this was its [preferred] location. Three things were done at this corner [of the altar] above and three things below. Below: the bird purification offering, the presentation of [meal offerings], and the [spilling] of the remainder of the blood. Above: the water and wine libations, and the bird burnt offering—when there were too many [offerings] on the east [side of the altar].

3. All who ascended the altar would ascend on the right side, circle [the altar], and descend on the left side, except one who ascended for one of these three things, who would ascend and return the same way.

4. The bird purification offering, how was it performed? [The priest] would snap the [bird’s] head opposite the back of its neck but would not divide the bird in half and would sprinkle its blood on the wall of the altar. The rest of its blood was sprinkled on the base of the altar. Only its blood was for the altar; the whole [carcass] was for the priests.

Translated byMatthew Goldstone.