(1) The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying: (2) Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them: When any of you presents an offering of cattle to the Lord, he shall choose his offering from the herd or from the flock. (3) If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall make his offering a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for acceptance in his behalf before the Lord. (4) He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be acceptable in his behalf, in expiation for him. (5) The bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall offer the blood, dashing the blood against all sides of the altar which is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
(א) וְאִם־זֶ֥בַח שְׁלָמִ֖ים קָרְבָּנ֑וֹ אִ֤ם מִן־הַבָּקָר֙ ה֣וּא מַקְרִ֔יב אִם־זָכָר֙ אִם־נְקֵבָ֔ה תָּמִ֥ים יַקְרִיבֶ֖נּוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ב) וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ קָרְבָּנ֔וֹ וּשְׁחָט֕וֹ פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְזָרְק֡וּ בְּנֵי֩ אַהֲרֹ֨ן הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים אֶת־הַדָּ֛ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃ (ג) וְהִקְרִיב֙ מִזֶּ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִ֔ים אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהוָ֑ה אֶת־הַחֵ֙לֶב֙ הַֽמְכַסֶּ֣ה אֶת־הַקֶּ֔רֶב וְאֵת֙ כָּל־הַחֵ֔לֶב אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַקֶּֽרֶב׃ (ד) וְאֵת֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת וְאֶת־הַחֵ֙לֶב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲלֵהֶ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַכְּסָלִ֑ים וְאֶת־הַיֹּתֶ֙רֶת֙ עַל־הַכָּבֵ֔ד עַל־הַכְּלָי֖וֹת יְסִירֶֽנָּה׃
(1) If his offering is a sacrifice of well-being--if he offers of the herd, whether a male or a female--he shall bring before the Lord one without blemish. (2) He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall dash the blood against all sides of the altar. (3) He shall then present from the sacrifice of well-being, as an offering by fire to the Lord, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is about the entrails; (4) the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, that is at the loins; and the protuberance on the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys.
(13) If it is the whole community of Israel that has erred and the matter escapes the notice of the congregation, so that they do any of the things which by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt— (14) when the sin through which they incurred guilt becomes known, the congregation shall offer a bull of the herd as a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting. (15) The elders of the community shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord.
Yosi ben Yo'ezer says: We do not lay on hands [on the head of a sacrifice on a festival]. Yosi ben Yohanan says: We lay on hands.
Yehoshua ben Perachiah says: We do not lay on hands. Nittai the Arbelite says: We lay on hands.
Yehudah ben Tabai says: We do not lay on hands. Shimon ben Shetah says: We lay on hands.
Shamayah says: We lay on hands. Avtalyon says: We do not lay on hands.
Hillel and Menahem did not debate [about this law]. Menahem left his position; Shammai entered it.
Shammai says: We do not lay hands. Hillel says: We lay hands.
The former [of each pair] were Patriarchs and the latter were Heads of the Court.
יוסי בן יועזר אומר שלא לסמוך.
ביו״ט. מפני שמשתמש בבעלי חיים, שבכל כחו הוא סומך. וזו המחלוקת היתה בין הנשיאים ובין אבות ב״ד, דור אחר דור:
"Yosi ben Yo'ezer says: We do not lay on hands":
On a festival, because one is making use of living creatures [the animals about to be sacrificed], since one lays on hands with all his strength.
And this debate occurred between the Patriarchs and the Heads of the Court generation after generation.
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ יִפְקֹ֣ד יְהוָ֔ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָרוּחֹ֖ת לְכָל־בָּשָׂ֑ר אִ֖ישׁ עַל־הָעֵדָֽה׃ אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵ֣א לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר יָבֹא֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹצִיאֵ֖ם וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר יְבִיאֵ֑ם וְלֹ֤א תִהְיֶה֙ עֲדַ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה כַּצֹּ֕אן אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵין־לָהֶ֖ם רֹעֶֽה׃ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה קַח־לְךָ֙ אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֔וּן אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ר֣וּחַ בּ֑וֹ וְסָמַכְתָּ֥ אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ עָלָֽיו׃ (יט) וְהַֽעֲמַדְתָּ֣ אֹת֗וֹ לִפְנֵי֙ אֶלְעָזָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָּל־הָעֵדָ֑ה וְצִוִּיתָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ (כ) וְנָתַתָּ֥ה מֵהֽוֹדְךָ֖ עָלָ֑יו לְמַ֣עַן יִשְׁמְע֔וּ כָּל־עֲדַ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (כא) וְלִפְנֵ֨י אֶלְעָזָ֤ר הַכֹּהֵן֙ יַעֲמֹ֔ד וְשָׁ֥אַל ל֛וֹ בְּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט הָאוּרִ֖ים לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה עַל־פִּ֨יו יֵצְא֜וּ וְעַל־פִּ֣יו יָבֹ֗אוּ ה֛וּא וְכָל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אִתּ֖וֹ וְכָל־הָעֵדָֽה׃ (כב) וַיַּ֣עַשׂ מֹשֶׁ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֹת֑וֹ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ וַיַּֽעֲמִדֵ֙הוּ֙ לִפְנֵי֙ אֶלְעָזָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָּל־הָעֵדָֽה׃ (כג) וַיִּסְמֹ֧ךְ אֶת־יָדָ֛יו עָלָ֖יו וַיְצַוֵּ֑הוּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (פ)
(15) Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, (16) “Let the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the community (17) who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in, so that the Lord’s community may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.” (18) And the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man with spirit in him, and lay your hand on him." (19) Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission him in their sight. (20) Share with him your renown, so that the whole Israelite community may obey. (21) And he shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim before the Lord. At its instruction they shall go out, and at its instruction they shall come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.” (22) Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community. (23) He laid his hands on him and commissioned him—as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
(7) Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated. (8) And the Israelites cried for Moses on the plains of Moab thirty days. And the days of crying in mourning for Moses ended. (9) Now Joshua, son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.
תנא סמיכה וסמיכת זקנים בג' מאי סמיכה ומאי סמיכת זקנים א"ר יוחנן מיסמך סבי א"ל אביי לרב יוסף מיסמך סבי בשלשה מנלן אילימא מדכתיב (במדבר כז, כג) ויסמוך את ידיו עליו אי הכי תסגי בחד וכי תימא משה במקום שבעים וחד קאי אי הכי ליבעי שבעים וחד קשיא
It is taught: Laying on hands [for a sacrifice], and laying on hands for Sages are done by three [authorized rabbis].
What is "laying on hands" and what is "laying on hands for Sages"? Rabbi Yoḥanan says: [The latter expression means] ordaining Sages.
Abaye said to Rav Yosef: From where do we know that ordaining Sages is performed by three? If we say because it is written, “And he [Moses] laid his hands on him" (Numbers 27:23), if so, then one should be enough [to ordain a Sage]. And if you argue that Moses was the equivalent of seventy-one Sages [who were on the great Sanhedrin], if so, then we should [always] require seventy-one judges! This is difficult to resolve.
Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, said to Rav Ashi: Do we ordain him by actually using one's hand? He replied to him: We ordain him by name: they call him "Rabbi" and grant him authority [even] to judge cases that impose fines.
וחד לא סמיך והא אמר רב יהודה אמר רב ברם זכור אותו האיש לטוב ורבי יהודה בן בבא שמו שאילמלא הוא נשתכחו דיני קנסות מישראל נשתכחו נגרוסינהו אלא בטלו דיני קנסות מישראל שפעם אחת גזרה מלכות הרשעה גזירה על ישראל שכל הסומך יהרג וכל הנסמך יהרג ועיר שסומכין בה תיחרב ותחומין שסומכין בהן יעקרו
But can't one man [alone] ordain someone? Rav Yehudah says in the name of Rav: Certainly there's a man who will be well remembered--and Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava is his name. For without him the laws of imposing fines would have been forgotten among the Jewish people. They would have been forgotten? Then let's study them! Rather, he meant that implementing the laws of fines [would have ended].
For once the wicked kingdom [Rome] decreed upon the Jewish people that anyone who ordains a Sage will be put to death, and anyone who receives ordination will be put to death, and a city in which they ordain will be destroyed, and the area surrounding where they ordain will be uprooted.
What did Yehudah ben Bava do? He went and sat down between two large mountains, between two large cities, and between two inhabited areas--between Usha and Shefaram--and there he ordained five Sages, and they were: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua. Rav Avya adds Rabbi Neḥemyah, too.
When their enemies discovered them, Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava said to them, "My sons, run away!" They replied, "Master, what about you?" He said to them, "I am set before them like a stone that cannot be overturned." They say that [the Roman soldiers] did not leave there until they had stabbed him with three hundred iron spears and made him like a sieve.
"Like a stone that cannot be overturned":
[Rabbi Yehudah meant:] For I won't turn tail from them and run away, rather I'm setting myself before them in order to accept death out of love, without feeling pain, like a stone that cannot feel.