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Movement IV · The Kisvei Atzeres and Technical Laws

Piggul Between Paired Offerings

42b · מְנָחוֹת ב:ג · Menachos 2:3
הַתּוֹדָה מְפַגֶּלֶת אֶת הַלֶּחֶם, וְהַלֶּחֶם אֵינוֹ מְפַגֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹדָה. כֵּיצַד. הַשּׁוֹחֵט אֶת הַתּוֹדָה לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנָּה לְמָחָר, הִיא וְהַלֶּחֶם מְפֻגָּלִין. לֶאֱכֹל מִן הַלֶּחֶם לְמָחָר, הַלֶּחֶם מְפֻגָּל וְהַתּוֹדָה אֵינָהּ מְפֻגָּלֶת. הַכְּבָשִׂים מְפַגְּלִין אֶת הַלֶּחֶם, וְהַלֶּחֶם אֵינוֹ מְפַגֵּל אֶת הַכְּבָשִׂים. כֵּיצַד. הַשּׁוֹחֵט אֶת הַכְּבָשִׂים לֶאֱכֹל מֵהֶם לְמָחָר, הֵם וְהַלֶּחֶם מְפֻגָּלִים. לֶאֱכֹל מִן הַלֶּחֶם לְמָחָר, הַלֶּחֶם מְפֻגָּל, וְהַכְּבָשִׂים אֵינָן מְפֻגָּלִין.
The Todah meal offering renders its accompanying loaves piggul, but the loaves do not render the Todah piggul. How so? One who slaughters the Todah with intent to eat from it on the next day — both it and the loaves are rendered piggul. With intent to eat from the loaves on the next day — the loaves are piggul, but the Todah is not. The lambs of the Kisvei Atzeres render the Shtei HaLechem piggul, but the Shtei HaLechem does not render the lambs piggul. How so? One who slaughters the lambs with intent to eat from them on the next day — both they and the Shtei HaLechem are piggul. With intent to eat from the Shtei HaLechem on the next day — the loaves are piggul, but the lambs are not.
Fuchsia — Invalidating outcome (piggul)
Green — Remains valid
Purple — Condition (improper intent)
Blue — Section marker
Black — Case
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Background — piggul and the two pairs

Piggul (פיגול) is an offering invalidated by improper intent. During the act of shechita (or another core service), if the kohen thinks "I will eat from this offering past its proper eating window" — meaning tomorrow, when only today and tonight are halachically allowed — the offering becomes piggul. The intent alone disqualifies. The offering need never actually be eaten late.

This mishnah examines piggul for two paired offerings — one animal, one bread — that are brought together:

Todah — the thanksgiving peace offering, brought with 40 accompanying loaves (chametz and matzah). The animal and its loaves are eaten on the day of slaughter and the night following.

Kisvei Atzeres — the two communal peace-offering sheep brought on Shavuos, alongside the Shtei HaLechem, the two loaves of chametz bread baked from new wheat. Same eating window as the Todah pair.

Both pairs raise the same two questions: when improper intent is held during the animal's shechita, does it carry over to the accompanying bread? When the intent regards the bread, does it carry over to the animal?

The parallel structure — same shape applied twice
Intent during shechita
Todah and its loaves
Kisvei Atzeres lambs and Shtei HaLechem
Eat the meat after its time
Meat piggul · Loaves piggul
Lambs piggul · Shtei HaLechem piggul
Eat the bread after its time
Meat valid · Loaves piggul
Lambs valid · Shtei HaLechem piggul
The legal point — an asymmetric relationship
The animal offering (Todah or lambs) and its accompanying bread (Todah loaves or Shtei HaLechem) are not symmetric. The animal can infect the bread with piggul intent — but the bread cannot infect the animal. The reason: the animal's avodah (shechita with the intent) is the act that piggul attaches to. The bread is the dependent item. When the animal is invalidated, what depends on it falls with it. But when the bread is the target of the intent, only the bread is invalidated — the animal stands on its own.
Structural parallel to M39 — same direction of asymmetry
M39 (Menachos 4:3) is the me'akev mishnah for the same two items. The final halacha there (R' Shimon ben Nannas, ratified by R' Shimon): the lambs are me'akev the Shtei HaLechem — but the Shtei HaLechem is not me'akev the lambs. The lambs can be brought alone; the loaves cannot. The reason given: הכבשים מתירין את עצמן בלא לחם — the lambs permit themselves without the loaves; the loaves have no matir without the lambs. M42b runs in the same direction: the lambs' piggul intent transfers to the loaves, but loaves' piggul intent doesn't transfer to the lambs. In both mishnayos the animal has independent standing and the bread is the dependent item — once on the axis of me'akev, once on the axis of piggul. Same structural principle, two legal domains.
Position in the Omer to Shavuos arc — 43 mishnayos
Preceding · Mishnah 42
Menachos 2:2
The opening Menachos 2 mishnah — the conceptual frame for what follows
Current · Mishnah 42b
Menachos 2:3 — Piggul Between Paired Offerings
Movement IV · Technical Laws
Piggul intent during shechita doesn't stay contained to the animal — it can spread to its accompanying bread. For the Kisvei Atzeres lambs, that means the Shtei HaLechem itself can be disqualified by improper intent during the lambs' shechita. The Shavuos offering's two halves are joined for piggul purposes, but only in one direction.
Following · Mishnah 43
Menachos 2:5
Continuing the piggul series — pairs that do and do not invalidate each other
The Lived MishnahHome
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