Physical Requirements of Pilgrimage

m. Ḥagigah 1:1

70–220

About This Entry

Early rabbinic tradition expands on the biblical requirement to appear at the sanctuary three times a year, specifying who is required to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the three major festivals and who is exempt. Consistent with the social classification evident throughout the Mishnah, women, enslaved people, young children, the elderly, the ill, and those with injuries or physical deformities are excused from the pilgrimage requirement. Because physical pilgrimage by foot is required (the Hebrew term for pilgrimage festival, regel, means “foot”), the law binds only those who are free and fit to fulfill the commandment.

All are obligated to appear [at the Temple] except a deaf person, an imbecile, a minor, a person of unknown sex, a hermaphrodite, women, unfreed slaves, a lame person, a blind person, a sick person, an aged person, and one who is unable to go up on foot. Who is a minor? Whoever is unable to ride on his father’s shoulders and go up from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount—the words of Beth Shammai. But Beth Hillel says: Whoever is unable to hold his father’s hand and go up from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount, as it is said: Three pilgrimage festivals [regalim] (Exodus 23:14).

Adapted from the translation of Joshua Kulp.

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Credits

m. Ḥagigah 1:1, adapted from Mishnah Yomit, trans. Joshua Kulp, www.sefaria.org. Originally from https://learn.conservativeyeshiva.org. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) License.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.