The Talmud on the Temple of Onias

[ONE WHO SAYS:] IT [IS INCUMBENT] UPON ME [TO BRING] A BURNT OFFERING, MUST SACRIFICE IT IN THE TEMPLE [IN JERUSALEM]. AND IF HE SACRIFICED IT IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS, HE HAS NOT FULFILLED [HIS OBLIGATION. ONE WHO SAYS: IT IS INCUMBENT] UPON ME [TO BRING A] BURNT OFFERING THAT I WILL SACRIFICE IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS, MUST SACRIFICE IT IN THE TEMPLE [IN JERUSALEM], BUT IF HE SACRIFICED IT IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS, HE HAS FULFILLED [HIS OBLIGATION]. R. SIMEON SAYS [THAT IF ONE SAYS: IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ME TO BRING A BURNT OFFERING THAT I WILL SACRIFICE IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS], IT IS NOT [CONSECRATED AS] A BURNT OFFERING.

[IF ONE SAYS:] I AM HEREBY A NAZIRITE, [THEN WHEN HIS TERM OF NAZIRITESHIP IS COMPLETED,] HE MUST SHAVE [THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD AND BRING THE REQUISITE OFFERINGS] IN THE TEMPLE [IN JERUSALEM]; AND IF HE SHAVED IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS, HE HAS NOT FULFILLED [HIS OBLIGATION. IF ONE SAYS:] I AM HEREBY A NAZIRITE [PROVIDED] THAT I WILL SHAVE IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS, HE MUST SHAVE IN THE TEMPLE [IN JERUSALEM]; BUT IF HE SHAVED IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS, HE HAS FULFILLED [HIS OBLIGATION]. R. SIMEON SAYS [THAT ONE WHO SAYS: I AM HEREBY A NAZIRITE PROVIDED THAT I WILL SHAVE IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS] IS NOT A NAZIRITE [AT ALL].

[The Mishnah teaches that one who says: It is incumbent upon me to bring a burnt offering that I will sacrifice in the temple of Onias, and sacrifices it in the temple of Onias, has fulfilled his obligation. The Gemara asks: How has he] fulfilled [his obligation? By sacrificing it in the temple of Onias,] hasn’t he [merely] killed it [without sacrificing it properly]?

R. Hamnuna says: [The Mishnah does not mean that he has fulfilled his vow to bring an offering. Rather,] he is rendered like one who says: It [is incumbent] upon me [to bring] a burnt offering on the condition that I will not be responsible for it [if I kill it beforehand].

Rava said to [R. Hamnuna]: If that is so, [what about] the latter clause [of the Mishnah], which teaches [that if one says]: I am hereby a nazirite [provided] that I will shave in the temple of Onias, he must shave in the Temple [in Jerusalem], but if he shaved in the temple of Onias, he has fulfilled [his obligation? In this case do you] also [maintain] that he is rendered like one who says: I am hereby a nazirite on the condition that I will not be responsible for [bringing] its offerings [if I kill them beforehand? Such a condition cannot exempt] a nazirite [from bringing his offerings, because] as long as he does not bring his offerings, he is not fit [to conclude his term of naziriteship and is still bound by all of the restrictions of a nazirite].

Rather, Rava said [there is a different explanation: The animal was never consecrated at all, as] this person intended [merely] to [bring the animal as] a gift, [but not to consecrate it as an offering. He presumably lives closer to the temple of Onias than to the Temple in Jerusalem, and must have] said [to himself]: If it is sufficient [to sacrifice this animal] in the temple of Onias, I [am prepared to] exert [myself and bring it. But if it is necessary to do] more [than that, i.e., to bring it to Jerusalem], I am not able to afflict myself.

[This is the explanation of the latter clause of the Mishnah] as well: [If one said that he would be] a nazirite [provided that he will shave in the temple of Onias], this man [did not intend to accept upon himself the halakhic status of naziriteship. Rather, he merely] intends to practice abstinence [by not drinking wine, along with observing the other restrictions of a nazirite. Therefore,] he said [to himself]: If it is sufficient [to shave] in the temple of Onias, I [am prepared to] exert [myself and do so. But if it is necessary to do] more [than that, i.e., to go to Jerusalem to shave and bring the required offerings], I am not able to afflict myself.

And R. Hamnuna [could have] said to you [in response to Rava’s challenge: With regard to the case of one who vowed to become] a nazirite [on the condition that he would shave and bring his offerings in the temple of Onias, the interpretation of the Mishnah is] as you said. [But with regard to one who vows to bring] a burnt offering [in the temple of Onias, his intent is as I explained, and it is as if] he says: [It is incumbent] upon me [to bring] a burnt offering on the condition that I will not be responsible for it [if I kill it beforehand].

And R. Yoḥanan also [holds in accordance with] that which R. Hamnuna [said,] as Rabba bar Bar Ḥana said [that] R. Yoḥanan said [that if one says]: It [is incumbent] upon me [to bring] a burnt offering [on the condition] that I will sacrifice it in the temple of Onias, and he sacrificed it in Erets Yisrael [but not in the Temple], he has fulfilled [his obligation], but [his actions] are [also] punishable by excision from the world to come [because he sacrificed an offering outside the Temple. This is in accordance with the opinion of Rav Hamnuna that the animal is consecrated]. [ . . . ]

THE PRIESTS WHO SERVED IN THE TEMPLE OF ONIAS MAY NOT SERVE IN THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM; AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, [IF THEY SERVED] FOR SOMETHING ELSE, [A EUPHEMISM FOR IDOLATRY, THEY ARE DISQUALIFIED FROM SERVICE IN THE TEMPLE]. AS IT IS STATED: NEVERTHELESS THE PRIESTS OF THE PRIVATE ALTARS DID NOT COME UP TO THE ALTAR OF THE LORD IN JERUSALEM, BUT THEY DID EAT MATZAH AMONG THEIR BRETHREN (2 KINGS 23:9). [THE HALAKHIC STATUS OF] THESE [PRIESTS IS] LIKE [THAT OF] BLEMISHED [PRIESTS IN THAT] THEY RECEIVE A SHARE [IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE MEAT OF THE OFFERINGS] AND PARTAKE [OF THAT MEAT], BUT THEY DO NOT SACRIFICE [OFFERINGS OR PERFORM ANY OF THE SACRIFICIAL RITES]. [ . . . ]

[The Mishnah teaches:] And needless to say, [if priests served for] something else, [they are disqualified from service in the Temple. The Gemara comments:] From [the fact] that it says: Needless to say, [if they served for] something else, by inference, the temple of Onias is not [a temple of] idol worship, [but rather a temple devoted to the worship of God].

It is taught [in a baraita] like the one who says [that] the temple of Onias is not [a temple of] idol worship. As it is taught: [During] the year in which Simon the Just died, he said to [his associates], “This year, he will die [referring to himself].” They said to him, “From where do you know?” [ . . . ]

At the time of his death, he said to [the sages], “Onias, my son, will serve [as high priest] in my stead.” Shimi, [Onias’] brother, became jealous [of him], as [Shimi] was two and a half years older than [Onias. Shimi] said to [Onias treacherously], “Come and I will teach you the order of the service [of the high priest.” Shimi] dressed [Onias] in a tunic and girded him with a ribbon [as a belt, i.e., not in the vestments of the high priest, and] stood him next to the altar. [Shimi] said to his fellow priests, “Look what this [man] vowed and fulfilled for his beloved, [that he had said to her]: On the day that I serve in the high priesthood I will wear your tunic and gird your ribbon.”

The fellow priests of [Onias] wanted to kill him [because he had disgraced the Temple service with his garments. Onias] ran [away] from them and they ran after him. He went to Alexandria in Egypt and built an altar there and sacrificed [offerings] upon it for the sake of idol worship. When the sages heard of the matter they said: If this [person, Shimi], who did not enter [the position of high priest, acted with] such [jealousy], all the more so [will] one who enters [a prestigious position rebel if that position is taken away from him. This is] the statement of R. Meir.

R. Judah said to him: [The] incident was not like this. Rather, Onias did not accept [the position of high priest] because his brother Shimi was two and a half years older than him, [so Shimi was appointed as high priest]. And even so, Onias was jealous of his brother Shimi. [Onias] said to [Shimi], “Come and I will teach you the order of the service [of the high priest].” And [Onias] dressed [Shimi] in a tunic and girded him in a ribbon and stood him next to the altar. [Onias] said to his fellow priests, “Look what this [man, Shimi,] vowed and fulfilled for his beloved, [that he had said to her]: On the day that I serve in the high priesthood I will wear your tunic and gird your ribbon.”

His fellow priests wanted to kill [Shimi. Shimi then] told them the entire incident, [that he had been tricked by his brother Onias, so the priests] wanted to kill Onias. [Onias] ran [away] from them, and they ran after him. [Onias] ran to the palace of the king, and they ran after him. Anyone who saw him would say, “This is him, this is him,” [and he was not able to escape unnoticed. Onias] went to Alexandria in Egypt and built an altar there and sacrificed [offerings] upon it for the sake of Heaven. As it is stated: In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border, to the Lord (Isaiah 19:19).

And when the sages heard of the matter they said: If this one, [Onias,] who fled from [the position of high priest and offered it to his brother, still was overcome with] such [jealousy to the point where he tried to have Shimi killed], all the more so [will] one who wants to enter [a prestigious position be jealous of the one who already has that position].