party remained in their place. When it grew dark they went out and
roasted their passovers.

Chapter VI

1. These things in the passover abrogate the command against work on the
Sabbath: its slaughtering, and the sprinkling of its blood, and purging
its inwards, and incensing its fat. But its roasting and the rinsing of
its inwards do not abrogate the Sabbath. But to carry it, and to bring it
beyond a Sabbath day's journey, and to cut off its wen, do not abrogate
the Sabbath. Rabbi Eleazar said, "they abrogate it."

2. Said Rabbi Eleazar, "and is not this the teaching? when slaughtering is
work it abrogates the Sabbath. Things which are for 'resting' do not
abrogate the Sabbath."(161) To him said Rabbi Joshua, "a holiday will give
the proof; the Sages permitted that which is work, and they forbade that
which is resting." Rabbi Eleazar said to him, "what do you mean, Joshua?
what comparison is there between a command and that which is voluntary?"
Rabbi Akiba answered and said, "sprinkling(162) will give the proof,
because it is a positive command, and it is for 'resting,' and does not
abrogate the Sabbath; but you should not wonder at this, even though it be
a command, as it is for 'resting,' and does not abrogate the Sabbath."
Rabbi Eleazar said to him, "and on that I form my judgment, when
slaughtering is work it abrogates the Sabbath; sprinkling, which is for
'resting,' does it not teach that it abrogates the Sabbath?" Rabbi Akiba
said to him, "on the contrary, if sprinkling, which is for 'resting,' does
not abrogate the Sabbath, slaughtering, which is for work, is it not the
teaching? should not abrogate the Sabbath." Rabbi Eleazar said to him,
"Akiba, thou hast annulled what is written in the Law, 'between the
evenings,' 'in its appointed time,' whether it be a week-day or a
Sabbath." He said to him, "My teacher, give me proof of an appointed time
for these things, like the appointed time for slaughtering the
passover-offering?" The rule is, said R. Akiba, "all work for the passover
which it is possible to do on the eve of the Sabbath does not abrogate the
Sabbath; slaughtering, which it is impossible to do on the eve of the
passover which falls on a Sabbath, abrogates the Sabbath."

3. "When do men bring with the passover a feast-offering?" "When the
passover falls on a week-day, when those who offer it are legally clean,
and when the lamb is too small for the eaters. But when the passover falls
on a Sabba