Comparison: ערוך השולחן (Aruch HaShulchan) & Rambam – Organization of Korbanot

Introduction

Both Aruch HaShulchan HeAtid (הלכות מעשה הקרבנות, סימן סג) and Rambam (Introduction to Seder Kodashim) provide comprehensive systematic overviews of the world of sacrifices (קרבנות). While their content overlaps significantly, their organizational frameworks and categorical emphases differ in subtle but notable ways.

1. Species and Basic Types of Korbanot

Aruch HaShulchan

  • Begins with the five species: three types of בהמה (cows, sheep, goats) and two types of עוף (turtledoves, young pigeons).
  • Explicitly notes that חיה is excluded due to דרשה and the Torah’s explicit mention of “מן הבקר ומן הצאן”.
  • Further clarifies subtypes (e.g., שור, פרה, עגלה under בקר; אילים, כבשים, עזים under צאן).
  • Lists seven types of korbanot: עולה, חטאת, אשם, שלמים, תודה (a type of שלמים), בכור, מעשר, פסח.

Rambam

  • Lists the same five species, but does not use “בהמה” as a catch-all category; instead, he enumerates each type.
  • Considers only four basic types: עולה, חטאת, אשם, שלמים. The others (e.g., בכור, מעשר, פסח) are subsumed under these as derivatives or subcategories of שלמים.

Summary Table: Species & Main Types

Species Classification Main Korban Types
ערוך השולחן בהמה (פירוט), עוף 7 types (explicit)
רמב”ם Lists each species 4 types (derivative grouping)

2. Public vs. Private Offerings

Both agree on the distinction, but their emphases and lists differ:

Korban Tzibbur (Public Offerings)

  • Aruch HaShulchan: Focuses on daily, Shabbat, and festival offerings, and notes which korbanot are exclusive to the public (e.g., אין אשם בציבור, אין עוף בציבור).
  • Rambam: Provides detailed breakdowns for each festival and emphasizes which korbanot are unique to the ציבור, also noting no public אשם, and only two כבשי שלמים בציבור (on Shavuot).

Korban Yachid (Private Offerings)

  • Both divide into categories, but the order and emphasis differ.
  • Aruch HaShulchan: Lists five categories—(1) by act or word, (2) by status of body (“מקרי הגוף”), (3) by time, (4) by property, (5) voluntary.
  • Rambam: Also lists five, but flips the order of time and property, and uses different terminology (e.g., “מצב מסויים” vs. “מקרי הגוף”).
Order of Categories (Yachid) Inclusion of Kohen Gadol’s Yom Kippur Bull
ערוך השולחן 1. Act/word 2. Body 3. Time 4. Property 5. Voluntary Category of Yachid (notes: “דינו כשל ציבור”)
רמב”ם 1. Act/word 2. Status 3. Property 4. Time 5. Voluntary “יחיד כעין ציבור” (formal new category)

3. Intermediate and Hybrid Categories

Rambam’s Unique Categories

  • Korban Tzibbur “Ke’eyn Yachid”: e.g., communal offerings brought for communal sin (פר העלם דבר), which function like a ציבור but do not override Shabbat/tumah (like a ייחיד).
  • Korban Yachid “Ke’eyn Tzibbur”: e.g., Pesach, or the Kohen Gadol’s Yom Kippur offerings, which though technically brought by individuals, have communal law implications (override Shabbat/tumah, etc.).

Aruch HaShulchan does not formally create these hybrid categories, but notes exceptions (e.g., פר כה”ג ביוה”כ is a יחיד with laws like ציבור).

4. Treatment of Unique Cases

  • Kohen Gadol’s Bull on Yom Kippur:
    • Rambam: “יחיד כעין ציבור”
    • Aruch HaShulchan: Lists under private, but notes public-like law.
  • גר’s Korban:
    • Rambam: Seamlessly includes under “מצב מסויים”
    • Aruch HaShulchan: Also includes, but frames it in terms of bodily change.

5. Linguistic and Thematic Differences

  • Aruch HaShulchan: Tends to use traditional Talmudic language and explicitly addresses difficulties in the text (e.g., whether “קרבנו” can ever mean ציבור).
  • Rambam: More systematic and philosophical, often introducing terminology (“קרבן ציבור כעין יחיד”) and focusing on universals and exceptions.

6. General Observations & Halachic Details

  • Aruch HaShulchan includes practical notes (e.g., differences in “נדר” vs “נדבה”, unique laws of each korban).
  • Rambam ends with a series of rules about the general requirements for korbanot (e.g., no blemishes, must be brought by a fit kohen, brought in the Mikdash by day, etc.) and provides additional analysis about which korbanot are eaten, by whom, and which are burned.

7. Summary Table: Key Differences

Category ערוך השולחן רמב”ם
Species Grouping בהמה/עוף explicit, חיה excluded Lists each species, not “בהמה” as a category
Main Korban Types Seven explicit types Four root types, others as subtypes
Hybrid Categories Notes exceptions, no formal hybrids Two formal hybrid categories: ציבור כעין יחיד וכו’
Kohen Gadol’s Bull Lists as private with public-like laws Formal “יחיד כעין ציבור”
“מקרי הגוף” (Status) Used for bodily status category “מצב מסויים שאירע לו” (broader, includes גר)
Property vs. Time (4) Property, (3) Time (3) Property, (4) Time (flipped order)
“קרבנו” for ציבור Questions, suggests doubt Not discussed
Laws Summary Practical halacha, Nedarim/voluntariness Universal rules, eating/burning, who brings what

8. Notable Thematic Points

  • Rambam’s framework is more systematic and analytical, introducing hybrid categories and focusing on universal rules and exceptions.
  • Aruch HaShulchan is more textual and practical, addressing language, Talmudic sources, and practical halachic outcomes, often raising challenges or doubts.
  • The flip in order of categories for private korbanot is a small but telling difference in their organizational logic.

9. Open Questions & Observations

  • Why does Rambam not count מנחה as a “korban” in his introduction here?
  • The inclusion of “קרבן הגר” in bodily status (Aruch HaShulchan) vs. as a natural fit (Rambam).
  • The treatment of “פר של כהן גדול ביום הכפורים” as a hybrid or not.
  • Practical implications regarding eating, burning, and who may bring/eat each korban are more emphasized in Rambam’s summary.

10. Conclusion

Both Aruch HaShulchan and Rambam provide foundational frameworks for understanding korbanot, but their categorical logic, terminology, and thematic priorities differ—reflecting broader patterns in their respective halachic and literary approaches.

Sources Cited

  • ערוך השולחן העתיד, הלכות מעשה הקרבנות סימן סג
  • הקדמת הרמב”ם לסדר קדשים
  • ספר ויקרא (ראשית פרשת ויקרא)
  • תורת כהנים (ספרא)
  • זבחים לד ע”א
  • חגיגה ו,ב
  • ספרי פרשת שלח
  • מסכת הוריות
  • מסכת פסחים
  • מסכת מדות