[Avodah] How many Korban Pesachs could be sacrificed in 1 day?

[Marty Bluke]

Recently I learned Pesachim 64b (daf yomi) where the Gemara states that
King Agrippas wanted to take a census so he had the Cohanim count the
number of Korban Pesachs that were brought and it came out to 1.2 million
korbanos, 12 million people (10 to a korban).

1.2 million korban pesachs seem to be a very problematic number. There are
a number of major issues:

1. The Korban Pesach is only brought in the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan
after the korban tamid is brought. The Mishna (58a) states that on Erev
Pesach the Tamid was brought from 7.5 - 8.5. That leaves just 3.5 hours
(8.5 -12) to bring the korban pesachs. That means that they had to
sacrifice over 340,000 korbanos an hour, over 5700 a minute and over 95 a
second. That is simply impossible. Let's think about what needed to be
done.
A. shechita
B. collect the blood
C. sprinkle the blood on the mizbeach
D. Skin the animal and take out the organs to be burned on the mizbeach.
All of this at the pace of 95 a second???

Just for comparison a modern slaughterhouse kills about 1000 animals an
hour, so in the time allotted could get to 3500 animals.

2. How could they possibly fit all of the people and animals in the Azara?
The Gemara states that the Korban Pesach is brought in 3 shifts. 1.2
million korbanos means 1.2 animals and at least 1.2 million people, even in
3 even shifts that is 400,000 people and animals a shift!!! The Beis
Hamikdash was simply not that big the whole thing was 100 ama x 100 ama.
Even assuming a large ama of 2 feet that is 200 sq feet. In addition the
Kodesh Hakadoshim was 20 ama long which takes away space. In any case, not
only does it not fit 400,000 people and animals, it doesn't even fit 4000
people and animals. In addition, moving 400,000 people into and out of a
confined space takes hours, the whole 3.5 hours would have been taken up by
simply trying to get the people in and out without having time to do
anything.

This leads to the question that given the dimensions of the Mishkan and the
Beis Hamikdash and the number of people, how did everyone ever bring a
korban pesach? The numbers just don't work. Another question we can ask is
what if Moshiach came now, there are over 12 million halachic Jews, how
could we all possibly bring a korban Pesach in 3.5 hour window on Erev
Pesach?

Nowhere in the Gemara (or in any of the Rishonim/Acharonim that I saw) is
there even a hint that these numbers are not real.
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