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

[Zev Sero]

On 2/09/2013 4:40 AM, Marty Bluke wrote:

> 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???>

Why not? The owner of an animal catches the attention of a kohen with a
basin, who comes over, the owner (who has brought his own chalaf) positions
the animal and shechts, the kohen catches the blood, and rushes it over to
one of the lines of kohanim all over the azara who are passing the basins
back and forward.  Let's suppose the whole process, from positioning the
animal to catching the blood, takes 20 seconds.  To process 100 a second they
would need 2000 animals being sacrificed simultaneously.

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

Beef or lamb?  A lamb is a lot easier to manipulate.  And of course a modern
slaughterhouse is not working on a deadline, and its output is controlled by
the demand; there isn't the demand for that much meat on any one day.


>  The Beis Hamikdash was simply not that big the whole thing was 100 ama x
> 100 ama.

The azara was 187 x 135.  Take away 100x100 for the Hechal, and 32x32 for the
mizbeach, leaves over 14,000 sq amos, which at 50 cm is over 3,500 sq metres.
If 2000 people are actively sacrificing at any one time, and each of those
occupies 1 sq metre, that leaves 1500 sq metres for all the people who are
waiting their turn, and for the kohanim's lines, etc.  It's tight, but probably
doable even without miracles.   And of course there were miracles, e.g. on Yom
Kippur, so why not on Erev Pesach as well?


  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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-- 
Zev Sero               A citizen may not be required to offer a 'good and
zev at sero.name          substantial reason' why he should be permitted to
                        exercise his rights. The right's existence is all
                        the reason he needs.
                            - Judge Benson E. Legg, Woollard v. Sheridan