Temurah (Talmud)

Tractate Temurah is a tractate of the Babylonian Talmud, the greater part of which is an elaboration of the Law laid down in Leviticus 27:10 regarding dedication of an animal for sacrifice.^[1]

In Jewish Law, temurah (Hebrew: תמורה‎‎, literally: "exchange") is the prohibition against attempting to switch the sanctity of an animal that has been sanctified for the Temple in Jerusalem with another non-sanctified animal. It is explicitly stated in Leviticus 27:33. According to the law, both animals become sanctified, and the person who attempted the transfer is punished with lashes.

This prohibition of exchange was counted by Maimonides as comprising 3 of the 613 commandments. The three commandments are:

1. Not to substitute another beast for one set apart for sacrifice
2. The new animal, in addition to the substituted one, retains consecration
3. Not to change consecrated animals from one type of offering to another

These are explained in the Babylonian Talmud in the tractate temurah, in order of Kodshim. Like many tractates in the order of Kodshim, Temurah was not often learned by many Talmud scholars. Its reopening was included in the general Kodshim Renaissance brought about by the Brisk yeshivas.

See also

• Temurah (Kabbalah), a method, used by the Kabbalists to rearrange words and sentences in the Bible
• Midrash Temurah (Hebrew: מדרש תמורה), one of the smaller midrashim, consisting of three chapters

References