5. The Sadducees, who stood upon their priestly dig- nity and ancient prerogatives, rejected the artificial mode of amalgamating the distances (■pTS'injn niT'J') introduced by the Pharisees to enable the members of their order to walk beyond the Sabbath-day's journey without infringing on the sanctity of the day, so as to join the social meal which was instituted in imitation of the priestlj' social repast. See Phakisee; Sabbath- day's Journey.
6. As priests, the Sadducees were not subject to the stringent Sabbatical laws, and could therefore enjoy their meals comfortably, inasmuch as they regarded the work requisite for their preparation as part of their sacerdotal duties, which set aside the Sabbatic regula- tions; whereas upon the people they imposed the most rigorous observance. Thus, in accordance with Exod. XXV, 3, they insisted that lights must not be kindled on Sabbath eve. and that the supper should be eaten in the dark (Sabbath, 55 b ; Rashi, on Tosiphta in Sabbath, ibid. ; Maimonides, Yad Hachezaka, Ililchoth Sabbath, vi, 1 ; Tanchumii,\viu); they prohibited the eating of any food w'hich was eitlier kept warm since the prep- aration-day (PSIL^ ^^2J), or was warmed on the Sab- liath (Responses of the Gaonim, called Shaare Teshuba, No. xxxiv) ; and forbade connubial intercourse because of the exertion connected therewith, and of its not be- ing holy work, according to Exod. xix, 10, 15 (comp. JJaba Kama, 82 a).
7. The Sadducees, who, as the priestlj'^ party, regard- ed the Temple treasury as their own, demanded that the daily morning and evening sacrifices should be pro- cured from the ]irivate and voluntary gifts of each in- diviibial, basing their opinion upon the expression of tlie law (Xutiil). xxviii, 4) ; while the Pharisees, on the other hand, also basing their opinion upon the letter of the law (ibid, xxviii, 2), and wishing to protect the in- terests of the ))eo))le, maintained that the sacrifices were national, and that they ought to be procured with the money of tlie Tem|)le treasury. Accordingly, the Phar- isees onlered a sjiecial Temple-tax, which was collected every spring, and deposited in three distinct boxes in
SADDUCEE
239
SADDUCEE
the Temple treasury, on which was indicated that the money therein contained was destined for the sacrifices for aU Israel. The required monej' was taken out of the boxes three times a year — on the three great festi- vals, i. e. on the feast of Passover, Pentecost, and Tab- ernacles. From the first box it was taken with the announcement that it was "in the name of the whole land of Israel;" from the second, with the express dec- laration, "in the name of its surrounding cities;" and from the tliird, "in the name of Babylon, in the name of Media, and in the name of the distant countries gen- erally;" so that all the Israelites, including even those who did not contribute to this tax, were represented in this daily sacrifice (^Shekalini, ui, 1-3; Maimonides, Shekulini). So hotly was this point contested between them that it lasted eight days (Nisan, 1-8, year not mentioned), and that the Pharisees, to mark their vic- tory over the Sadducees, appointed these eight days half- festivals, during which no mourning should take place {Menachoth, p. 65 a).
8. Regarding the sacrifices as their own, or as be- longing to their priestly party, the Sadducees main- tained that the priests might eat of the meat-offerings which were connected with the free-will animal sacri- fices (Numb. XV, 2, etc.) ; while the Pharisees maintain- ed that they must be burned on the altar, and carried their opinion into a law, for which reason they again instituted a half - festival in commemoration of their victory.
9. Taking the expression r3"i'ln P"in?2?3 (Lev. xxiii, II, 15, 16) literally, the Sadducees maintained that the Omer ought to be offered on the first day following the weekly Sabbath ; so that the feast of Pentecost is always to be on the first day of the week (Mishna, Menachoth, x, 3 ; Gemara on the same, 65 a ; Taanith, i, 1). See Pentecost.
10. The Sadducees rejected the old custom of pour- ing water on the altar every day at the morning sacri- fice during the feast of Tabernacles (D'^Tin ^10^3); and so opposed were they to this ceremony that it be- came the cause of separation between the Sadduciean king Alexander Jann;eus and the Pharisees {Succa, 48 b, with Josephus, Ant, xiii, 13, 5; Griitz, Geschichte der Juden, iii, 473, 2d ed.).
11. They also objected to the procession of the peo- ple round the altar holding willow branches in their hands on the feast of Tabernacles {Yonui, 43 b). See Tabernacles, Feast of.
12. They maintained that the incense which the high-priest was to carry into the holy of holies on the great day of atonement ought to be kindled outside, and thus to be carried into the sanctuary ; because they deemed it improper to do work in the presence of the Lord, and because it was more in accordance with the words n-iE3=n h'J nx-iX -{l-J-Z '■■Z (Lev. xvi, 2), which they interpreted to mean " only in the cloud" (i. e. rising from the burning incense) " will I be seen on the cov- er." The cloud thus arising from the burning incense was to conceal the manifested Deity, whereas if the high -priest were to enter before this cloud began to ascend, he would see God and die. The Pharisees con- sidered this as violating the express command of the text, which plainly requires that the frankincense should be put on the burning coals in the holy of holies. So particular were they about it that they exacted an oath from the high-priest, before the Day of Atonement, to perform everything in strict accordance with their en- actments (Siphra, Pericope r^'O i~inx, iii ; Jerusalem Yoma, i, 5 ; Babylon Yoma, 19 b, 53 a).