Zevachim 32a

וְכוּלָּן שֶׁקִּיבְּלוּ אֶת הַדָּם חוּץ לִזְמַנּוֹ וְחוּץ לִמְקוֹמוֹ – אִם יֵשׁ דַּם הַנֶּפֶשׁ, יַחְזוֹר הַכָּשֵׁר וִיקַבֵּל.

And with regard to all of them, in a case where they collected the blood with the intent to offer it beyond its designated time or outside its designated area, if there is blood of the soul that remains in the animal, the priest fit for Temple service should again collect the blood and sprinkle it on the altar.

קִיבֵּל הַכָּשֵׁר וְנָתַן לַפָּסוּל – יַחְזִיר לַכָּשֵׁר. קִיבֵּל בִּימִינוֹ וְנָתַן לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ – יַחְזִיר לִימִינוֹ. קִיבֵּל בִּכְלִי קֹדֶשׁ וְנָתַן לִכְלִי חוֹל – יַחְזִיר לִכְלֵי קֹדֶשׁ. נִשְׁפַּךְ מִן הַכְּלִי עַל הָרִצְפָּה וַאֲסָפוֹ – כָּשֵׁר.

If the priest fit for Temple service collected the blood in a vessel and gave the vessel to an unfit person, that person should return it to the fit priest. If the priest collected the blood in a vessel in his right hand and moved it to his left hand, he should return it to his right hand. If the priest collected the blood in a sacred vessel and placed it in a non-sacred vessel, he should return the blood to a sacred vessel. If the blood spilled from the vessel onto the floor and he gathered it from the floor, it is valid.

נְתָנוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי הַכֶּבֶשׁ; שֶׁלֹּא כְּנֶגֶד הַיְסוֹד; נָתַן אֶת הַנִּיתָּנִין לְמַטָּה – לְמַעְלָן; וְאֶת הַנִּיתָּנִין לְמַעְלָן – לְמַטָּה; וְאֶת הַנִּיתָּנִין בִּפְנִים – בַּחוּץ; וְאֶת הַנִּיתָּנִין בַּחוּץ – בִּפְנִים; אִם יֵשׁ דַּם הַנֶּפֶשׁ – יַחְזוֹר הַכָּשֵׁר וִיקַבֵּל.

If an unfit person placed the blood upon the ramp or on the wall of the altar that is not opposite the base of the altar, or if he placed the blood that is to be placed below the red line above the red line, or if he placed the blood that is to be placed above the red line below the red line, or if he placed the blood that is to be placed inside the Sanctuary outside the Sanctuary or the blood that is to be placed outside the Sanctuary inside the Sanctuary, then if there is blood of the soul that remains in the animal, the priest fit for Temple service should again collect the blood and sprinkle it on the altar.

גְּמָ׳ ״שָׁחֲטוּ״ – דִּיעֲבַד אִין, לְכַתְּחִלָּה לָא.

GEMARA: The Gemara infers from the use of the past tense in the mishna: With regard to all those who are unfit for Temple service who slaughtered, that after the fact, yes, the slaughter is valid. But ab initio , no, those who are unfit may not slaughter an offering.

וּרְמִינְהוּ: ״וְשָׁחַט״ – שְׁחִיטָה בְּזָר כְּשֵׁרָה, שֶׁהַשְּׁחִיטָה כְּשֵׁרָה בְּזָרִים וּבְנָשִׁים וּבַעֲבָדִים וּבִטְמֵאִים. וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּקׇדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים. אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בַּכֹּהֲנִים?

And the Gemara raises a contradiction from what was taught in the halakhic midrash Torat Kohanim : The verse states with regard to a burnt offering: “And he shall slaughter the bull before the Lord” (Leviticus 1:5). The fact that the verse does not stipulate that a priest must slaughter the offering teaches that slaughter is valid if performed by a non-priest, as stated in the mishna: As the sacrificial rite of slaughter is valid when performed by non-priests, by women, by Canaanite slaves, and by ritually impure individuals, and even with regard to offerings of the most sacred order. Or perhaps the term “and he shall slaughter” in the verse is referring only to slaughter by priests?

אָמַרְתָּ: וְכִי מֵאַיִן בָּאתָה – מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתְּךָ תִּשְׁמְרוּ אֶת כְּהֻנַּתְכֶם לְכׇל דְּבַר הַמִּזְבֵּחַ״;

You can say in response: From where did you come to the idea that the verse is referring only to a priest? It is from the fact that it is stated to Aaron: “And you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood in everything that pertains to the altar” (Numbers 18:7).

יָכוֹל אַף בִּשְׁחִיטָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְשָׁחַט אֶת בֶּן הַבָּקָר לִפְנֵי ה׳ וְהִקְרִיבוּ וְגוֹ׳״ – מִקַּבָּלָה וְאֵילָךְ מִצְוַת כְּהוּנָּה; לִימֵּד עַל הַשְּׁחִיטָה שֶׁכְּשֵׁרָה בְּכׇל אָדָם.

One might have thought that this is the halakha even with regard to slaughter, that only priests are fit to slaughter an offering. Therefore, the verse states: “And he shall slaughter the bull before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present [ vehikrivu ] the blood” (Leviticus 1:5), from which it is inferred that specifically from the collection of the blood and onward it is a mitzva exclusively of the priesthood. This teaches about the rite of slaughter that it is valid ab initio if performed by any person. This contradicts the inference from the mishna that slaughter of an offering by a non-priest is valid only after the fact.

הוּא הַדִּין דַּאֲפִילּוּ לְכַתְּחִילָּה נָמֵי; וּמִשּׁוּם דְּקָא בָּעֵי לְמִיתְנָא טְמֵאִים – דִּלְכַתְּחִילָּה לָא, גְּזֵירָה שֶׁמָּא יִגְּעוּ בַּבָּשָׂר; תְּנָא: ״שֶׁשָּׁחֲטוּ״.

The Gemara answers: The same is true that even ab initio as well it is permitted for those unfit for Temple service to slaughter an offering, but because the mishna wants to teach with regard to the ritually impure that they may not slaughter an offering ab initio due to a rabbinic decree lest they touch the flesh and render it ritually impure, therefore the mishna taught this halakha with the expression in the past tense: Who slaughtered, i.e., after the fact.

וְטָמֵא דִּיעֲבַד שַׁפִּיר דָּמֵי?! וּרְמִינְהוּ: ״וְסָמַךְ... וְשָׁחַט״ – מָה סְמִיכָה בִּטְהוֹרִים, אַף שְׁחִיטָה בִּטְהוֹרִים! מִדְּרַבָּנַן.

The Gemara asks: And in the case of a ritually impure individual who performed the slaughter, is it permitted even after the fact? And one can raise a contradiction from what is taught in the halakhic midrash: The Torah states two consecutive directives: “And he shall place his hand upon the head of the burnt offering… And he shall slaughter the bull before the Lord” (Leviticus 1:4–5). This juxtaposition indicates that both directives are referring to the same individual, which teaches that just as placing hands on the head of an offering may be performed only by ritually pure individuals, so too, the slaughter may be performed only by ritually pure individuals. The Gemara answers: By rabbinic law, an impure person is prohibited from slaughtering an offering lest he touch the flesh of the offering, but by Torah law the slaughter is valid.

מַאי שְׁנָא סְמִיכָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״לִפְנֵי ה׳״; שְׁחִיטָה נָמֵי, הָכְתִיב: ״לִפְנֵי ה׳״! אֶפְשָׁר דְּעָבֵיד סַכִּין אֲרוּכָּה וְשָׁחֵיט.

The Gemara asks: What is different about placing hands that it can be performed only by those who are ritually pure even by Torah law? It is that it is written: “Before the Lord,” which is referring to the Temple courtyard, and an impure person may not enter the Temple courtyard. With regard to slaughter as well, isn’t it written: “Before the Lord” (Leviticus 1:5)? How can a ritually impure person enter the Temple courtyard to slaughter an offering? The Gemara answers: It is possible, in a case where he fashions a long knife, stands outside the Temple courtyard, and slaughters the offering that is inside the courtyard.

סְמִיכָה נָמֵי – אֶפְשָׁר דִּמְעַיֵּיל יְדֵיהּ וְסָמֵיךְ. קָסָבַר בִּיאָה בְּמִקְצָת שְׁמָהּ בִּיאָה.

The Gemara asks: With regard to placing hands also, it is possible, in a case where he inserts his hands into the Temple courtyard and places them on the head of the offering. The Gemara answers: The tanna holds that a partial entry, in which only a part of the body enters the Temple courtyard, is called entry. Therefore, an impure individual may not insert even part of his body, such as his hands, into the Temple courtyard.

רַב חִסְדָּא מַתְנִי אִיפְּכָא: ״וְסָמַךְ... וְשָׁחַט״ – מָה שְׁחִיטָה בִּטְהוֹרִין, אַף סְמִיכָה בִּטְהוֹרִין. מַאי שְׁנָא שְׁחִיטָה? דִּכְתִיב: ״לִפְנֵי ה׳״,

Rav Ḥisda taught the baraita in the opposite manner: “And he shall place his hand upon the head of the burnt offering… and he shall slaughter the bull” (Leviticus 1:4–5), teaches that just as slaughter may be performed only by ritually pure individuals, so too, placing hands may be performed only by ritually pure individuals. The Gemara asks: What is different about slaughter that it may be performed only by those who are ritually pure? It is that it is written with regard to it: “Before the Lord,” which refers to the Temple courtyard, and a ritually impure person may not enter the Temple courtyard.