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Week 143 - Monday - 19 August 2002

ZEVAHIM: CHAPTER 6: MISHNAH 5

How was the burnt-offering of a bird prepared? He ascended the ramp, turned to the circuit and came to the south-eastern corner, and performed melikah from the nape, severing it. And he drained its blood on the wall of the altar. He took its head and held the place where it was notched against the wall of the altar, rubbed salt on it and threw it on the fire. He came to the body, removed its crop and feathers and the entrails that came out with it, and threw them on the place of the ashes. He slit it open but did not sever, but if he severed, it is valid. He rubbed salt on it, and threw it on the fire.

Kehati

The preceding mishnah's elaboration of the rites of the sin-offering of a bird is here followed by those of the burnt-offering of a bird.

How was the burnt-offering of a bird prepared? He - the priest -ascended the ramp of the altar to the top at the south-western corner where the burnt-offering of a bird was offered (see mishnah 2 above),

turned to the circuit - which he reached by the subsidiary ramp. According to some commentators this does not refer to the middle layer of the altar (whose overlap formed the circuit), whose height was six cubits, from the Temple Courtyard pavement (see sketch in the introduction to 5:3 above) but rather the priests' access gallery on top of the altar, also denominated 'circuit' (Tosefot Yom Tov; Tiferet Yisrael) and came to the south-eastern corner - where, being near the place of the ashes, melikah of the burnt-offering of a bird was performed (see mishnah 2 above) –

and performed melikah from the nape - as explained regarding the sin-offering of a bird, severing it i.e., the head from the body. Since regarding the sin-offering the Torah states "but shall not divide it asunder" (Lev. 5:9), we here learn that as in the case of the burnt-offering of a bird he does sever the head (Rambam). And - pressing against the side of the altar the part where the melikah was performed –

he drained its blood on the wall of the altar - but did not sprinkle its blood as with that of the sin-offering of a bird.

He took its head and held the place where it was notched, against the wall of the altar to drain the blood, rubbed salt on it - which he took from the top of the altar (Rashi) - thus (Lev. 2:13): “..with all your offerings you shall offer salt" - according to Bartenura he treated the head thus that it might absorb the salt, and threw it on the fire burning on the altar.

He then came to the body of the bird to perform the sacrificial rites, removed its crop and the feathers from the skin covering the crop and the entrails that came out with it - with the crop, which parts are included in "and he shall remove its crop with its notzatah (feathers)" (Lev.1:16); Onkelos and Rashi ad loc, define notzatah as the excrements, and threw them on the place of the ashes - on the south side of the altar, and the east side of the ramp. He slit it open the bird between its wings but did not sever it - i.e., without tearing the body apart, thus (Lev.1:17), "and he shall rend it by its wings, but shall not divide it asunder",

but if he severed it, it is - bedi'avad - valid. He rubbed salt on it as explained above, and threw it on the fire - burning on the altar.

ZEVAHIM: CHAPTER 6: MISHNAH 6

If he did not remove the crop, or the feathers, or the entrails which come out with it, or did not rub salt on it; if he did anything in a different manner after he had drained out its blood - it is valid. If he severed the sin-offering or did not sever the burnt-offering, he rendered it invalid, If he drained out the blood of the head but did not drain out the blood of the body, it is invalid. If he drained out the blood of the body but did not drain out the blood of the head, it is valid.

Kehati

This mishnah continues to deal with the laws concerning the burnt-offering and the sin-offering of a bird, and spells out the consequences of any deviation from the prescribed procedure.

If he did not remove the crop, or the feathers, or the entrails which come out with it, or did not rub salt on it as described in the preceding mishnah;

if he did anything in a different manner after he had drained out its blood - it - the burnt-offering of a bird - is valid - since the deviation occurred after the draining of the blood which is the principal part of the sacrificial service.

If he severed the head from the body of the sin-offering or did not sever the head from the body of the burnt-offering - having cut only one of the two organs (the gullet or the windpipe), he rendered it - the offering - invalid - since the deviation occurred before the draining of the blood.

If he drained out the blood of the head but did not drain out the blood of the body, it is invalid - since most of the blood remains in the body, but if he drained out the blood of the body but did not drain out the blood of the head, it - the offering - is valid.

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