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Week 144 - Monday - 26 August 2002

ZEVAHIM : CHAPTER 8: MISHNAH 6

If the blood became mixed up with water, if it has the appearance of blood, it is fit. If it became mixed up with wine - it is regarded as water. If it became mixed up with the blood of a domesticated or undomesticated animal, it is regarded as water. R. Yehudah says, Blood does not annul blood.

Kehati

So far the mixture of different kinds of sacrifices has been dealt with. From here to the end of the chapter, the mishnas deal with diverse kinds of blood that intermingled, and their remedies.

If the blood of sacrifices about to be sprinkled on the altar became mixed up with water - whereas if the blood fell into water it is considered annulled drop by drop as it falls into the water (Gemara), if water falls into the blood then if it - the mixture - has the appearance of blood, it is fit for sprinkling on the altar. If it - the blood of sacrifices

became mixed up with red wine -wherein the blood is not discernible - it - the wine - is regarded as water - and if a mixture with a corresponding quantity of water would look like blood, it is fit. So, too, if it - the blood of sacrifices -

became mixed up with the blood of a non-consecrated domesticated or undomesticated animal - the latter being unfit for sacrifice, it - the non-consecrated blood is regarded as water - and if an identical mixture of water and sacrificial blood would look like blood, it is fit to be sprinkled on the altar.

R. Yehudah says, Blood does not annul blood -in a mixture of homogeneous things (one of which is permitted) the rule of annulment by quantity has no effect and thus the preponderance of hullin blood, however great, does not annul the consecrated blood; hence, even if such fit blood would lose its identity in a corresponding mixture with water, it nevertheless qualifies for sprinkling. The halakhah does not follow R. Yehudah.

ZEVAHIM: CHAPTER 8: MISHNAH 7

If it became mixed with the blood of unfit - it must be poured out into the sewer. With the draining blood - it must be poured out into the sewer. R. Eliezer declares it valid. If he did not consult, and sprinkled, It is valid.

Kehati

If it - the blood of the sacrifice - became mixed with the blood of animals unfit to be offered up, or with the blood of sacrifices which became invalid in the course of shehitah, e.g., by an "after-its-time" intention (see 6:7 above) it must be poured out into the Temple Court sewer in the Temple Court which led into the Kidron Valley. In this case we do not regard it as water (see preceding mishnah) lest people proceed to sprinkle on the altar invalid blood, even when unmixed, seeing that such blood abounds in the Court. So, too, if sacrificial blood about to be sprinkled on the altar intermingled with the draining blood -pressed out of the throat slit by the shehitah, which is unfit for sprinkling - it must be poured out into the sewer , thus (Lev. 17:11): "...for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul", i.e., it is the life-blood alone that effects atonement, not the subsequent flow. Hence, life-blood mixed with the draining blood may not be sprinkled on the altar, lest one proceed to sprinkle unmixed draining blood.

R. Eliezer declares it valid- even in principle (lekhathilah) is the mixture of the two kinds of blood valid, since in his view generally the draining blood does not exceed the life-blood. Hence, with the mixture of sacrificial and hullin blood, there is no need for a precautionary restriction. However, R. Eliezer agrees that, as a precautionary measure, unfit blood, which abounds in the Temple Court, when mixed up with fit blood must be poured out into the sewer (Bartenura).

If he did not consult as to the blood's fitness for sprinkling, and sprinkled the mixed blood on the altar, it is valid after the fact (bedi'avad), since it was disqualified only as a precautionary measure.

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