Study Guide

The Mishna, as in Chapter 2 (Zevachim 29b), outlines various scenarios in which a thought can, or cannot, render a sacrifice pigul, thereby making consumption of the meat punishable/not punishable by karet. Rabbi Yehuda disagrees with one of the rulings and maintains that if melika (the ritual slaughter of a bird) was performed with the intent to offer the blood beyond its designated time, and the blood was then squeezed with the intent to burn the flesh outside the Azara (Temple courtyard), the offering would be considered pigul. This is because, although the sacrifice was already disqualified for other reasons, the disqualification due to improper intent regarding time occurred first.

A braita examines the verses concerning the bird burnt offering and derives several halakhot specific to this sacrifice:

1. One who volunteers to bring this type of offering may bring only one bird.
2. Melika must be performed by a kohen.
3. Melika is not performed with a knife.
4. Melika is performed at the top of the altar.
5. Melika is done on the back of the bird's neck.
6. The bird's head must be severed.
7. All the blood must be squeezed out - none may remain.
8. The blood is squeezed onto the upper part of the altar wall.
9. There is a debate whether melika and the squeezing of the blood are performed on the sovev (the ledge surrounding the altar) or at its top.

Another braita presents differing opinions regarding which parts of the bird are cast onto the beit hadeshen (the ash heap) and how those parts are removed. The bird is split in half - this is done by hand, as derived from a verse in Judges concerning Shimshon.

Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon disagrees with the tanna of our Mishna regarding a bird sin offering in which the kohen severs the head: is the offering thereby disqualified or not? Three interpretations are offered to explain the basis of their disagreement.