Parallel
חולין 22
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
the priest sprinkles the blood whilst holding the head and the body in his hand, so in this case, too, he sprinkles the blood whilst holding the head and the body in his hand. (What can this mean? — It means this: Just as in the latter case he sprinkles the blood whilst the head is still attached to the body, so, too, in the case of the burnt-offering of a bird he sprinkles the blood whilst the head is still attached to the body.) But then it should follow, should it not, that just as in the former case only one organ shall be severed, so here, too, only one organ shall be severed? It is, therefore, written: ‘And he shall bring it near’. Now it may be asked against the first Tanna: since he derives the rule from the verse: ‘And he shall nip off . . . and he shall burn it’, what need is there for the verse: ‘And he shall bring it near’? — Without the verse: ‘And he shall bring it near’, he would have interpreted, ‘According to the ordinance’, to mean, according to the ordinance of the sin-offering of a bird; and as to the verse: ‘And he shall nip off . . . and he shall burn it’, he would have explained it thus: as the burning [of the sacrifice is performed] upon the top of the altar, so shall [the draining of the blood following] the nipping be performed upon the upper part of the altar wall. But now that the Divine Law states: ‘And he shall bring it near’, [this verse therefore serves to distinguish in every respect the burnt-offering of a bird from the sin-offering of a bird, and from the verse: ‘And he shall nip off . . . and he shall burn it’] he can derive this too. Whence do we know that the sin-offering of an animal must be brought only from unconsecrated animals? — R. Hisda answered: From the verse: And Aaron shall offer the bullock of the sin-offering which is his; [that is to say], it must come from his own means and not from the money of the community nor from Second Tithe. Is not [the rule that sacrifices may only be offered] by day inferred from the verse: In the day that he commanded? — It is indeed stated [above] to no purpose. Is not [the rule that all the services in connection therewith must be performed] with the right hand derived from the following dictum of Rabbah b. Bar Hannah; for Rabbah b. Bar Hannah declared in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish. Wherever the word ‘finger’ or ‘priest’ is employed it signifies that the right hand only [shall be Used]. — And the other? [He is of the opinion that the word] ‘priest’ requires [with it the word] ‘finger’ [in order that the above rule may apply], though [the word] ‘finger’ does not require [with it the word] ‘priest’. Whence do the first Tanna and R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon derive the Jaw [that the nipping in the case of the burnt-offering of a bird shall be] close to the back of the neck? — They derive it from the fact that nipping is prescribed in both cases. MISHNAH. [THE AGE] WHICH QUALIFIES TURTLE DOVES [FOR SACRIFICE] DISQUALIFIES PIGEONS, AND [THE AGE] WHICH QUALIFIES PIGEONS [FOR SACRIFICE] DISQUALIFIES TURTLE DOVES. AT THE PERIOD WHEN THE NECK FEATHERS BEGIN TO GLISTEN IN EITHER KIND THEY ARE DISQUALIFIED. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: Turtle doves are qualified [for sacrifice] when fully grown, but not when small; pigeons are qualified [for sacrifice] when small, but not when fully grown. It follows, therefore, that the age which qualifies turtle doves for sacrifice disqualifies pigeons, and the age which qualifies pigeons for sacrifice disqualifies turtle doves. Our Rabbis taught: The expression, turtle doves, implies fully grown birds, but not small. For [without the Biblical direction] I would have argued by an a fortiori argument thus:
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If pigeons which are disqualified for sacrifice when fully grown are nevertheless qualified when small, turtle doves which are qualified when fully grown should surely be qualified when small! It is, therefore, written: ‘turtle doves’, to indicate that only the fully grown are qualified for sacrifice, but not the small. Young pigeons implies small birds, but not fully grown. For [without the Biblical direction] I would have argued by an a fortiori argument thus: If turtle doves which are disqualified for sacrifice when small are nevertheless qualified when fully grown, pigeons which are qualified for sacrifice when small should surely be qualified when fully grown! It is, therefore, written, young pigeons, to indicate that only the small are qualified for sacrifice, but not the fully grown. Where is this indicated in the verse? — Raba explained: Because Scripture should not have omitted to state at least once [the expression], ‘Of young turtle doves or of pigeons’. But I will now say that pigeons, inasmuch as in the Divine Law they are always preceded by the epithet ‘young’, are qualified for sacrifice only when small, and not when fully grown; whereas turtle doves [I submit] may be offered either when fully grown or even when small! — [Turtle doves must be placed under conditions] similar to pigeons; thus, just as pigeons are qualified [for sacrifice] only when small and not when fully grown, so turtle doves are qualified [for sacrifice] only when fully grown and not when small. Our Rabbis taught: One might conclude that all turtle doves [that are not small] and all pigeons [that are not fully grown] are qualified for sacrifice; it is, therefore, written: Of the turtle doves, implying that some, but not all, turtle doves are qualified. [Similarly, it is written.] Of the young pigeons, implying that some, but not all, pigeons are qualified. Hence, there is excluded [from either kind] those whose neck feathers begin to glisten. When do turtle doves first become qualified for sacrifice? When their wing plumage becomes golden. And when do pigeons become disqualified? When their neck feathers begin to glisten. Jacob Karha learnt: When do pigeons first become qualified? As soon as the limbs have absorbed [ye'ale'u] the blood. He reported this passage and also explained [the word ye'ale'u by reference to the verse.] Her young ones also suck up [ye'ale'u] blood. When is this? — Abaye answered: If when a feather is plucked out there flows blood [it is an indication that the limbs have absorbed the blood]. R. Zera put the following question: What is the law if a man said: ‘Behold, I undertake to offer for a burnt-offering either [a pair] of turtle doves or [a pair] of pigeons’, and he brought a pair of each kind, both pairs, however, being at the stage when the neck feathers were beginning to glisten? If this stage is a period of doubt, then in this case he at all events fulfils his obligation; but if it is a distinct intermediate stage, then he does not fulfil his obligation. — Raba said: Come and hear: ‘Hence there is excluded from either kind those whose neck feathers begin to glisten?’ Now if you say that it is an intermediate stage, it is well. But if you say that it is a period of doubt, [it will be asked]: Surely a verse cannot serve to exclude a condition of doubt! —
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