We continue in Temurah chapter 3, mishnayos 3-4. Following what we learned in the previous mishnah, we now discuss the difference between the communal voluntary olah according to the Sages - which is brought from the leftover money received for the redemption of asham offerings, money that cannot be used for the offering itself - and the private olah of an individual, brought by its owner according to Rabbi Elazar.
The mishnah opens: "Velo af hanedavah" - that is, the communal voluntary offering, the kayitz hamizbeach, is also an olah. If so, what is the difference between the words of Rabbi Elazar and the words of the Sages? To this the mishnah answers: "Ela bizman shehi ba'ah chovah" - when it comes as a person's own private obligatory olah, and not as an ordinary communal olah, it differs in several laws.
When it comes as an obligation - the olah of an individual:
"Somech aleha" - the one who brings it performs semichah on his olah: he places his hands on the animal's head and presses with all his strength, as is the law for every personal offering. This semichah is not performed on a communal offering.
"Umeivi aleha nesachim" - he must bring the wine libation and the accompanying meal offering with its oil, which come with every olah and every shelamim.
"Unesacheha mishelo" - he must pay for them out of his own pocket. The money he received from the sale of his asham is used to purchase the olah alone, while the wine, the fine flour, the oil and the frankincense he must buy with additional money of his own.
"Ve'im hayah kohen, avodatah ve'orah shelo" - if the owner of the animal is a kohen, he has the right to perform the service himself and to keep the hide.
To understand this: the kohanim are divided into twenty-four groups called mishmaros, and each mishmar serves for one week at a time, so that a kohen actually serves about twice a year - apart from the three festivals, when they all serve together. The usual arrangement is that one who brings an olah hands it over to a kohen of that week's mishmar, and that kohen performs the service and receives the hide.
The kohen, however, was given a special privilege: when he brings a private offering of his own, he may say that even though it is not the week of his mishmar, he wishes to perform the service himself, and likewise to keep the hide for himself. Therefore a kohen who had an asham that developed a blemish, and sold it and with the proceeds bought a private olah according to Rabbi Elazar, may offer it himself and keep its hide.
And when it comes as a voluntary offering - the olah of the community:
"Ein somech aleha" - an olah that comes from communal funds, money placed in the public fund for the purchase of the kayitz hamizbeach, does not require semichah, since communal offerings do not require semichah. The only two exceptions are the bull brought for a communal error and the goat sent to Azazel.
"Ve'ein meivi aleha nesachim" - he brings no libations at all, neither the wine nor the oil that accompany the offering.
"Unesacheha mishel tzibur" - even though these are olos, and every olah requires a meal offering with libations and a pouring of wine, these do not come from his private funds but from the shared communal money.
"Ve'af al pi shehu kohen, avodatah ve'orah shel anshei mishmar" - his being a kohen makes no difference at all. The slaughter, the offering and the right to the hide belong to the men of the mishmar, and he has no share in them: it is not the week of his mishmar, and it is also not his money, since the offering is brought in the name of the community.
The halachah: In this mishnah too, as in the previous one, the halachah was ruled like the Sages - the money goes to the kayitz hamizbeach. The same law applies to any leftover asham money, and likewise to an asham whose owner died: these are not offered, but are left until they develop a blemish, and then they are sold, and the money falls to nedavah - to the public fund for the purchase of the kayitz hamizbeach, which are the communal olos.