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Zevachim Chapter 5, Mishnah 4: The Olah Offering

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Zevachim Chapter 5, Mishnah 4. Before us are the laws of the Olah offering, the most common of the sacrifices, which a person might bring for many diverse reasons. The Olah comes from males - from cattle, sheep, or goats, all depending on the context.

The laws of the Olah as enumerated in the Mishnah:

  • "Kodshei kodashim" - The Olah possesses the highest degree of sanctity among the sacrifices, and therefore it is subject to the law of me'ilah from the outset.

  • "Shechitatan batzafon" - The slaughtering of the Olah is done in the north, just like the law of the Chatas that was explained earlier.

  • "Vekibul daman bikli sharet batzafon" - The receiving of the blood in a service vessel is also done in the north, just like the Chatas.

  • "Vedaman taun shtei matanot shehen arba" - The application of the blood must be around the Altar, as stated explicitly in the verse.

The intention is not a line completely encircling the Altar, but rather the application of blood on the four walls of the Altar, which is accomplished through two applications - only two throws: the first throw on the northeastern corner of the Altar, and the second on the southwestern corner.

Why didn't the Mishnah mention pouring the remainder of the blood?

The Mishnah does not mention here the pouring of the remaining blood, which is poured on the foundation at the southwestern corner, in that same hole in the southern wall. Two approaches were stated to explain this:

  1. The approach of the Rashbam: There is no technical obligation here, and therefore the matter was not mentioned, since it is possible that no blood will remain at all. Because the second sprinkling is done on the southwestern corner from the basin, there is no guarantee that blood will remain in the vessel. If it does remain - one is certainly obligated to pour it on the foundation, but it is possible that none will remain.

  2. The approach of Tosafos: There is indeed an obligation to pour the remainder of the blood left in the vessel on the foundation, in that same hole in the southern wall, but the Mishnah does not mention this, as is its manner not to list all the details.

Why, then, did the previous Mishnahs mention the location of pouring the remainder of the blood? Because they wanted to distinguish between the types of Chatas: in the inner Chatas offerings, the remainder is poured on the western side of the foundation at the southwestern corner, and in a regular Chatas on its southern side. Since this itself is the difference between the two types of Chatas, the Mishnah detailed explicitly where the blood is poured. However, regarding the other sacrifices, in all of which the remainder of the blood is poured on the foundation, there is no need to mention it.

"Te'una hefsheit venituach vechalil la'ishim":

  • "Hefsheit" - Flaying the skin. The meaning of the root is spreading and smoothing, and from here we also get the 'pshat' of the text (pshat, remez, drash, sod) - taking a multi-dimensional concept, spreading it out and smoothing it. In an Olah, the skin is given to the kohanim.

  • "Venituach" - Cutting the meat into pieces. There is a specific and exact method by which the carcass is sectioned and its parts placed on the Altar, and the discussion of this was explained in the fourth chapter of Tractate Tamid.

  • "Vechalil la'ishim" - It is completely burned in the Altar's fire. All the meat goes up on the Altar, except for the skin, and even the sciatic nerve is removed (according to the Rema), and everything else is completely burned.

In this lies the uniqueness of the Olah: it is completely burned on the Altar, unlike other sacrifices of which at least part is eaten, and unlike the inner Chatas offerings from the first Mishnah, the remainder of which is burned - but not on the Altar, rather outside in the place of ashes.

In summary: In this Mishnah we learned the laws of the Olah offering: it is kodshei kodashim, its slaughter and the receiving of its blood in a service vessel are in the north, and its blood requires two applications that are four - on the northeastern corner and on the southwestern corner. We examined the two approaches to the question of why the Mishnah did not mention pouring the remainder of the blood on the foundation, and the reason why the location of pouring was specifically detailed regarding Chatas offerings. Finally, we learned about the obligation of flaying and sectioning, and the uniqueness of the Olah that it is completely for the fire - burned entirely on the Altar.