Commentary for Avodah Zarah 48:8
ומאי קושיא דלמא בבמת יחיד וכדרב אדא בר אהבה דאמר רב אדא בר אהבה מנין לעולה נקבה שהיא כשרה בבמת יחיד שנאמר (שמואל א ז, ט) ויקח שמואל טלה חלב אחד ויעלהו עולה
What is the difficulty? Perhaps this was a private “high place,” and it accords with the opinion of R. Adda b. Ahava; for R. Adda b. Ahava said: How do we know that a female sacrifice is fit as a burnt offering on a private high-place? As it is said, “And Shmuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a burnt offering” (I Samuel 7:9).
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The Talmud notes that it is indeed possible to offer a female burnt offering—Shmuel does so on a “high place,” a place where an altar stood before the Temple was built. This rejects the proof above from I Samuel 6. However, we are still left with the resolution that this was a temporary ruling.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy