Reference for Menachot 12:15

תנא (ויקרא ו, ב) אזאת תורת העולה סמיך ליה

- R'Shisha the son of R'Idi said, It might be compared with the inspection of leprosy plagues, which is certainly not a Temple service, and yet requires a priest.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Lev. XIII. And so it is with the slaughtering of the Red Cow: it is not a Temple service, nevertheless it requires a priest.');">¹⁶</span> Why do we not prove [that a non-priest may perform a service] from the case of the high place?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For whenever the high places (i.e., private altars) were allowed-which was before the Tabernacle had been set up in the wilderness-non-priests were allowed to perform the services there (v. Zeb. 118a) , so that Rab's statement is superfluous.');">¹⁷</span>

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