Yoma 53

האי מיבעי ליה לגופיה אמר רב שימי בר אשי אשכחתיה לאביי דהוה מסבר ליה לבריה (ויקרא א, ה) ושחט שחיטה בזר כשירה וכי מאין באת מכלל שנאמר (במדבר יח, ז) ואתה ובניך אתך תשמרו את כהונתכם שומע אני אפילו שחיטה

But that passage is required for its own information?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a priest is required for the putting on of the fire. An inference for other matter is justified only when the text itself, or part of it, appears superfluous.');">¹</span> - R'Shimi B'Ashi said: I found Abaye explaining it to his son: [It was taught]: 'One shall kill,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'We-shahat' Lev. I, 5, may mean 'and he shall kill', the most obvious meaning in the context; or 'one shall kill', 'one' being a term general enough to include a commoner.');">²</span>

ת"ל (ויקרא א, ה) ושחט את בן הבקר לפני ה' והקריבו בני אהרן הכהנים את הדם מקבלה ואילך מצות כהונה (ויקרא א, ד) וסמך ידו ושחט לימד על השחיטה שכשירה בזר

hence we infer that even a non-priest may kill [the sacrificial animal]. But whence are you coming?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On what are you basing your argument, that it is necessary to bring proof that a non-priest may kill the animal; what basis is there for the assumption that he may not do so?');">³</span>

מכדי מקבלה ואילך מצות כהונה ונתנו בני אהרן למה לי למעוטי הפשט וניתוח

- Because Scripture says: And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priesthood, [in everything that pertaineth to the altar].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XVIII, 7. The bracketed portion is interpolated by Bah. and rightly so, for upon it rests the argument.');">⁴</span> I might have learned that even the killing [must be done by priests alone], therefore it is written: And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord,' and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall present the blood,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 5.');">⁵</span>

ואכתי איצטריך סלקא דעתך אמינא כיון דלאו עבודה דמעכבא כפרה היא לא תיבעי כהונה קמ"ל דבעי כהונה

i.e., the work of the priesthood is commanded only from the receiving ['presenting'] of the blood and so on.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Since the priests are mentioned only in connection with the presenting of the blood and not with the killing.]');">⁶</span> And he shall lay his hand.

אלא מהכא (ויקרא א, ח) וערכו בני אהרן הכהנים את הנתחים את הראש ואת הפדר מכדי מקבלה ואילך מצות כהונה וערכו למה לי למעוטי הפשט וניתוח

and he shall kill,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 4,5. ['He shall kill' has for the subject the same person as 'he shall lay his hand' - the owner of the sacrifice (a non-priest) .]');">⁷</span> hence we are taught that the killing [of the sacrificial animal] is permissible even to a non-priest.

ואימא למעוטי סידור שני גזירי עצים מסתברא דיבחא דכותיה ממעט

Now, [Abaye went on explaining to his son] since the work obligatory on the priests starts only with the receiving of the blood, what is the purpose of: And the sons of Aaron. shall put the fire?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the putting on of the fire followed the presenting of the blood, the latter signifying the commencement of the priestly function, why was it necessary to mention that the 'Sons of Aaron' perform it?');">⁸</span>

אדרבה סדור דכותיה ממעט

To exclude flaying and dismembering.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That these may be performed by non-priests.');">⁹</span> But still that was necessary.

לא ס"ד דאמר מר (ויקרא א, יג) והקריב הכהן את הכל המזבחה זו הולכת אברים לכבש הולכת אברים לכבש הוא דבעיא כהונה הולכת עצים לא בעיא כהונה הא סידור שני גזירי עצים בעיא כהונה

For one might have thought since [the putting on of the fire] is not a kind of service, the omission of which prevents atonement, it did not require priesthood, hence we are taught [from this passage] that it requires priesthood? - Rather do we infer it from here: And Aaron's sons, the priests, shall lay it, order the pieces, and the head, and the suet.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 8.');">¹⁰</span> Now, since the work obligatory upon priests starts with the receiving of the blood, why was the passage: 'And they shall lay in order' [etc.] necessary?

וערכו למה לי למעוטי הפשט וניתוח ואימא הכי נמי לגופיה

It meant to exclude the flaying and the dismemberment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., flaying and dismembering.');">¹¹</span> But say perhaps that it means to exclude the arranging of the two logs of wood? - It seems logical that the passage excludes [a service relating to the sacrifice itself] which is of the type referred to.

אלא והקטיר הכהן את הכל למאי אתא למעוטי הפשט וניתוח

On the contrary: [it seems logical that] it excludes the 'pu in order' of [wood], which is analogous [to the 'laying in order' of the pieces referred to].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the putting on of the two logs of wood did not require a priest.');">¹²</span> This thought should not arise in your mind, for a Master taught: 'And the priest shall offer the whole.

והקריב הכהן את הכל המזבחה זו הולכת אברים לכבש הולכת אברים לכבש הוא דבעיא כהונה הולכת עצים לא בעיא כהונה הא סדור שני גזירי עצים בעיא כהונה ונתנו לגופיה

upon the altar.' This refers to the bringing up of the limbs to the ramp.

וערכו שנים בני אהרן שנים הכהנים שנים למדנו לטלה שטעון ששה

Now only the bringing of the limbs to the ramp requires a priest, but not the bringing of the logs of wood, implying that the putting in order of the two logs of wood requires a priest.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the fetching of the wood is especially stated to need no priest, the inference is - obvious that the putting in order of the two logs requires a priest's service.');">¹³</span> Why, then, is it necessary to state 'And they [the priests] shall lay [the pieces] order'?

אמר רב המנונא קשיא ליה לר"א האי בבן הבקר כתיב ובן הבקר עשרים וארבעה בעי וניחא ליה (ויקרא א, ח) על העצים אשר על האש אשר על המזבח איזהו דבר שנאמר בו עצים אש ומזבח

to exclude flaying and dismembering.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [V. supra, note 2. The passage that follows up,' . . text meaning' is difficult and is omitted by Wilna Gaon. The interpretation attempted here involves no change in the text of cur. edd.]');">¹⁴</span> But say, perhaps, that this text is necessary for its own meaning?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [To show that the arrangement of the pieces required a priest, as it might have been assumed that 'even a non-priest may perform it since it is not a service' indispensable for effecting an atonement.]');">¹⁵</span> --[In reality so.] What then is the purpose of [the passage], 'And the priest shall make the whole smoke upon the altar'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 9.');">¹⁶</span> To exclude flaying and dismembering. [So that] 'And the priest shall offer the whole' refers to the bringing up of the limbs to the ramp; only the bringing up of the limbs to the ramp requires a priest, but not the bringing of the two logs of wood to the ramp. Implying that the putting in order of the two logs of wood that does require the services of a priest and the words: 'And they shall put'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 7.');">¹⁷</span> have immediate text meaning;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a priest is required for putting on the fire, v. supra p. 126.');">¹⁸</span> the words 'And they shall lay in order [the pieces]'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 8.');">¹⁹</span> indicate it must be two; the words: 'The sons of Aaron'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 8.');">¹⁹</span> also indicate two; the words: 'The priests'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 8.');">¹⁹</span> also indicate two, together we learn from them that the [offering up of the] lamb requires the services of six priests. R'Hamnuna said: To R'Eleazar it seems difficult, for this passage<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 8.');">¹⁹</span> refers to the young bullock, the service in connection with which required twenty-four priests! But he found it right again , for Scripture says: Upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 8.');">¹⁹</span> ; now what thing is it in connection with which 'wood', 'fire' and 'altar' ar mentioned?