Yoma 96

חישב בחתיית גחלים מהו מכשירי מצוה כמצוה דמו או לא תיקו

If he, in removing the coals [for the incense], had an unlawful intention - what then? Are preliminary<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that his unlawful thought in connection with the preliminary act would have the same effect as such thought in connection with the religious act in itself and so the incense is rendered invalidated. Another interpretation would limit the effects of his unlawful intention to the preliminary act, here to the embers.');">¹</span>

בעי מיניה מרב ששת הולכה בשמאל מהו אמר להו רב ששת תניתוה נטל את המחתה בימינו ואת הכף בשמאלו

means of a religious act to be considered as the act itself or not? - The question remains unsolved. The question was asked of R'Shesheth: If the blood was carried [to the altar] in the left hand, what is the law?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' All the other rites in connection with the blood sprinkling must be performed with the right. V. Zeb. ');">²</span>

ונפשוט להו מהא דתנן הרגל של ימין בשמאל ובית עורה לחוץ

R'Shesheth answered: You have learnt it: He took the pan of burning coals in his right hand and the ladle in his left.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whence we may infer that even in this case he is within the law.');">³</span> But he could have settled that point to them from what we have learnt:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tam. IV, 3.');">⁴</span>

אי מהתם הוה אמינא הני מילי הולכה דלא מעכבא כפרה אבל הולכה דמעכבא כפרה לא קמשמע לן

[He carried] the right hind-leg in the left hand with the inside of the skin outward?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the carrying of the limbs.');">⁵</span> - If the argument were based on that I might have assumed this applies only to a carrying [of such things] which are not indispensable to atonement,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the carrying of the limbs.');">⁵</span> but in the case of a carrying [of things] which are indispensable to atonement,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., the carrying of the blood to the place of sprinkling.');">⁶</span> [it would] not [apply], therefore he has to bring [the above reference].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Referring to the incense which is indispensable to atonement.');">⁷</span>