Zevachim 28

שיכור ובעל מום בקבלה בהולכה בזריקה פסול וכן יושב וכן שמאל תיובתא

one who is intoxicated and one who is [physically] blemished are unfit to receive [the blood], carry [it] and sprinkle [it], and the same applies to one who is sitting and to [the performance of these by] 'the left hand.

והא רב חסדא קרא קאמר

This is indeed a refutation! But R'Hisda quotes a text? - It means that he [the zar] served as a [mere] post.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On which the blood was placed. A priest received the blood and gave it to the zar, who held it until another priest took it from him and carried it to the altar. Thus the zar did not carry it himself but was completely passive.');">¹</span>

דעביד מעשה אצטבא

Rabbah and R'Joseph both maintained: Carriage by a zar is a [subject of] controversy between R'Simeon and the Rabbis.

רבה ורב יוסף דאמרי תרוייהו הולכה בזר מחלוקת ר' שמעון ורבנן רבי שמעון דאמר עבודה שאפשר לבטלה לאו עבודה היא כשרה בזר לרבנן פסולה

[According to] R'Simeon who says that a [Temple] service which can be dispensed with is not a service, [carriage] by a zar is valid.

א"ל אביי והא שחיטה דעבודה שא"א לבטלה וכשרה בזר א"ל שחיטה לאו עבודה היא

But according to the Rabbis it is invalid.

ולא והאמר ר' זירא אמר רב שחיטת פרה בזר פסולה ואמר רב עלה אלעזר וחוקה כתיב בה

Said Abaye to them: But slaughtering is a service which cannot be dispensed with, and yet it is valid [when done] by a zar? - Slaughtering is not a service, he replied.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: Since it may be done by all who are otherwise unfit to perform the sacrificial service.');">²</span>

שאני פרה דקדשי בדק הבית היא

Is it not?

ולאו כל דכן הוא קדשי בדק הבית הויא עבודה קדשי מזבח לאו עבודה היא

Surely R'Zera said in Rab's name: The slaughtering of the [red] heifer by a zar is invalid; and R'Papa<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Emended text (Bah) .');">³</span>

אמר רב שישא בריה דרב אידי מידי דהוה אמראות נגעים דלאו עבודה היא ובעיא כהונה

observed thereon: [The reason is because] 'Eleazar' and 'Statute' are written in connection with it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XIX, 2 seq.: This is the statute of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer . . and ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest . . and he shall slaughter her (this is the literal translation, not as E.V.) before face. Thus the text specifies that Eleazar, viz., a priest, must slaughter, and by referring to it as a 'statute' intimates that this is indispensable. This proves that slaughtering is a service.');">⁴</span>

והרי הולכת אברים לכבש דעבודה שאפשר לבטלה היא ופסולה בזר דכתי' (ויקרא א, יג) והקרי' הכהן את הכל [והקטיר] המזבחה ואמר מר זו הולכת אברים לכבש

- The [red] heifer is different, because it is of the holy things of the Temple repair.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is the technical term for all objects dedicated to the Temple which cannot be sacrificed.');">⁵</span>

היכא דגלי גלי והיכא דלא גלי לא גלי

But does it not follow a fortiori: it is a service in the case of the holy objects of the Temp repair, yet it is not a service in the case of holy objects dedicated to the altar!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely if it is a service in the former case it is all the more so in the latter.');">⁶</span>

ולאו כל דכן הוא ומה הולכת אברים לכבש דלא מעכבא כפרה בעיא כהונה הולכת דם דמעכבא כפרה [לא כ"ש] (מיבעיא)

- Said R'Shisha the son of R'Idi: Let it be analogous to the inspection of [leprous] plagues, which is not a service, and yet requires the priesthood.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And likewise with the red heifer, being of the holy things of the Temple repair, the slaughtering thereof is not deemed in the category of Temple services, and the requirement of a priest is a special feature of the ritual connected therewith,');">⁷</span>

איתמר [נמי] אמר עולא א"ר אלעזר הולכה בזר פסולה אפילו לרבי שמעון

Yet the carrying of the limbs to the ascent<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The inclined ascent leading to the altar. - These limbs were carried there for burning.');">⁸</span>

איבעיא להו הולכה שלא ברגל שמה הולכה או לא שמה הולכה

is a service which can be dispensed with,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By slaughtering the sacrifice near the altar, and burning the limbs on the spot.');">⁹</span>

ת"ש וכן יושב וכן שמאל פסול הא עומד דומיא דיושב כשר

and yet it is invalid [when done] by a zar, for it is written, And the priest shall offer [bring near] the whole, and make it smoke [burn it] upon the altar,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. I, 13.');">¹⁰</span>

דלמא יושב דקשייף מישף עומד דומיא דיושב דנייד פורתא

and a Master said: This refers to the carrying of the limbs to the ascent? - Where [Scripture] has revealed [that a priest is required], it has revealed [it], but where [Scripture] has not reveal [it], it has not.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence according to R. Simeon the carrying of the blood to the altar may not require a priest, notwithstanding that the carrying of the limbs does,');">¹¹</span>

ת"ש שחט ישראל וקבל הכהן נתנו לחבירו וחברו לחבירו

But does not [the reverse] follow a fortiori: if the carrying of the limbs to the ascent requir the priesthood, though it is not indispensable to atonement,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even it the limbs are not burnt at all the purpose of the sacrifice is achieved.');">¹²</span>

התם נמי דניידי פורתא ומאי קמ"ל (משלי יד, כח) ברוב עם הדרת מלך

how much the more [does] the carrying of the blood [require a priest], seeing that it is indispensable to atonement!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec. add: this is indeed a difficulty.');">¹³</span>

ת"ש קבל הכשר ונתן לפסול יחזיר לכשר

It was stated likewise: 'Ulla said in R'Eleazar's name: Carriage by a zar is invalid even according to R'Simeon, It was asked: Is carriage without [moving] the foot<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the blood is merely transferred by hand.');">¹⁴</span>

אימא יחזור הכשר ויקבלה

called carriage<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that an illegitimate intention will disqualify the sacrifice, on the view of the Rabbis; and likewise if it is performed by a zar.');">¹⁵</span>

איתמר אמר עולא א"ר יוחנן הולכה שלא ברגל לא שמה הולכה

or not? - Come and hear: And the same applies to one who is sitting and to [the performance of these by] the left hand, [which renders it] invalid. Hence standing similar to sitting<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., standing without moving.');">¹⁶</span> is valid! - [No:] perhaps sitting means that he drags himself along, [and then] standing similar to sitting means that he moves slightly. Come and hear: A [lay-] Israelite slaughtered [the Passover-offering] and a priest received [the blood]; he handed it to his colleague, and his colleague to his colleague!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is a description of the sacrifice of the Passover. The priests stood in rows, passing the blood from one to another, until it reached the altar for sprinkling. Thus the blood was carried without the priests moving their feet.');">¹⁷</span> - There too it means that they [the priests] moved slightly. Then what does he [the Tanna] inform us?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In stating that the priests were drawn up in rows.');">¹⁸</span> - That in the multitude of people is the king's glory.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XIV, 28.');">¹⁹</span> Come and hear: If a fit person received [the blood] and handed it to an unfit one, the latter must return it to the fit one!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence carrying without using the feet does not count at all. For otherwise the unfit might simply be regarded as a post on which the fit person had placed the blood, and it would not be necessary for the former to return it to the latter, but simply for another fit person to come and take it.');">²⁰</span> - Say, the fit person must go round and take it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He must go to the other side of the unfit and take it from him. In that case his first carriage definitely counts.');">²¹</span> It was stated: 'Ulla said in R'Johanan's name: Carriage without [moving] the foot is not called carriage.