Daf Yomi One Week at a Time: Zevachim

As we begin Seder Kodshim with Masechet Zevachim, we will enter the world of sacrifices of the Temple. We will learn about the differences between different sacrifices and how they were used to worship God in the Temple.

This week we will learn that certain sacrifices (notably chatat and pesach) are invalid if offered shelo lishman (not for its own sake), deriving this from scriptural links to shelamim and exploring when a Pesach defaults to a shelamim. The Gemara then probes whether improper intent in one avodah (service) (e.g., shechita) for another avodah (e.g., zerikah) disqualifies, and analyzes the principles of dichuy (permanent rejection of a korban).

This week we will detail which disqualifications (pesulei avodah – disqualifications of the sacrificial service) invalidate the Temple service—such as a zar (non-kohen), tamei (ritually impure), onen (a mourner on the day of burial), tevul-yom (one who immersed in a mikveh that day but must wait until nightfall), mechusar begadim (lacking the proper priestly garments), or sh’tuyei yayin (a kohen who drank wine)—deriving each from verses and showing how they apply in the Mikdash but not on a bamah (private altar). The Gemara further clarifies laws of priestly garments (too few, extra, torn, or soiled), belt placement, and chatzitzah (a barrier between the garments and the body), and then transitions to the requirement of kidush yadayim v’raglayim (sanctifying the hands and feet with water), including whether it lapses overnight and the mechanics of the kiyor (laver).

This week, we will identify which unfit priests and improper intentions invalidate the avodah, distinguishing shelo lishmah (wrong type) from pigul (intending to eat outside its time). The Gemara will define the laws of pigul: it applies only when a fit kohen performs all services with a clear “wrong time” intent, and cannot combine with other disqualifying thoughts or across multiple priests.

This week we will continue analyzing pigul, teaching that it applies only when the improper intent occurs during an essential act of the same korban, with valid blood, and without interruption—excluding cases of partial intent, mixed korbanot, or improper slaughter order—and concluding that pigul entails karet only when the sacrifice would otherwise permit eating. We will then learn about the placement of blood on the alter: which offerings require applications “above” or “below” the red line on the altar and how sprinkling on the wrong half or side affects validity.

This week we will learn about the blood placement on the altar and in what context all the placements are essential and when only some are essential.  The Gemara teaches that some parts of the sacrifice aren’t affected by pigul intent and some can’t create a pigul sacrifice.

This week, the gemara will establish through verses that blood is not subject to me’ilah, tumah, or notar, and they discuss how much one kohen’s invalidating thought can affect another kohen’s act. The Gemara then develops the halacha that certain korbanot must be slaughtered in the north of the Azarah (first olah, then chatat + asham) and examine whether we are allowed to learn that rule for other offerings through hekesh.