Zichru Daf Simanim
Zevachim - Daf 39
  • Proving that the three מתנות of חטאת require כיבוס

On the previous Daf, Rav Pappa said that the three latter מתנות of a חטאת are subject to כיבוס – requiring the washing of a garment onto which blood spattered. He offered proof from a Mishnah which states that if blood of a חטאת spattered onto a garment from the קרן – horn or from the יסוד – base of the מזבח, it does not require כיבוס. This implies that מן הראוי לקרן – blood which is fit to be placed on the horn, i.e., the last three מתנות, does require כיבוס. However, the Gemara objects that a similar inference should be made from "יסוד" that blood “fit” for the יסוד, i.e., שירים, should require כיבוס, which it does not!? This question is discussed at length and ultimately stands. Ravina answers by distinguishing between the two terms: מן הקרן ממש – “from the horn” means literally blood taken from the קרן itself and implies that blood “fit for the קרן” (the last three מתנות) would not require כיבוס, as Rav Pappa said. However, "מן היסוד" means even that which is “fit for the יסוד” (i.e., שירים). He explains that "מן הקרן" cannot include blood “fit” for the קרן, because then it would be unnecessary to teach that blood fit for the יסוד does not require כיבוס.

  • Source that שעירי ע"ז are חטאות פנימיות, but שעירי רגלים and שעירי ר"ח are not

The Mishnah on Daf 36b taught that all מתנות of חטאות which are applied to the מזבח הפנימי are מעכב. A Baraisa derives these from extra words in the passuk about פר העלם דבר של ציבור. The word "החטאת" teaches: אלו שעירי עבודת כוכבים – these are the goats brought as a חטאת for communal idolatry (resulting from a mistaken ruling), teaching that they are also חטאות פנימיות, thus requiring blood מתנות before the פרוכת and on the מזבח הפנימי, and burning its meat outside Yerushalayim. We do not include the שעירי רגלים and שעירי ראש חודש (i.e., goats brought for the מוסף on these days) to also be חטאות פנימיות, because the word "לו" – for it excludes them. The Baraisa explains how it was known to include the שעירי ע"ז, and exclude the others:מרבה אני את אלו שמכפרין על עבירת מצוה ידועה – I include these (שעירי ע"ז) which atone for known transgressions of a mitzvah (similar to the פר העלם דבר), and exclude the other שעירים, which do not atone for known transgressions (but for unknown tumah transgressions in the Mikdash).

  • סמיכה and שירים are not מעכב for a חטאת הפנימית

After deriving from extra words that all הזאות – sprinklings of חטאות הפנימיות are מעכב, the Baraisa darshens: "וכפר" – and he shall atone [for them], teaching: אף על פי שלא סמך – even if he did not lean on the korban as required, "ונסלח" – and it shall be forgiven for them, teaching: אף על פי שלא נתן שירים – even if he did not pour the blood remnants into the יסוד. The Baraisa explains how it was known to invalidate a korban missing הזאות, but validate a korban missing סמיכה or שירים: פוסל [אני] בהזאות שמעכבות בכל מקום – I invalidate [the korban] where sprinklings were omitted, because they are essential in all other places, ומכשיר אני בסמיכה ושירים שאין מעכבות בכל מקום – and I validate [the korban] where סמיכה or pouring the remnants was omitted, because they are not essential in all other places.

Siman – Letter (Mailman). The Kohen mailman delivering the three latter מתנות of a חטאת that spilled on his uniform which would now require כיבוס, arrived just in time to inform the Kohanim that שעירי ר"ח are not like theשעירי עבודה זרה which were applied on the מזבח הפנימי, while a second Kohen mailman was in such a rush to deliver his mail that he forgot to do סמיכה on a חטאת פנימית and was relieved to hear it’s not מעכב.

Rabbi Avraham Goldhar

Rabbi Avraham Goldhar has been designing and teaching Jewish literacy courses for over thirty years. His knowledge frameworks for Biblical mastery, Jewish History, Talmudic Law & Jewish Holidays enable students of all backgrounds to better integrate Jewish concepts and learn systematically. After serving as the Educational Director of Aish HaTorah New York, Avraham launched GoldharSchool.com, Home of Big Picture Jewish Education, featuring Jewish literacy content for schools and individuals. He is the developer of the Goldhar Method, a revolutionary learning system that integrates memory into the learning process and has trained over 80,000 students, teachers and professionals. He lectures internationally on the topic of academic mastery and the solutions required to raise the bar in education. Avraham learned in Aish HaTorah, Mir, and Chaim Berlin and received his ordination under the tutelage of Rabbi Yitzchok Berkovits in Jerusalem.