Menachos Daf 93 מנחוס דַף 93

Rav Chananyah taught a Baraisa in Rava’s presence: יורש אינו סומך – an heir does not perform semichah on a korban he inherited; יורש אינו מימר – an heir cannot effect temurah. Rava asked him that the Mishnah on the previous Daf states the opposite: היורש סומך – an heir performs semichah, ומביא את נסכיו – he brings its nesachim, ומימר – and he effects temurah!? Rav Chananyah asked if he should reverse his Baraisa’s text, but Rava explained that the Baraisa reflects Rebbe Yehudah’s opinion from a recorded machlokes. Rebbe Yehudah darshens that one only performs semichah on "קרבנו" – his own sacrifice, ולא קרבן אביו – and not his father’s sacrifice, and it is not considered his own. ויליף תחלת הקדש מסוף הקדש – He then derives the beginning of hekdesh from the end of hekdesh (i.e., temurah, where the second animal receives kedushah, from semichah, which is performed just before shechitah): just as a יורש does not perform semichah, he also cannot effect temurah. The Rabbonon darshen "המר ימיר" – substitute he will substitute to include a יורש, and then derive סוף הקדש (semichah) from תחילת הקדש (temurah) to teach that a יורש performs semichah.

The next Mishnah states that all people perform semichah, except for a חרש, a שוטה, a קטן, a blind person, an idolator, a slave, a שליח, and a woman. [The Gemara explains all these exceptions.] וסמיכה שירי מצוה – Semichah is considered the remnant of a mitzvah, and is not מעכב the כפרה if it was not performed. A Baraisa explains: the passuk uses the word "ונרצה" – and it shall be acceptable in reference to סמיכה. Since כפרה is accomplished with the blood of a korban, this passuk teaches שאם עשאה לסמיכה שירי מצוה – that if he treated semichah as a mere remnant of a mitzvah (i.e., unimportant) and did not do it, מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו לא כיפר וכיפר – the passuk considers it for him as if it did not atone in the best way, but it actually did atone somewhat. An identical derashah is made regarding תנופה – waving, about which a passuk says לתנופה לכפר – for waving, to atone, even though it is the דם which achieves כפרה.

The Mishnah taught that semichah is performed על הראש בב' ידים – on the head of the animal with two hands. A Baraisa darshens three mentions of the words "על הראש" to teach that the semichah may not be performed על הצואר – on the neck, nor על הגביים – on the back, nor על החזה – on the breast. The additional novelty of the animal’s back is that it is level with the animal’s head, and the additional novelty of the חזה is that it is used in תנופה. They inquired if one may perform semichah על הצדדין – on the sides of the animal’s head, and concluded that he cannot. Rebbe Yirmiyah asked if a cloth would be a חציצה between his hands and the animal, and a Baraisa is presented which states that there cannot be any חציצה. Reish Lakish explains the source for performing semichah with two hands. Regarding the שעיר לעזאזל, the passuk says: וסמך אהרן את שתי ידו – and Aharon shall lean his two hands. The word is written "ידו" as if it were singular, yet it says "שתי" – two, being plural. This teaches that even where the Torah says "ידו" – his hand (such as regarding semichah), it means with two hands unless specified otherwise.