Zevachim Daf 52 זבחים דַף 52

On the previous Daf, Rebbe Yishmael presented a kal vachomer: if שירים of a חטאת, which are not מכפר, must be poured on top of the יסוד, then certainly the first זריקה of the עולה’s blood, which is מכפר, requires a יסוד underneath. Rebbe Akiva expressed this kal vachomer by saying that if the שירים, שאין מכפרין ואין באין לכפר – which do not atone, nor come for atonement, yet require a יסוד, then certainly the first of the עולה’s blood, which does atone and does come for atonement, requires a יסוד. Rav Ada bar Ahava explains that the difference in their wording results from a machlokes if pouring שירים is מעכב. Although they agree atonement is achieved without pouring the שירים, Rebbe Akiva goes further and says it is not an element of the כפרה at all, and does not need to be performed, but Rebbe Yishmael disagrees and requires leaving over שירים to pour. Rav Pappa says both agree שירים are not מעכב, but argue if מיצוי חטאת העוף – squeezing out the bird-chatas’ blood is מעכב. Rebbe Yishmael holds it is מעכב, and Rebbe Akiva holds it is not (and each kal vachomer was discussing מיצוי חטאת העוף). A Baraisa supports Rav Pappa’s interpretation.

A Baraisa darshens a passuk about a חטאת: הכהן המחטא אותה – the Kohen who applies [its blood] (shall eat its meat). This teaches: אותה שניתן דמה למעלה – only it whose blood was applied above (on the קרנות) may be eaten, ולא אותה שניתן דמה למטה – but not it whose blood was placed below (i.e., the lower half of the מזבח); this זריקה is invalid and its meat is not permitted. This derashah is necessary because of another derashah teaching לניתנין במתן ארבע – regarding those [korbanos] whose blood is applied with four applications, שאם נתנן במתנה אחת כיפר – that if it was applied with only one application, it still atones. Since one מתנה suffices for a korban requiring four, one might have thought that a מתנה below is also valid. Although we already know regarding a korban whose blood is applied למטה (i.e., a חטאת העוף) that if its blood was applied למעלה it is invalid, that may have been because שאין סופן למעלן – because it would not end up above, whereas a חטאת’s blood, which will end up below (since its שירים is poured there), perhaps would be valid if applied למטה, so the passuk above teaches otherwise.

In a Baraisa, Tannaim debate how to darshen וכלה מכפר – and he shall complete atoning [for the קודש, the אהל מועד, and the מזבח]. Rebbe Akiva explains: אם כיפר כלה – if he performed the atonement procedures (i.e., all the מתנות), he has completed [the avodah]. ואם לא כיפר לא כלה – But if he did not perform the atonement procedures, he has not completed [the avodah]. Rebbe Yehudah said to Rebbe Akiva: מפני מה לא נאמר – why should we not say instead to interpret according to their written order: אם כלה כיפר – if he has completed all the procedures, he has atoned; אם לא כלה לא כיפר – if he did not complete them, he has not atoned, שאם חיסר אחת מכל המתנות – so that if he omitted any one of all of the applications, לא עשה ולא כלום – he has done nothing? Rebbe Yochanan and Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi debate the difference between these derashos. One says they agree in halachah, and only disagree how to darshen it. The other says they argue if pouring שיריים is מעכב: Rebbe Akiva says that as long as he was "מכפר", performing all the “atonements” written in the pesukim, he completed the avodah. Rebbe Yehudah holds that only if he “completed” all of the applications, including pouring the שירים, does he atone.