Zevachim Daf 65 זבחים דַף 65

A Baraisa darshens numerous laws of עולת העוף, including that one may bring a single bird as an עולה, and that the מליקה must be performed by a Kohen (in contrast to שחיטה of animal korbanos). One might think that מליקה must be performed with a knife based on a kal vachomer, that if שחיטה, which does not require a Kohen, yet requires כלי – an instrument for shechting, then מליקה, which requires a Kohen, certainly should require a knife!? Therefore, the passuk says "כהן ומלק", and Rebbe Akiva explains: וכי תעלה על דעתך שזר קרב לגבי מזבח – would it enter your mind that a non-Kohen would approach the מזבח? Since a זר is not permitted on the מזבח (where מליקה is performed), why did the Torah need to write "הכהן"? This teaches שתהא מליקה בעצמו של כהן – that the מליקה should be with the body of the Kohen, i.e., his fingernail.

In a Baraisa, a היקש between הקטרה and מיצוי of חטאת העוף teaches that just as the הקטרה is at the top of the מזבח, the מיצוי also must take place at the top of the מזבח. It then states that the מליקה is performed on the סובב, and the מיצוי is done against the מזבח wall. The Tanna Kamma says: אם עשאה למטה מרגליו אפילו אמה – if he [squeezed out the blood] even a full amah below his feet (under the סובב), it is still valid (since it is still the upper half of the מזבח). Rebbe Nechemiah and Rebbe Eliezer ben Yaakov say: כל עצמה אין נעשית אלא בראש המזבח – it itself is only done at the top of the mizbeiach, near the place of הקטרה, which was on top of the מזבח. Abaye and Rava explain that the Tannaim argue if עושה מערכה ע"ג סובב – one may make a pyre on top of the surrounding ledge. The Tanna Kamma holds one may make a מערכה and do הקטרה on the סובב; therefore, מליקה even below the סובב is still near a “place of הקטרה.” The other Tannaim disagree, and hold הקטרה may only be on top of the מזבח, so the מליקה must be near the very top.

The Mishnah, which invalidates a חטאת העוף if its head was separated from its body, disagrees with Rebbe Elazar bar Rebbe Shimon, who said: שמעתי שמבדילין בחטאת העוף – I heard that one can separate the head from the body without invalidating the korban. Four explanations of this machlokes are presented, which hinge on whether being מבדיל a חטאת העוף is considered performing the procedure of an עולת העוף (this invalidates the חטאת, at taught on the next Daf): (1) They argue if מיצוי of חטאת העוף is מעכב. If he can omit מיצוי, he avoids doing the full עולה procedure. (2) They argue if שהייה בסימן שני – delay in cutting the second pipe of an עולה invalidates it. If so, then the necessary delay during מליקה of חטאת העוף (since he must cut רוב בשר – most of the flesh around the neck) is a deviation from the procedure of an עולת העוף. (3) They argue if cutting רוב בשר is מעכב for a חטאת העוף. If so, then there will necessarily be a שהייה before the second סימן, differentiating it from an עולת העוף. (4) Rebbe Yirmiyah reported that Rebbe Elazar bar Rebbe Shimon permits being מבדיל a חטאת העוף. The passuk which says "לא יבדיל" just means he does not need to separate the head, but he can.