Zevachim Daf 68 זבחים דַף 68

On the previous Daf, Rebbe Yehoshua said that if an עולת העוף was brought as a חטאת, it is no longer subject to me’ilah (like a חטאת, and unlike an עולה). Rav Adda bar Ahava explained that once one siman was cut as a חטאת, it transforms into a חטאת. The Gemara challenged this explanation by proving from Mishnayos that even according to Rebbe Yehoshua, someone whose עולת העוף was brought as a חטאת does not fulfill their חטאת obligation. Therefore, the Gemara here concludes: אימר דא"ר יהושע לאפוקה מידי מעילה – say that what Rebbe Yehoshua said that an עולת העוף “transforms” into a חטאת pertains to removing [the korban] from being subject to me’ilah; למיסק ליה לחובה מי אמר – did he say this transformation applies even to fulfill one’s [חטאת] obligation? Certainly not!

The next Mishnah states that if פסולים perform מליקה, it is invalid, but the bird is not metamei בבית הבליעה – through the throat (i.e., by being eaten), because it is not considered a נבילה. The same applies if the Kohen performs מליקה with his left hand, or at night. Also, if one shechted חולין inside the עזרה, or קדשים birds outside the עזרה, they are not metamei בבית הבליעה. If he performed מליקה with a knife (which is neither a valid מליקה nor שחיטה), or on חולין birds inside the עזרה or on קדשים birds outside the עזרה, or on תורין which were too young, or בני יונה which were too old, or on a bird with a withered wing, blinded eye, or cut-off foot, the bird is metamei בבית הבליעה in all these cases, because it is considered a נבילה. The Mishnah presents a rule: כל שפסולו בקודש אינו מטמא בבית הבליעה – any disqualification which is in the Holy (i.e., it was disqualified in the עזרה during the מליקה process) is not metamei through the throat, because the מליקה is effective in permitting it at least to remain on the מזבח if it was placed there. לא היה פסולו בקודש מטמא בבית הבליעה – But any disqualification which was not in the Holy is metamei through the throat.

Rav repeats the Mishnah’s ruling that if מליקה is done with the left hand, or at night, the bird is not metamei בבית הבליעה, and added that if מליקה is performed by a זר, or with a knife, it is metamei בבית הבליעה. The Gemara asks: just as מליקה with the left hand has validity because it is fully valid on Yom Kippur (when the Kohen Gadol holds the pan of קטורת), and מליקה at night has validity because nighttime is fully valid for burning אברים ופדרים – limbs and fats on the מזבח, so מליקה by a זר should also have validity (and not be metamei), since it is valid for shechitah!? The Gemara answers: שחיטה לאו עבודה היא – shechitah is not considered an avodah. Still, the Gemara objects that since the avodah of a זר is fully valid on a במה – [private] Altar (permitted before the Beis Hamikdash was built), and answers that we do not derive laws of the Beis Hamikdash from a במה. Rebbe Yochanan says that מליקה performed by a זר is not metamei בבית הבליעה, because he does derive laws from a במה.