Study Zevachim folio 116A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
זכרים ונקבות, תמימין ובעלי מומין – דאמר מר: תמות וזכרות בבהמה, ואין תמות וזכרות בעופות.
That which was taught in the baraita: All animals were fit to be sacrificed: Males and females, unblemished and blemished animals, pertains to that which the Master said as a principle concerning the halakhot of sacrifices: The requirements that an offering must have unblemished status and that a burnt offering must have male status apply to animal offerings, but the requirements of unblemished status and male status do not apply to birds.
ואיתקש בהמה לעוף.
And in the verses that recount Noah’s sacrifices upon exiting the ark, a domesticated animal is juxtaposed with a bird, in the verse: “Of every pure animal, and of every pure fowl” (Genesis 8:20), which teaches that kosher animals had a status identical to that of birds, and could be sacrificed whether male or female, unblemished or blemished.
תמימין ובעלי מומין – לאפוקי מחוסר אבר, דלא. אמר רבי אלעזר: מנין למחוסר אבר שנאסר לבני נח? תלמוד לומר: ״ומכל החי מכל בשר״ – אמרה תורה: הבא בהמה שחיין ראשי איברין שלה.
The Talmud adds: That which was taught in the baraita: Unblemished and blemished animals, serves to exclude animals that are lacking a limb, which were not fit for sacrifice. As R' Elazar says: From where is it derived that an animal that is lacking a limb is forbidden to the descendants of Noah, i.e., non-Jews, to be used as a sacrifice? The verse states with regard to Noah: “And of every living being of all flesh, two of every sort should you bring into the ark” (Genesis 6:19). With regard to the phrase: “And of every living being,” which is superfluous, the Torah stated: Bring an animal whose limbs are all living, not one lacking a limb, as that animal is disqualified from sacrifice.