Study Zevachim folio 28A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
כאליה דמי; והא קא מחשב מאכילת מזבח לאדם!
is considered as though it were part of the tail itself. The tail of a sheep sacrificed as a peace offering is burned on the altar rather than eaten. But if so, one who slaughters the sheep with intent to consume the skin of its tail the next day has intent to shift its consumption from consumption by the altar, i.e., burning the offering, to consumption by a person. Since intent to consume part of an offering beyond its designated time renders an offering piggul only if that part is intended for human consumption, why does the Mishnah rule that such an offering is piggul?
אמר שמואל: הא מני – רבי אליעזר היא; דאמר: מחשבין מאכילת מזבח לאכילת אדם, ומאכילת אדם לאכילת מזבח.
Shmuel says: In accordance with whose opinion is this? It is in accordance with the opinion of R' Eliezer, who says: One can have intent to shift an item’s consumption from consumption by the altar to consumption by a person, or from consumption by a person to consumption by the altar, and the offering will still be rendered piggul.
דתנן: השוחט את הזבח לאכול דבר שאין דרכו לאכול; להקטיר דבר שאין דרכו להקטיר – כשר. ורבי אליעזר פוסל.
This is as we learned in a Mishnah (35a): In a case of one who slaughters the offering with intent to partake of an item whose typical manner is such that one does not partake of it, or to burn an item whose typical manner is such that one does not burn it on the altar, beyond its designated time or outside its designated area, the offering is fit. And R' Eliezer deems it unfit.
במאי אוקימתה – כרבי אליעזר? אימא סיפא, זה הכלל: כל השוחט, והמקבל, והמוליך, והזורק; לאכול דבר שדרכו לאכול, ולהקטיר דבר שדרכו להקטיר.
The Talmud asks: In accordance with which opinion did you interpret the Mishnah here? You interpreted it in accordance with the opinion of R' Eliezer. But if so, say the latter clause, i.e., the next Mishnah (29b): This is the principle: Anyone who slaughters the animal, or who collects the blood, or who conveys the blood, or who sprinkles the blood with the intent to partake of an item whose typical manner is such that one partakes of it, or to burn an item whose typical manner is such that one burns it on the altar, beyond its designated time, renders it piggul.