Zevachim 68a

זבחים ס״ח ע״א

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Topic

Mixed-up bird offerings in קנים and רבי יהושע's rule, then a new משנה on invalid מליקה and the טומאה of a bird in the throat

Overview

The amud opens at the end of a משנה from מסכת קנים, which the גמרא is quoting. A woman owes a required pair of birds (one חטאת and one עולה) and has also vowed bird עולות, and the כהן no longer knows how he offered them. The משנה rules that she brings five more birds, or six if two species were involved. If she also doesn't know what she gave, she brings seven, while בן עזאי requires two חטאות. רבי יהושע closes with the parable of the sheep: one sound in life, seven in death. Because רבי יהושע signs off on these rulings, they seem to clash with רב אדא בר אהבה's reading of him, that a bird עולה offered as a חטאת becomes a חטאת. The גמרא answers that רבי יהושע only meant the bird is taken out of מעילה, not that it counts toward the owner's obligation. Then a new משנה begins. It teaches that an invalid מליקה or a wrong kind of שחיטה still keeps the bird from making the eater טמא in the throat. The משנה then starts a second list of cases, whose ruling comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (8)

1. StatementShe must bring five more birds, all offered above the line
2. StatementFive birds only when both pairs were one species; with two species she brings six
3. StatementNeither the woman nor the כהן knows what was given or done: seven birds
4. Statementבן עזאי requires two sin offerings
5. Challengeרבי יהושע's parable of the sheep
6. Resolutionרבי יהושע only meant no מעילה, not that her obligation is fulfilled
7. StatementNew משנה: invalid מליקה still does not make the bird טמא in the throat
8. StatementThe משנה begins a second list of cases