Zevachim 51: Pouring the Leftover Blood

A few words about today's daf:

• the rabbis review what is done with leftover blood from the sin offering: it is poured onto the floor by the altar in the courtyard
• only offerings brought by the high priest, the Sanhedrin for the community, or on Yom Kippur were brought to the inner altar where the blood was sprinkled
• The leftover blood was brought outside
• perhaps the blood is poured there because it is the first place that the High Priest reaches when he leaves the Temple's inner sanctum
• This is debated: Rashi excludes these words, Tosafot explain that he disagreed that this was simply taking his first opportunity to do a mitzvah
• Toasafot argue that the concept of performing a mitzvah at one's first opportunity only applies when two mitzvot might be performed