Me'ila 8: The Difficulty of Melika, Slaughtering a Bird Sin Offering

Today begins Perek 2,  where we learn about how the laws of me'ila affect sacrifices that are permitted and are sacrificed on the altar.  The first Mishna tells us about the laws regarding sin offering brought from a bird.  After the bird has been consecrated, the laws of me'ila apply and continue to remain even after the slaughter via the process of melika*.  Once the blood has been placed on the altar, the kohanim can eat the bird's meat and the laws of me'ila do not apply any longer.

The process of melika was a challenge.  We learned in Zevachim 64 that Rav Zutra bar Toviyya quoted Rav's instructions: a priest would hold the wings with two fingers and the legs with two fingers to leave the neck of the bird stretched out to be sliced by the kohen's thumbnail.  Rav Obadiah MiBarenura and the Rambam explain that the priest would hold the bird in his left had and would perform melika with the thumb of his right hand, similar to the Temple service where both hands are used.  

It is difficult to even imagine how hard it would be hold a bird and cut its neck with one hand.  Understandable that the rabbis would suggest a second interpretation allowing both hands to be used. 

*the process by which a bird sin offering is slaughtered