Zevachim 31: Joined by Intention

Some notes on today's daf:

• intentions can be joined: eating one half bulk of an olive now and another later, for example
• ritual impurity follows similar rules: if two items are placed together and one part has first degree and the other has second degree ritual impurity, they both have first degree ritual impurity (if separated and joined again, their status returns to what it was and then becomes first-degree again)
• if something is eaten or offered in two different ways, they are not joined, for ex. consuming one part and burning the other part
• the rabbis debate whether or not it is permitted to have two people share consumption, for example - each eating one half of an olive-bulk of the offering
• does it matter how long it takes for one to eat consecrated food?  Offerings?
• Is it typical to consume in one way or another?  Does this affect whether or not two parts can be joined by intention?

Today's daf ends with a new mishna and the beginning of Perek III.  The mishna teaches that those who are unfit for Temple services who slaughtered offerings find their offerings valid.  This is based on the fact that offerings are valid after the fact even when performed by non-priests, by women, by Canaanite slaves and by people who have the status of 'ritually impure'.  This halacha holds regarding all offerings including the most sacred offerings.  However, we must know that those who are ritually impure will not touch the flesh of the slaughtered animal thus rendering it ritually impure, too.  This suggests that these unfit people can disqualify the offerings based on prohibited intent, for example if one intended to partake of the offering before or outside of its designated time.