Chullin 29: When is the Sacrifice of Birds Accomplished

Our rabbis continue their discussion about the sacrifice of birds.  Their conversation includes a number of questions:

• how much of the simanim are cut?
• to what degree have they been severed?
• whether or not the blood is required for sprinkling
• whether it is permitted or not to slaughter two birds simultaneously

The rabbis ask each other about when the slaughter is accomplished.  Reish Lakish teaches in the name of Levi the Elder that slaughter is complete at its conclusion.  Rabban Yochanan teaches that the act of slaughter is accomplished at each stage of the process.  Rava comments that all agree that when a Gentile cuts one siman and a Jew cuts the other, the slaughter is not valid at any point.  The Gentile makes the animal a treifa, disqualified from slaughter due to ritual impurity.  

Following up on this, the rabbis wonder about a siman pinched by a priest below the red line (which was drawn around the altar, demonstrating half of the hight of the alters and below which where sprinkling was done).  The other siman was pinched above the red line.  This sacrifice is invalid as well, due to pinching done above the red line.

We then learn that Reish Lakish and Rabbi Yochanan disagree only when an one cuts one siman outside of the Temple courtyard and one simon inside the Temple courtyard.  This would affect whether or not the slaughter is valid at its conclusion or during its process.  Concluding the slaughter in the Temple courtyard is the factor which determines the validity of the slaughter.  The rabbis clarify - performance of an act of slaughter outside of the Temple courtyard invalidates the slaughter and is punishable.