Kiddushin, Daf Lammed Vav, Part 5

Introduction

Today s sugya tries to explain what sprinkling of the blood is referred to in the mishnah. There are several occasions on which a priest sprinkles blood. Which occasion is one in which we need to know that women cannot do so?

והזאות: הזאה דהיכא אי דפרה אלעזר כתוב בה אי דפנים (ויקרא ד, ג) הכהן המשיח כתוב בה

And sprinkling. The sprinkling of what? If that of the [red] cow, Elazar is written about it (Numbers 19:4)?

If [that sprinkled] inside [the Holy of Holies] the anointed priest (Leviticus 4:16) is stated in connection with it!

The sprinkling of the ashes of the red heifer can be performed only by the deputy high priest, as it was by Elazar in the wilderness. The sprinkling inside the Holy of Holies must be performed by the high priest. If even other priests cannot do this sprinkling, all the more so women cannot. Thus the mishnah should not even need to state this.

אלא הזאה דבן עוף דאתיא בק"ו מבן צאן ומה בן צאן שלא קבע לו כהן לשחיטתו קבע לו כהן להזאתו בן עוף שקבע לו כהן למליקתו אינו דין שיקבע לו להזאתו

Rather it refers to the sprinkling of a bird’s [blood], which can be derived from a kal vehomer from a sheep offering: if a sheep offering, for which it did not specify a priest for its slaughtering, it did specify a priest for its sprinkling, a bird offering, for which it did specify a priest for pinching its neck, is it not logical that it would specify a priest for its sprinkling.

The sprinkling referred to is the sprinkling of the blood of a bird offering on the altar. That it must be offered by a male priest is derived from an inference from animal offerings. Even an Israelite may slaughter an animal offering, but only a priest can sprinkle its blood. So if only a priest can slaughter a bird offering, obviously only a priest can sprinkle its blood.