Sifra Nedavah Chapter 8

¹1) I might think that just as a bird cannot be brought as a communal gift-offering, so it cannot be brought as a gift of two (i.e., in partnership); it is, therefore, written (superfluously) "and he shall offer" (Ibid.) to teach us that it can be brought as a gift of two. ²2) Rebbi says: It is written (Vayikra 22:18): "… who will bring his offering, of all of their vows and of all of their gift-offerings which they will present to the L–rd as a burnt-offering" — All consecrated offerings may be brought in partnership, Scripture excluding only meal-offerings, in respect to which it is written (Vayikra 2:1): "If a soul offer a meal-offering to the L–rd." ³3) I might think that any bird is kasher; it is, therefore, written (Vayikra 2:14): "… then he shall offer his offering from the turtle-doves or from the young pigeons" — only these are permitted. "turtle-doves" — large, and not small. For is it not a kal vachomer (if not for a limiting clause, that small ones should be permitted), viz.: If young pigeons, which may not be offered large, may be offered small — turtle-doves, which may be offered large, how much more so should it be permitted to offer them small. ⁴4) "young pigeons" — small, and not large. For is it not a kal vachomer (if not for a limiting clause, that large ones should be permitted), viz.: If turtle-doves, which may not be offered small, may be offered large — young pigeons, which may be offered small, how much more so should it be permitted to offer them large! It is, therefore, written "young pigeons" — small (the usual), and not large. ⁵5) I might think that all turtle-doves and all young pigeons are kasher. It is, therefore, written: "from the turtle-doves," and not all of them — to exclude, in both, those at the stage when the neck feathers begin to shine (the intermediate stage). When are turtle-doves kasher? When they are gold-like (i.e., qualifying as "large"). When are young pigeons unfit? When they begin to shine (i.e., no longer qualifying as "small"). ⁶6) (Vayikra 1:14): ("… from the turtle-doves or from the young pigeons shall be his offering"): His offering shall be turtle-doves and young pigeons, but not his authorization (i.e., they may not serve [as birds (tzipporin) do] as authorization for a leper to re-enter the encampment). For (without the exclusion clause) is it not a kal vachomer (that they should serve as authorization), viz.: If tzipporin, which are not fit to atone (i.e., to be offerings) within (the Temple), are fit to atone (i.e., to serve as authorization) outside — turtle-doves and young pigeons, which are fit to atone within, how much more so should they be fit to atone outside! It is, therefore, written (to negate this): "turtle-doves and young pigeons shall be his offering" — but not his authorization. ⁷7) kal vachomer that tzipporin should be kasher to atone within: If turtle-doves and young pigeons, which are not fit to atone outside (see above), are fit to atone within — tzipporin, which are fit to atone outside, how much more so should they be fit to atone within! It is, therefore, written (to negate this): "and he shall offer from the turtle-doves or from the young pigeons, his offering." Only these are kasher for offerings from the fowl. ⁸8) R. Yehudah said: Now if in a case (that of a rich leper), where the authorization (to eat consecrated food) within is similar to the atonement within, (i.e., in both instances it is a beast [that is sacrificed]), the authorization (tzipporin) outside is different (i.e., it is a bird), then in a case (that of a poor leper), where the authorization within (i.e., a beast) is not similar to the atonement within (turtle-doves or young pigeons), how much more so should it follow that the authorization outside should be different! (so that we would know even without the exclusion clause that he could not bring turtle-doves or young pigeons for that authorization!) — That kal vachomer would serve for a poor leper; but whence would we derive the same for a rich leper (where even turtle-doves or young pigeons would satisfy the "difference" requirement for outside authorization, [inside authorization being effected by a beast])? It is, therefore, written: "from the turtle-doves or from the young pigeons, his offering" — and not his (outside) authorization.