Zevachim 4: Responsible for Our Own Offerings/Apologies

Some very basic notes from today's daf:

• the guidelines for zevachim, sacrifices are compared with those for shechita, non-ritual slaughter
• a korban, paschal sacrifice, is offered for the sake of those who will eat it
• slaughter can be performed by any Jew, but the collection of blood cannot be performed by a non-priest or by a woman
• sprinkling of blood and collection of blood is done for the sake of the shelamim, peace offering
• sprinkling the blood by a non-priest or woman is punishable by death at the hand of heaven
• a toda shelemav, thanksgiving peace offering, is eaten on the day it was offered for the sake of the owner
• zevachim should not be separated from other sacrificial rites
• an intent to deviate one's intent from the owner to anyone else makes one liable
• the rabbis state clearly that one is responsible for their own sacrifices
• "shall offer" is a generalization followed by "a sacrifice" is a detail; hermeneutics teach that a generalization followed by a detail includes only the detail in the generalization and thus a zevach is performed for the sake of its owner but no other rite is performed for the sake of its owner in order that the sacrifice is fit
• shelamim = peace offering; all peace offerings
• shelamav = his peace offering
• nedava = gift offering
• neder = vow offering

One of the major themes in today's daf is the obligation for one to know that a sacrifice is made for one's own sake. We are each of us responsible for our own transgressions and for making things right. As we no longer have the Temple to guide our acts of asking forgiveness, we must find other ways to "offer" our apologies. It is up to me, and no one else, to carry my own offerings and to ask for forgiveness when I make mistakes.