Derasha 2 — Vayikra 1:4

וְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִרְצָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃

Source Citation

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Megillah 20b

וְסָמַךְ — כָּל הַיּוֹם כָּשֵׁר לִסְמִיכָה, דִּכְתִיב וְסָמַךְ וּסְמִיךְ לֵיהּ וְשָׁחַט; מַה שְּׁחִיטָה כָּל הַיּוֹם, אַף סְמִיכָה כָּל הַיּוֹם.

English: “And he shall lean” — the entire day is valid for leaning, as it is written “and he shall lean” adjacent to “and he shall slaughter”; just as slaughter is valid all day, so leaning is valid all day.

In the sugya: Semicha sits next to shechitah in the Torah’s sequence. Daytime validity transfers by juxtaposition: whatever window shechitah has for kodashim, semicha shares. Night is out for both.

Type of Learning

Semuchin — semicha learns its daytime window from adjacent shechitah.

What Is Learned

Semicha may be performed at any time during the day, matching the rule that shechitah of kodashim is a daytime mitzvah valid throughout the day. The adjacency of “and he shall lean” to “and he shall slaughter” is the transfer mechanism.

Derasha 2 on Vayikra 1:4

The Complete Passuk

Source Citation

Core Text of Chazal

Type of Learning

What Is Learned