EXTRA 10 — Vayikra 3:8 / 3:13 · Sifra

Extra Credit · Toras Kohanim

The Complete Passuk

וְסָמַ֤ךְ אֶת־יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ קָרְבָּנ֔וֹ וְשָׁחַ֣ט אֹת֔וֹ לִפְנֵ֖י אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד…

And he shall lean his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it before the Tent of Meeting… (same phrasing at 3:13 for the goat).

Source

Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura deNedavah, on the thrice-repeated “he shall slaughter it.”

Sefaria — Sifra

The Midrash (longer context)

Core Text
״וְשָׁחַט אֹתוֹ״ ״וְשָׁחַט אֹתוֹ״ ״וְשָׁחַט אֹתוֹ״ — שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים. לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יב) ״וְכִי יִרְחַק מִמְּךָ הַמָּקוֹם… וְזָבַחְתָּ״ — בְּרִחוּק מָקוֹם אַתָּה זוֹבֵחַ, וְאִי אַתָּה זוֹבֵחַ בְּקֵרוּב מָקוֹם: פְּרָט לְחֻלִּין שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁחֲטוּ בָּעֲזָרָה. ״לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד״ — לְהַכְשִׁיר כָּל הָצְדָדִים.

English: “And he shall slaughter it” three times. Because it is written (Devarim 12) “If the place be distant… then you shall slaughter” — at a distance you may slaughter, and not in proximity: to exclude chullin from being slaughtered in the azarah. “Before the Tent of Meeting” — to permit all the sides (of the courtyard as slaughter sites).

In Sifra: The triple slaughter phrase and “before the Tent” fix two rules: non-sacred animals may not be killed in the Temple court; shelamim may be slaughtered on any side of the azarah, not only one wall.

Type of Learning

Custom (repeated verb + place phrase).

What Is Learned

Shelamim slaughter is anywhere in the azarah; ordinary meat animals are barred from that space.