Derasha 1 on Vayikra 1:5

Parashas Vayikra · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 5

The Complete Passuk

וְשָׁחַ֛ט אֶת־בֶּ֥ן הַבָּקָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וְהִקְרִ֨יבוּ בְּנֵ֤י אַהֲרֹן֙ הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֔ים אֶת־הַדָּ֕ם וְזָרְק֨וּ אֶת־הַדָּ֤ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ סָבִ֔יב אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temima points to Yoma 27a and the related discussion on Chullin 10b (verified; slaughter by a non-Kohen is valid; from receiving the blood onward is the Kohen’s domain).

E-Daf — Yoma 27a · E-Daf — Chullin 10b
Shas PDF Yoma 27a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Yoma 27a (paraphrased locus)
וְשָׁחַט אֶת בֶּן הַבָּקָר לִפְנֵי ה' וְהִקְרִיבוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת הַדָּם — מִקַּבָּלָה וְאֵילָךְ מִצְוַת כְּהֻנָּה; לִמֵּד עַל הַשְּׁחִיטָה שֶׁכְּשֵׁרָה בְּזָר.

English: “And he shall slaughter the young of the herd before Hashem, and the sons of Aharon the Kohanim shall bring the blood…” — from the receiving [of the blood] onward is the mitzvah of the priesthood; this teaches that slaughter is valid when performed by a non-Kohen (zar).

Type of Learning

Custom (change of subject / grammatical shift) — the switch from singular “he shall slaughter” to plural “the sons of Aharon… shall bring” marks the boundary: slaughter may be done by a non-Kohen; from kabbalah of the blood onward is reserved for Kohanim.

What Is Learned

Shechita of a sacrificial animal need not be performed by a Kohen. From the moment the blood is received in a vessel, the avodah belongs to the Kohanim.