Derasha 1 on Vayikra 1:17

Parashas Vayikra · Aliyah 2 · Passuk 17

The Complete Passuk

וְשִׁסַּ֨ע אֹת֣וֹ בְכְנָפָיו֮ לֹ֣א יַבְדִּיל֒ וְהִקְטִ֨יר אֹת֤וֹ הַכֹּהֵן֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עַל־הָעֵצִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הָאֵ֑שׁ עֹלָ֣ה הִ֔וא אִשֵּׁ֥ה רֵֽיחַ־נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהֹוָֽה׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temima points to Zevachim 65b (verified; splitting by hand, not with a tool).

E-Daf — Tsurras Hadaf

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְשִׁסַּע אֹתוֹ בְכְנָפָיו לֹא יַבְדִּיל — אֵין שִׁסּוּעַ אֶלָּא בַּיָּד, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (שֹׁפְטִים י"ד) וַיְשַׁסְּעֵהוּ כְּשַׁסַּע הַגְּדִי וּמְאוּמָה אֵין בְּיָדוֹ.

English: “And he shall split it with its wings; he shall not sever” — splitting is only by hand, as it is said (Shoftim 14) “and he tore it as one tears a kid, and there was nothing in his hand.”

Type of Learning

Custom (gezerah shavah / word sense of shasa).

What Is Learned

The bird is split by hand alone; a knife or other implement is not used for this step.