QUESTIONS: Rava says that whenever the verse mentions the word "Kohen" with regard to an Avodah, it means that the Avodah must be performed with the right hand. The Gemara asks that the verse which describes the Holeches Evarim, bringing the limbs of a Korban to the Mizbe'ach, says, "And the Kohen shall bring it all..." (Vayikra 1:13), mentioning the word "Kohen," and yet the Mishnah (Tamid 31b) says that some of the limbs may be carried to the Mizbe'ach with the left hand. The Gemara answers that Rava's rule applies only to Avodos which are necessary for Kaparah. Holeches Evarim is not necessary for Kaparah, and therefore it may be done with the left hand.

RASHI (DH u'Meshani) explains that the Holeches Evarim is not necessary for Kaparah, because the limbs may be placed on the Mizbe'ach without being transported there, such as when the animal is skinned and dissected right next to the Mizbe'ach, or when the limbs are handed from one Kohen to the next until the limbs reach the Mizbe'ach, without any Kohen having to walk towards the Mizbe'ach with the limbs.

Rashi's words are difficult to understand. If the Holeches Evarim may be done by dissecting the animal right next to the Mizbe'ach or by handing the limbs from one Kohen to another, then the Holeches ha'Dam -- bringing the blood to the Mizbe'ach -- also should be able to be done in the same way! The animal may be slaughtered right next to the Mizbe'ach, or the blood handed from one Kohen to the next until it reaches the Mizbe'ach, without any Kohen having to walk towards the Mizbe'ach at all. Accordingly, the Holeches ha'Dam also should be considered an Avodah which is not necessary for the Kaparah, and the Kohen should be permitted to do it with his left hand. Why, then, does the Gemara in Zevachim (14b) rule that the Holeches ha'Dam is Pasul when done with the left hand? (KEREN ORAH)

ANSWER: The MINCHAS AVRAHAM answers that there is a basic difference between Holeches ha'Dam and Holeches Evarim. The Avodah of Holeches ha'Dam is one of the four Avodos of a Korban. It is not possible for a Korban to be valid without all of the Avodos being done, including the Holeches ha'Dam. Holeches Evarim, on the other hand, is not an Avodah itself. Although there is a Mitzvah to bring the limbs to the Mizbe'ach, if the limbs reach the Mizbe'ach without Holachah, the Haktarah (burning of the limbs) nevertheless is valid.

When Rashi says that the Holeches Evarim may be done by handling them from one Kohen to another, Rashi does not mean that the Mitzvah of Holeches Evarim is fulfilled in this manner. Rather, the Mitzvah is not fulfilled (because of the rule that "Holachah that is done without walking is not called Holachah"). Rashi means that the Haktarah will be valid even though no Holachah was performed. This is why Holachah is more lenient and may be done with the left hand. Performing the Holachah with the left hand still constitutes fulfillment of the Mitzvah of Holachah, since only an Avodah which is "Iy Efshar l'Vatlah" needs to be performed with the right hand.

Holeches ha'Dam, on the other hand, may not be done by passing the blood from one Kohen to another, because bringing the Dam to the Mizbe'ach is one of the primary Avodos of the Korban, and without it the Korban is Pasul. Accordingly, the Korban cannot be offered without Holeches ha'Dam (Holeches ha'Dam is "Iy Efshar l'Vatlah"), and, therefore, it may not be done with the left hand. (Mordechai Zvi Dicker)

QUESTION: The Gemara asks why Rava needs to derive that Kemitzah must be done with the right hand through a Gezeirah Shavah ("Yad, Yad") from the sprinkling of the blood and oil on the right hand of a Metzora (Vayikra 14:14). Rava himself states that whenever the verse mentions the word "Kohen" with regard to an Avodah, it means that the Avodah must be performed with the right hand. Since the verse mentions "Kohen" with regard to the Kemitzah ("v'Kamatz ha'Kohen," Vayikra 5:12), the Kemitzah must be performed with the right hand. Why, then, does Rava need the Gezeirah Shavah?

The Gemara answers that one source is needed to teach that the Kemitzah itself must be done with the right hand, and the other source is needed to teach that the Kidush of the Kemitzah (placing it into a Kli Shares) must be done with the right hand.

Why, though, is a separate source needed to teach that the Kidush of the Kemitzah must be done with the right hand? Once the Torah has taught that the Kemitzah itself must be done with the right hand, it is obvious that if it is placed into the left hand it is no longer in a place that is valid for Kemitzah and it cannot be used as the Kometz. Placing it into the left hand should be no different than dropping it on the floor, in which case the Kometz becomes Pasul. Accordingly, it is obvious that the Kidush must be done with the right hand, and no additional source should be necessary. (SHITAH MEKUBETZES #3)

(a) The SHITAH MEKUBETZES answers that when the Gemara says that one source is needed to teach that the "Kidush Kometz" must be done with the right hand, it means that the Kohen who holds the Kli Shares at the time that the Kometz is placed into it must hold the Kli with his right hand.

This is also the way RASHI in Zevachim (24b) explains the Gemara. Rashi here, however, explains that the Kohen who places the Kometz into the Kli must do so with his right hand.

(b) The CHAZON ISH (Menachos 21:7) answers that a separate source is needed to teach that the Kidush Kometz must be done with the right hand for a case in which the Kometz remains in the right hand of the Kohen, but the Kidush Kometz is done with the left hand. Such a case exists when a Kohen performs the Kemitzah with his right hand, and another Kohen comes and uses his left hand to push the flour through the fingers of the first Kohen into a Kli Shares. The second Kohen is considered to be the Kohen who performs the Avodah of Kidush. Since the Kometz was always held in the right hand (of the first Kohen), it did not become Pasul. The act of Kidush, however, was done with the left hand (of the second Kohen). One might have thought that the Kidush is valid, since the Kemitzah was never held in the left hand, and therefore a special source is needed to teach that it is Pasul when done with the left hand.

(c) RAV YOSEF DOV SOLOVEITCHIK answers that there is another case in which the Kidush Kometz can be done with the left hand while the Kometz itself does not become Pasul by leaving the right hand. When the Kohen places half of the Kometz into one Kli and half into another Kli, the Kidush does not take effect, because the Kidush must be done with the entire Kometz together. However, it is not considered as though the Kometz fell on the ground (RAMBAM, Hilchos Ma'aseh ha'Korbanos 13:12). Since the Kometz is in a Kli Shares, it is in a place fit for Kidush and it is not the same as being placed on the floor, or in the left hand, where it becomes Pasul. If the Kohen now pours the half of the Kometz that is in one Kli into the other Kli, the Kometz becomes complete and the Kidush takes effect. One might have thought that this Kidush is valid when done with the left hand, since the Kometz was never placed into the left hand of the Kohen. Therefore, a second source is needed to teach that the Kidush may not be done with the left hand, and when the Kohen pours the half of the Kometz that is in one Kli into the other Kli, he must do it with his right hand.

(d) The MINCHAS AVRAHAM mentions another case in which the Kidush Kometz can be done with the left hand while the Kometz itself does not become Pasul by leaving the right hand. When the Kometz is placed into a Kli Shares that is resting on the floor, the Kidush does not take effect (Menachos 7a). However, it is not considered to have spilled onto the floor, since a Kli Shares is fit for Kidush. Similarly, when the Kometz is placed into a Kli Shares without intent (according to the opinion that a Kli Shares is Mekadesh only with intent), the Kidush does not take effect, but the Kometz does not become Pasul. Now, a Kohen must transfer it into a Kli Shares that is being held in the hands of a Kohen and be Mekadesh it with intent. The verse is needed to teach that in order for the Kidush to be valid, this transfer must be done with the right hand. (Mordechai Zvi Dicker)