BUT IF ANY OF THESE RECEIVED THE BLOOD [INTENDING TO EAT THE FLESH OR BURN THE EMURIM] AFTER TIME OR WITHOUT BOUNDS AND LIFE-BLOOD IS [STILL] AVAILABLE, A FIT [PRIEST] MUST RECEIVE [IT] A SECOND TIME. IF A FIT PERSON RECEIVED [THE BLOOD] AND GAVE [IT] TO AN UNFIT ONE, HE MUST RETURN IT TO THE FIT ONE. IF HE RECEIVED [THE BLOOD] IN HIS RIGHT HAND AND TRANSFERRED [IT] TO HIS LEFT, HE MUST RE-TRANSFER IT TO HIS RIGHT. IF HE RECEIVED [IT] IN A SACRED VESSEL AND POURED IT [THENCE] INTO A SECULAR [NON-SACRED] VESSEL, HE MUST RETURN IT TO THE SACRED VESSEL. IF IT SPILT FROM THE VESSEL ON TO THE PAVEMENT AND ONE COLLECTED IT, IT IS FIT. IF [THE PRIEST] APPLIED IT ON THE ASCENT [OR ON THE ALTAR], [BUT] NOT OVER AGAINST ITS BASE; [OR] IF HE APPLIED WHAT SHOULD BE APPLIED BELOW [THE SCARLET LINE] ABOVE [IT], OR WHAT SHOULD BE APPLIED ABOVE, BELOW; OR WHAT SHOULD BE APPLIED WITHIN [HE APPLIED] WITHOUT, OR WHAT SHOULD BE APPLIED WITHOUT, WITHIN (1) AND LIFE-BLOOD IS [STILL] AVAILABLE, A FIT [PRIEST] MUST RECEIVE [BLOOD] ANEW. GEMARA. ‘WHO SLAUGHTERED’ [implies] only if done, but not at the very outset. (2) But the following contradicts it: And he shall slaughter: (3) [this teaches that] slaughtering by a Zar is valid, (4) for slaughtering by Zarim, women, slaves, and unclean persons is valid, even in the case of most sacred sacrifices. Yet perhaps that is not so, but rather [it must be done] by priests? You can answer: Whence do you come [to propose this]? From the fact that it is said, And thou and thy sons with thee shall keep the priesthood in everything that pertaineth to the altar, (5) you might think that this applies to shechitah too. Therefore Scripture states, And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord; and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall present the blood: (6) from receiving onwards priesthood is prescribed, which teaches that shechitah by any person is valid! (7) — The truth is that it [may be performed] even at the very outset too, but because [the Tanna] wishes to include unclean, who may not [slaughter] in the first place lest they touch the flesh, (8) he states, WHO SLAUGHTERED. Is then [the slaughtering by] an unclean person well if it was done? The following, however, contradicts it: And he shall lay [his hands upon the head of the burnt-offering... ] and he shall kill the bullock [before the Lord]: (9) as ‘laying’ must be [done] by clean [persons only], so must shechitah [be done] by clean [persons only]? — That is [only] a Rabbinical law. (10) Why does ‘laying’ differ? because it is written, before the Lord? (11) Yet surely ‘before the Lord’ is written of shechitah too? — It is possible to make a long knife and slaughter. (12) But in the case of ‘laying’ too, he can project his hands [into the Temple court] and lay? (13) — He holds that partial entry is designated entry. (14) R. Hisda recited it reversely: And he shall lay... and he shall kill: as shechitah requires clean persons, so ‘laying’ requires clean persons. Why does shechitah differ? because it is written, ‘before the Lord’?

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(1). ↑ V. supra 26a for notes.
(2). ↑ I.e., if they slaughtered, it is valid; but we do not permit them to slaughter in the first place.
(3). ↑ Lev. I, 5.
(4). ↑ Since Scripture does not specify a priest.
(5). ↑ Num. XVIII, 7.
(6). ↑ Lev. I, 5.
(7). ↑ This implies at the very outset.
(8). ↑ And defile it.
(9). ↑ Ibid. I, 4f.
(10). ↑ By Scriptural law, however, shechitah may be done in the first place by unclean persons; hence their shechitah is valid, if performed, even by Rabbinical law. The exegesis is therefore to be understood as a mere support to the law, and not as its source.
(11). ↑ In the text just quoted. Since shechitah must be ‘before the Lord’ i.e., in the Temple court, ‘laying’ too must be done there, as shechitah immediately follows it. Hence unclean are excluded, since they may not enter the Temple court.
(12). ↑ The sacrifice, which is within, while he stands without.
(13). ↑ While his body is without.
(14). ↑ Even if his hands only enter the Temple court, it is as though he entered it entirely.