Today’s daf today begins the sixth chapter of Zevachim. While the chapter will later address new topics such as bird offerings, the first mishnah reads more like a continuation of the previous section. The previous chapter discussed a group of sacrifices labeled kodshei kodashim, sacrifices of the highest level of holiness. These include burnt offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings. One thing they all have in common is that they must be slaughtered in the northern part of the Temple courtyard, as opposed to sacrifices of lesser holiness, which could be slaughtered anywhere in the Temple courtyard. Before moving on from this topic, the first mishnah in this chapter cannot resist asking about an edge case:
Sacrifices of the highest holiness that one slaughtered atop the altar — Rabbi Yosei says: It is as though they were slaughtered in the north. Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: The area from the halfway point of the altar and to the south is like the south. The area from the halfway point of the altar and to the north is like the north.
We know the holiest sacrifices must be slaughtered in the northern part of the courtyard, but what about on top of the altar itself — does this count as in the north or not? Everyone would agree that the correct procedure is to slaughter a sacrifice on the floor of the Temple courtyard and reserve the altar for its intended purposes of burning sacrifices and the sprinkling or pouring of blood and other offerings. However, the question is posed: If someone incorrectly slaughtered a sacrifice of this sanctity on top of the altar, which is roughly in the middle of the Temple courtyard between north and south, is the offering still valid after the fact?
The mishnah gives two opinions on the matter. Rabbi Yosei son of Halafta, who is referred to simply as Rabbi Yosei, holds that kodshei kodashim slaughtered on top of the altar are valid — we consider them as though they were slaughtered in the north. Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Yehuda, who lived one generation later, holds that it depends where on the altar one slaughtered them. If it was done in the northern half it is valid, but if it was done in the southern half it is invalid.
The first section of Gemara deals with the question of whether this disagreement can be explained by each rabbi’s respective position on where the altar is located within the Temple courtyard. Essentially, do they think that the altar simply has the same status as the ground below it? In this framework, we would explain Rabbi Yosei’s opinion — that kodshei kodashim sacrificed anywhere on top of the altar are valid — as stemming from his belief that the entire altar is located in the northern part of the Temple courtyard. Likewise, we would explain Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Yehuda’s opinion — that kodshei kodashim sacrificed on the northern half of the altar are valid, but those done in the southern half are invalid — as following his belief that the altar is located exactly at the north-south midpoint of the Temple courtyard.
This question is debated by Rav Asi and Rabbi Zeira. Rav Asi cites a statement from Rabbi Yohanan:
Rabbi Yosei used to say: The entire altar stands in the north.
This tradition from Rabbi Yohanan seems to suggest that yes, the disagreement in the mishnah should be explained in light of the two rabbis’ differing positions of where in the courtyard the altar is located. Rabbi Yosei thinks the entire surface of the altar is valid for slaughter because he thinks the entire altar is located in the north.
However, Rabbi Zeira responds that if we interpret Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Yehuda’s position in this same framework, it will contradict another of his opinions. Rabbi Zeira cites another tradition from Rabbi Yohanan, who reports the following:
Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, concedes that if one slaughtered on the ground opposite (the northern half of the altar) it is disqualified.
Here, Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Yehuda seems to imply that he does not think the northern half of the altar is located in the northern part of the courtyard, and thus his opinion in the mishnah cannot be explained by the principle that the altar’s surface has the same status as the ground it stands on. We now know that he holds that the northern part of the courtyard ground and the northern half of the altar are both valid for slaughter, but the ground under (and next to) the northern half of the altar is invalid — meaning, that ground cannot itself be in the northern part of the courtyard.
Consequently, Rav Asi is forced to amend his statement. He reframes the mishnah’s dispute, explaining that it actually stems from two different ways of interpreting a verse in the Torah. For the rest of this debate, you’ll have to read tomorrow’s daf.
Read all of Zevachim 58 on Sefaria.
This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on November 11, 2025. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.
