So far in our journey through Tractate Zevachim, we’ve learned that each sacrificial animal must be dedicated for a specific type of sacrifice and how important it is that both the person bringing the sacrifice and the priest have the correct intentions when performing each aspect of the sacrificial ritual. We’ve also learned about the negative consequences when animals are sacrificed incorrectly or one party’s intentions were mistaken.
Given how important it is to keep track of each animal brought and the kind of sacrifice it is meant to be, chapter 8 of Zevachim, which began at the bottom of yesterday’s daf, is going to explore what happens when some of these sacrificial animals get mixed up. The mishnah that opens our chapter offers six scenarios. In the interest of time, let’s look at the first four.
All the offerings that were intermingled with sin offerings left to die, or with an ox to be stoned, even one in ten thousand, they all must die.
The mishnah is describing a situation in which animals that were brought as offerings are mixed up with animals from whom it is prohibited to receive benefit, including the spiritual benefit of offering them as a sacrifice. In this case, all the animals must be put to death. Presumably, the person who had intended to bring the sacrifice is still on the hook for bringing another animal in its stead. But some animals are not allowed to be sacrificed, though they are allowed to offer benefits of other kinds. What about these animals?
If they were intermingled with an ox with which a transgression was performed, or that killed a person based on one witness or based on the owner; (if they were intermingled) with an animal that copulated with a person; or an animal that was the object of bestiality; or with one set aside (for idol worship); or that was worshipped; or with payment (to a sex worker) or as the price of a dog, with one born of diverse kinds, or with an animal with a wound that will cause it to die within 12 months, or with one born by caesarean section.
Each of these animals is forbidden from being sacrificed based on their actions, how humans have treated them, or something innate to themselves. And yet, humans are allowed to derive other benefits from them. So what to do in this case?
They shall graze until they become unfit (for sacrifice) and then they shall be sold. And he shall bring of the monetary value of the highest-quality among them, of the same type.
The animal’s owner is still obligated to bring a sacrifice of whatever type was intended. So when all the animals have become unfit for sacrifice, the owner assumes that the most expensive animal was the sacrifice and uses that money to buy another proper animal who can indeed be offered.
If they were intermingled with unblemished, non-sacred animals, the non-sacred shall be sold for the purpose of the same type.
Here the owner is obligated to sell all the animals and then use all the funds to purchase sacrifices of the intended type.
If sacrificial animals (were intermingled) with other sacrificial animals of the same type, one shall sacrifice this animal for the sake of whoever is its owner and one shall sacrifice that animal for the sake of whoever is its owner.
This scenario has an easy solution. Since all of the sacrifices are the same animal and meant for the same type of sacrifice, a little expansiveness of language and intention by the priests is all that is needed to cover one’s bases and correctly sacrifice all the animals.
Over the next 13 pages, the Talmud is going to dig into many details of these and other scenarios. And while sometimes there is an easy and clever solution, more often the solutions are costly, in terms of time, money and animal life. As we continue to dig into the problems with these kinds of mix-ups, let’s also remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’re planning on bringing an animal sacrifice in a rebuilt Temple, remember that proper animal tags are the key to success.
Read all of Zevachim 71 on Sefaria.
This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on November 24, 2025. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.
