Yoma 027: The Zar - Shechitah and Lottery

[Mordecai Kornfeld]

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Yoma 027: The Zar - Shechitah and Lottery

michael plaskow asked:
>>The zar could perform shechita which was so sought after, that it required a 
lottery.  Obviously, the zar was not a participant in the lottery.  So were 
the cohanim happy that this was given away?  How was the zar chosen if there 
was a lottery? How often was a zar chosen? I am teaching daf yomi so I do 
need a full answer.  Many thanks and kol tuv<<

The Kollel replied:
>>A Zar, in other words, a non-Kohen, is Kosher for Shechitah as you write. 
Zarim were not included in the lottery, perhaps because it involved other 
Avodos, for which a Zar is inadmissible. One may still ask however why a 
separate lottery was not arranged for the Shechitah which could have also 
included Zarim. I have heard in the name of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt'l
that the Kohanim were Machmir to do Shechitah themselves even though it is 
Kosher with a Zar. He brought a proof from Berachos 31b that the Kohanim 
were unaware of the fact that Shechitah is Kosher by a Zar. (See also 
Rashash there.) He brought a further proof from Rashi in Yevamos 33b that 
says that a Zar who did Avodah on Shabbos on a Korban Tzibur is Chayav a 
Chatas. This seems to indicate that a Zar is Pasul to Shecht on Shabbos. If 
so, we may surmise that Kohanim are to be preferred for Shechitah.
I am not sure what you refer to when you say, "how was this given away?". 
Perhaps you mean to ask how was the Memunah on the Payis appointed. This 
depends on who the Memunah was. The Rambam (Klei ha'Mikdash 4:16) and
Rashi (15b) 
learn that the Memunah was the Segan. The Sefer Gachalei Esh (13b) says 
that the Segan was appointed by the Beis Din ha'Gadol. Tosfos and Tosfos 
Yeshanim hold that the Memunah was not the Segan, rather another appointee. 
See Shekalim (5:1) that there were a number of Memunim, one of whom was in 
charge of the Payis (lottery). It is unclear how he was appointed, but it is 
reasonable to assume that this would have been done by the Beis Din of the 
Kohanim who oversaw the business of the running of the Beis ha'Mikdash.
The job of the Memunah did not involve an Avodah so there is no reason why 
he should not continue the job indefinitely. (Actually, Kohanim do not become 
Pasul due to age (Chulin 24a).)
If I have misunderstood your question please let me know and I will try 
again.<<

michael plaskow responded:

Dear Rabbi Dov Freedman, 

Thank you for your reply which I found most interesting.  Is it
written anywhere that a zar did in fact do the shechita at all? Or is
the whole matter purely theoretical?   When I used the expression
"How was this given away?" I was referring to how was it possible for
the Kohanim in a lottery to give away this  avodah of shechita to a
zar? Or, did they NOT in fact do so.  So to summarize:  There was a
lottery for Kohanim to see who would do the shechita but if we know
from the proof you mentioned (Berachos 31b) that the Kohanim were
unaware of the fact that Shechitah is kosher by a zar - then was
there ever a case recorded anywhere in the gemara of a zar performing
shechita? I cannot imagine hundreds of Kohanim in lotteries wanting
eagerly to perform shechita and SUDDENLY deciding to give it away -
to a Zar.  Or was this whole matter theoretical? 

Michael Plaskow
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The Kollel replied:

We find refernces to Zarim doing Shechitah in Pesachim 64a in the
Mishnah "Shachat Yisrael". See also Pesachim 7a Rashi DH Pesach that
there is a Mitzvah for the owner to Shecht. This is also apparent in
the Mishnah in Keilim (2:8) and Elyah Raba there. Furthermore, the
Zohar in Parshas Naso says it is forbidden for a Kohen to Shecht. The
Rambam (Pesulei ha'Mukdashim 1:1) says a Zar may Shecht le'Chatchilah.

However, the Ritva in Yoma 25a says that even though Shechitah is
Kosher by a Zar, nevertheless it is a Mitzvah for a Kohen to do it.
We can say that the Ritva is talking about Korbanos Tzibur, whereas
the other sources deal with Korbanos Yachid.

Dov Freedman