פירוש על כריתות 6:8

מביאים המקדש כשבה שעירה – if he separated money to purchase a female lamb for his sin-offering, he is able to procure with them a female goat if he wishes.

Introduction Most of this mishnah deals with the “higher and lower sacrifice” which is the sacrifice that is more or less expensive depending upon the wealth of the sinner. This type of sacrifice is mentioned in Leviticus 5, where there are three levels (lamb/goat, birds, grain) and Leviticus 12-14 where there are two levels (lamb/goat and birds).

הפריש לכשבה או לשעירה – he separated money to purchase with them a female lamb or a female goat.’

One may bring with [money] dedicated to buy a lamb [for a hatat] a goat, or with [what was] dedicated to buy a goat [one may bring] a lamb; Or with [what was] dedicated to buy a lamb or a goat [one may bring] turtle-doves or young pigeons; Or with [what was] dedicated to buy turtle-doves or young pigeons [one may bring] the tenth of an ephah. If one sets aside money to buy a female lamb (one year old) as a hatat he can use it to buy a female goat (two years old) because both are usable as a hatat. If he sets aside money to buy a lamb or goat and then becomes poor he can use the money to buy bird offerings, as section two explains. Similarly, if he sets aside money to buy bird offerings and then becomes even poorer, he can use the money to buy a tenth of an ephah of grain. This would only work for those who can bring such an offering, see 2:4.

העני – [if he became poor] he should bring with them a bird, and the rest is unconsecrated, as it is written for a sacrifice on a sliding scale (i.e., depending upon financial ability), concerning a female lamb or female goat ((Leviticus 5:10): “[And the second he shall prepare as a burnt offering, according to regulation. Thus shall the priest make expiation on his behalf] for the sin of which he is guilty,” which implies that from part of the thing that he separated for his sin-offering, for should he become poor, he would bring fowl from a part of these moneys. And concerning a bird, also, it is written "מחטאתו" /for the sin (see Leviticus 5:6 – “and the priest shall make expiation on his behalf for his sin.”), implying that if he became more destitute, he brings from part of the monies of the bird a tenth of an ephah; and concerning the tenth of an ephah, it is written, "על חטאתו"/for whichever of these sins” (Leviticus 5:13), which implies that if he becomes more wealthy, he should add to these monies and bring a bird, or if he became more wealth, he should bring a female lamb or a female goat.

How so? If a man set apart [money] for a lamb or a goat [for a hatat] and he became poor, he may bring a bird-offering; If he became still poorer he may bring the tenth of an ephah. This section simply explains section one.

ונסתאבה – it became defective.

If a man set apart [money] for the tenth of an ephah and he became richer, he must bring a bird-offering; If he became still richer he must bring a lamb or a goat. Just as one who grows poor can use money set aside to buy an expensive offering to buy a cheaper one, so too one who becomes rich can/must use money set aside to buy a cheap offering to buy a more expensive one.

אם רצה יביא בדמיהן עוף – as for example, if he became poor.

If a man set apart a lamb or a goat and they became blemished, he may bring with their price a bird-offering; But if he set apart a bird-offering and it became blemished, he may not bring with its price the tenth of an ephah, since a bird-offering cannot be redeemed. If a man set apart a lamb or goat and then became poor and the animal became blemished, he may sell the animal and use the money to buy a cheaper offering. However, if he sets aside a bird offering and it loses a limb (this counts as a blemish for birds) and he becomes poor enough to offer a grain sacrifice he cannot sell it and use its price to buy grain, because there is no way to redeem bird sacrifices. The verses about redeeming a sanctified animal (see Leviticus 27:11-13) refer only to a beast (cow, sheep or goat). Bird offerings can never be redeemed.

שאין לעוף פדיון – it is written regarding consecrated animals that are disqualified (Leviticus 27:11): “[if (the vow concerns) any impure animal that may not be brought as an offering to the LORD] the animal shall be presented before the priest,” and it was possible that it (i.e., the Torah) should have said, "והעמיד אותה"/and he would present it – what does the inference teach us when it says, "הבהמה" /the animal (in this verse)? To teach you that an animal is redeemed but not birds nor wood, nor frankincense and neither the service vessels [of the Temple] are redeemed.