Not to slaughter consecrated animals outside of the [Temple] yard: Not to sacrifice consecrated animals outside of the [Temple] yard — and that is called “those slaughtered outside” — as it is stated (Leviticus 17:3-4), “that slaughters an ox or sheep or goat, etc. And does not bring it to the opening of the Tent of Meeting, etc., he has shed blood and shall be cut off.” And the warning (negative commandment) does not come to us from this verse, as this verse only expresses the punishment. And it is established for us, [that] He does not punish unless he warned (Sanhedrin 56b). And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said that we learn the warning for this with an inferential comparison, as it is [found] in the Gemara, Zevachim 106a. As there, they, may their memory be blessed, said, “One who slaughters and brings up outside is liable for the slaughter and liable for the bringing up” — the understanding of bringing up is burning with fire. And they challenged there, “Bringing up is fine, the punishment is written, and the warning is written — the punishment, ‘And does not bring it to the opening of the Tent of Meeting [...] and shall be cut off’; the warning, ‘guard yourself lest you bring up your burnt-offering’ (Deuteronomy 12:13), like Rabbi Avin, as Rabbi Avin said, ‘Every place that it is stated, “guard,” “lest” or “not,” it is nothing but a negative commandment’; but slaughter, it is fine that the punishment is written, ‘And to the opening of the Tent of Meeting, etc.,’ but from where is the warning?” And after great effort, they said there that since Scripture states (Deuteronomy 12:14), “there you shall do, and there you shall bring up,” it compares bringing up and doing: Just like bringing up, it punished and warned; so too doing, it punished and warned — and the understanding of doing includes everything, whether slaughter or burning.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since God, blessed be He, fixed a place for Israel to bring their sacrifices there and to prepare their hearts to Him there. And from the fixing of the place and its aggrandizement and its awe in the hearts of people, their souls are moved there for the good; and the hearts are softened and humbled to fully accept the kingdom of the Heavens there. Therefore, God, may He be blessed, prevented us from doing the procedure of the sacrifices except in that place, so that the atonement for us be complete. And the principle of the matter is that all that He commanded us is for our good, as we have written — as God wants the good of His creatures in His great goodness. And [so] He said that it is considered blood upon whoever sacrifices outside of that chosen place. And the matter is that God only permitted the meat of animals to people for atonement or for the needs of people, such as food or healing or anything that has some need for people. But to kill them without any benefit at all is destruction and called, “spilling blood.” And even though it is not like spilling the blood of man, due to the loftiness of man and the lowness of beasts, nonetheless, it is [still] called, “spilling blood,” as Scripture did not permit it, to spill it without benefit. And therefore, it stated undifferentiatedly that it is like the spilling of blood, since he is spilling its blood in a place that he was not commanded to slaughter, and there is no benefit to this slaughter at all. [Rather] there is damage in the thing, as he transgressed the commandment of his Creator. And so the verse punishes him with excision.
The laws of the commandment: For example, that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Zevachim 106a) that if he slaughtered outside — even though he brought up inside — he is liable, since with both the slaughter and bringing up, each one is a negative commandment by itself; and the negative commandment of bringing up is in the Order of Re’eh Anokhi (Sefer HaChinukh 439); and a person is only liable for the slaughter of consecrated animals that are fitting to bring on the altar, but one who slaughters outside, one of those prohibited on the altar, behold, he is exempted, as it is stated (Leviticus 17:4), “in front of the tabernacle of the Lord” — anything that is not fitting to go to the tabernacle, we are not liable for it; and the rest of its details are elucidated in the thirteenth chapter of Zevachim. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Sacrificial Procedure 19.)
The prohibition of sacrificing outside is practiced in every place and at all times, as even one who slaughters a beast for the sake of consecrated animals today is liable. And so do we say in the Gemara, Tractate Zevachim 107b, about one who brings up [a sacrifice] at this time, “Rabbi Yochanan says, ‘He is liable’” — and that is the law. And one who transgresses it and slaughters consecrated animals outside volitionally is liable excision. And even though he did not bring them up — from the time that he slaughtered them, he is liable. And so did they, may their memory be blessed, say (Zevachim 106b), “He is liable for the slaughter and liable for the bringing up.” And if he transgressed and slaughters inadvertently, he is liable to bring a fixed sin-offering at the time of the [Temple].
שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁחֹט קָדָשִׁים חוּץ לָעֲזָרָה – שֶׁלֹּא לִזְבֹּחַ קָדָשִׁים חוּץ לָעֲזָרָה וְזֶה יִקָּרֵא שׁוֹחֵט בַּחוּץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יז ג ד) אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחַט שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז וְגוֹ' וְאֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא הֱבִיאוֹ וְגוֹ' דָּם שָׁפָךְ וְנִכְרַת. וְאֵין הָאַזְהָרָה לָנוּ מִזֶּה הַכָּתוּב כִּי הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה לֹא יְפָרֵשׁ כִּי אִם הָעֹנֶשׁ, וְקַיְמָא לַן (סנהדרין נו ב) לֹא עָנַשׁ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הִזְהִיר. וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה שֶׁהָאַזְהָרָה בָּזֶה נִלְמְדָה בְּהֶקֵּשׁ כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא זְבָחִים שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה שָׁם (קו, א) הַשּׁוֹחֵט וְהַמַּעֲלֶה בַּחוּץ חַיָּב עַל הַשְּׁחִיטָה וְחַיָּב עַל הָעֲלִיָּה. פֵּרוּשׁ עֲלִיָּה שְׂרֵפָה בָּאֵשׁ. וְהִקְשׁוּ שָׁם, בִּשְׁלָמָא הַעֲלָאָה כְּתִיב עֹנֶשׁ וּכְתִיב אַזְהָרָה, עֹנֶשׁ וְאֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא הֱבִיאוֹ וְנִכְרַת, אַזְהָרָה הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תַּעֲלֶה עֹלֹתֶיךָ (דברים יב יג), כִּדְרַבִּי אָבִין דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין אָמַר רַבִּי אִלְעָא כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הִשָּׁמֶר, פֶּן, וְאַל, אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, אֶלָּא שְׁחִיטָה בִּשְׁלָמָא עֹנֶשׁ כְּתִיב וְאֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְגוֹ', אֶלָּא אַזְהָרָה מְנָא לַן? וְאַחַר יְגִיעָה רַבָּה אָמְרוּ שָׁם, כִּי הַכָּתוּב אָמַר שָׁם תַּעֲלֶה וְשָׁם תַּעֲשֶׂה, מַקִּישׁ עֲלִיָּה לַעֲשִׂיָּה (כריתות ג, ב) מָה עֲלִיָּה עָנַשׁ וְהִזְהִיר אַף עֲשִׂיָּה עָנַשׁ וְהִזְהִיר. פֵּרוּשׁ עֲשִׂיָּה תִּכְלֹל הַכֹּל בֵּין זְבִיחָה בֵּין שְׂרֵפָה.
Not to slaughter consecrated animals outside of the [Temple] yard: Not to sacrifice consecrated animals outside of the [Temple] yard — and that is called “those slaughtered outside” — as it is stated (Leviticus 17:3-4), “that slaughters an ox or sheep or goat, etc. And does not bring it to the opening of the Tent of Meeting, etc., he has shed blood and shall be cut off.” And the warning (negative commandment) does not come to us from this verse, as this verse only expresses the punishment. And it is established for us, [that] He does not punish unless he warned (Sanhedrin 56b). And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said that we learn the warning for this with an inferential comparison, as it is [found] in the Gemara, Zevachim 106a. As there, they, may their memory be blessed, said, “One who slaughters and brings up outside is liable for the slaughter and liable for the bringing up” — the understanding of bringing up is burning with fire. And they challenged there, “Bringing up is fine, the punishment is written, and the warning is written — the punishment, ‘And does not bring it to the opening of the Tent of Meeting [...] and shall be cut off’; the warning, ‘guard yourself lest you bring up your burnt-offering’ (Deuteronomy 12:13), like Rabbi Avin, as Rabbi Avin said, ‘Every place that it is stated, “guard,” “lest” or “not,” it is nothing but a negative commandment’; but slaughter, it is fine that the punishment is written, ‘And to the opening of the Tent of Meeting, etc.,’ but from where is the warning?” And after great effort, they said there that since Scripture states (Deuteronomy 12:14), “there you shall do, and there you shall bring up,” it compares bringing up and doing: Just like bringing up, it punished and warned; so too doing, it punished and warned — and the understanding of doing includes everything, whether slaughter or burning.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁהַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא קָבַע מָקוֹם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָבִיא שָׁם קָרְבְּנוֹתָם וּלְהָכִין שָׁם לְבָבָם אֵלָיו, וּמִתּוֹךְ קְבִיעוּת הַמָּקוֹם וְהַגְדָּלָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ אֶל לֵב בְּנֵי אָדָם, נַפְשָׁם מִתְפַּעֶלֶת שָׁם לְטוֹב, וְהַלְּבָבוֹת מִתְרַכְּכִים וְנִכְנָעִים לְקַבֵּל שָׁם מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם שְׁלֵמָה, עַל כֵּן מְנָעָנוּ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מֵעֲשׂוֹת מַעֲשֵׂה הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת רַק בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא כַּפָּרָה שְׁלֵמָה לָנוּ. וּכְלַל הַדְּבָרִים כִּי כָּל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ לְטוֹב לָנוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ, כִּי הָאֵל חָפֵץ בְּטוֹבַת בְּרִיּוֹתָיו בְּטוּבוֹ הַגָּדוֹל, וְאָמַר כִּי מִי שֶׁיַּקְרִיב חוּץ לְאוֹתוֹ הַמָּקוֹם הַנִּבְחָר דָּם יֵחָשֵׁב לוֹ. וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא כִּי הַשֵּׁם לֹא הִתִּיר לִבְנֵי אָדָם בְּשַׂר בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים רַק לְכַפָּרָה אוֹ לְצָרְכֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם, כְּגוֹן מָזוֹן אוֹ רְפוּאָה אוֹ כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ שׁוּם צֹרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם, אֲבָל לַהֲמִיתָם מִבְּלִי שׁוּם תּוֹעֶלֶת כְּלָל יֵשׁ בַּדָּבָר הַשְׁחָתָה וְנִקְרָא שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּם. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ כִּשְׁפִיכוּת דַּם הָאָדָם לְמַעֲלַת הָאָדָם וּפְחִיתוּת הַבְּהֵמָה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם שְׁפִיכוּת דָּם יִקָּרֵא, מֵאַחַר שֶׁלֹּא הִתִּירוֹ הַכָּתוּב לְשָׁפְכוֹ לְלֹא תּוֹעֶלֶת, וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר סְתָם שֶׁהוּא כִּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּם אַחַר שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמָהּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁלֹּא נִצְטַוָּה לְשָׁחֲטָה, וְאֵין בְּאוֹתָהּ שְׁחִיטָה תּוֹעֶלֶת כְּלָל, אֲבָל יֵשׁ בַּדָּבָר נֶזֶק שֶׁעָבַר עַל מִצְוַת בּוֹרְאוֹ, וְלָכֵן עֲנָשׁוֹ הַכָּתוּב בְּכָרֵת.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since God, blessed be He, fixed a place for Israel to bring their sacrifices there and to prepare their hearts to Him there. And from the fixing of the place and its aggrandizement and its awe in the hearts of people, their souls are moved there for the good; and the hearts are softened and humbled to fully accept the kingdom of the Heavens there. Therefore, God, may He be blessed, prevented us from doing the procedure of the sacrifices except in that place, so that the atonement for us be complete. And the principle of the matter is that all that He commanded us is for our good, as we have written — as God wants the good of His creatures in His great goodness. And [so] He said that it is considered blood upon whoever sacrifices outside of that chosen place. And the matter is that God only permitted the meat of animals to people for atonement or for the needs of people, such as food or healing or anything that has some need for people. But to kill them without any benefit at all is destruction and called, “spilling blood.” And even though it is not like spilling the blood of man, due to the loftiness of man and the lowness of beasts, nonetheless, it is [still] called, “spilling blood,” as Scripture did not permit it, to spill it without benefit. And therefore, it stated undifferentiatedly that it is like the spilling of blood, since he is spilling its blood in a place that he was not commanded to slaughter, and there is no benefit to this slaughter at all. [Rather] there is damage in the thing, as he transgressed the commandment of his Creator. And so the verse punishes him with excision.
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. כְּגוֹן מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (זבחים שם) שֶׁאִם שָׁחַט בַּחוּץ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֶעֱלָה בִּפְנִים חַיָּב, לְפִי שֶׁהַשְּׁחִיטָה וְהָעֲלִיָּה בְּכָל אֶחָד לָאו בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ וְלָאו דַּעֲלִיָּה בְּסֵדֶר רְאֵה אָנֹכִי (מצוה תלט). וְאֵין אָדָם חַיָּב אֶלָּא עַל שְׁחִיטַת קָדָשִׁים הָרְאוּיִים לִקָּרֵב עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, אֲבָל הַשּׁוֹחֵט בַּחוּץ אֶחָד מֵאִסּוּרֵי מִזְבֵּחַ הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יז ד) לִפְנֵי מִשְׁכַּן יְיָ, כָּל שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לָבוֹא אֶל מִשְׁכַּן הַשֵּׁם, אֵין חַיָּבִין עָלָיו. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִים בְּפֶרֶק שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר מִזְּבָחִים [ה' מעשה הקרבנות פרק י"ט].
The laws of the commandment: For example, that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Zevachim 106a) that if he slaughtered outside — even though he brought up inside — he is liable, since with both the slaughter and bringing up, each one is a negative commandment by itself; and the negative commandment of bringing up is in the Order of Re’eh Anokhi (Sefer HaChinukh 439); and a person is only liable for the slaughter of consecrated animals that are fitting to bring on the altar, but one who slaughters outside, one of those prohibited on the altar, behold, he is exempted, as it is stated (Leviticus 17:4), “in front of the tabernacle of the Lord” — anything that is not fitting to go to the tabernacle, we are not liable for it; and the rest of its details are elucidated in the thirteenth chapter of Zevachim. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Sacrificial Procedure 19.)
וְנוֹהֵג אִסּוּר זְבִיחָה בַּחוּץ בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הַשּׁוֹחֵט בְּהֵמָה הַיּוֹם לְשֵׁם קָדָשִׁים חַיָּב, וְהָכִי אָמְרִינַן בַּגְּמָרָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת זְבָחִים (קז, ב) בְּמַעֲלֶה בַּחוּץ בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אוֹמֵר חַיָּב, וְכֵן הֲלָכָה. וְהָעוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ וְשָׁחַט קָדָשִׁים בַּחוּץ בְּמֵזִיד חַיָּב כָּרֵת. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הֶעֱלָה אוֹתָן, מֵעֵת שֶׁשְּׁחָטָן חַיָּב, וְכֵן אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם קו ב) חַיָּב עַל הַשְּׁחִיטָה וְחַיָּב עַל הָעֲלִיָּה. וְאִם עָבַר וְשָׁחַט בְּשׁוֹגֵג, חַיָּב לְהָבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת.
The prohibition of sacrificing outside is practiced in every place and at all times, as even one who slaughters a beast for the sake of consecrated animals today is liable. And so do we say in the Gemara, Tractate Zevachim 107b, about one who brings up [a sacrifice] at this time, “Rabbi Yochanan says, ‘He is liable’” — and that is the law. And one who transgresses it and slaughters consecrated animals outside volitionally is liable excision. And even though he did not bring them up — from the time that he slaughtered them, he is liable. And so did they, may their memory be blessed, say (Zevachim 106b), “He is liable for the slaughter and liable for the bringing up.” And if he transgressed and slaughters inadvertently, he is liable to bring a fixed sin-offering at the time of the [Temple].