What is "ve'Hikrivo" coming to preclude?
Rashi: It precludes the obligation to always bring two birds as an Olah. 1
Moshav Zekenim (citing the Ri): It distinguishes the Olas ha'Of from the Chatas ha'Of (5:8) - to teach us that one must separate the head of an Olas ha?Of from the body. 2
Zevachim, 45a: In spite of the phrase in the previous Pasuk "Min ha'Torim O min B'nei ha'Yonah" (plural). Refer also to 1:15:152:1-2.
In spite of the Pasuk "Lo Yavdil", in Pasuk 17, whicch applies to holding the wings and splitting the bird, but not to the Melikah (severing the head from the body - PF).
To which Avodah is "ve'Hikrivo" referring?
Ramban and Moshav Zekenim (citing the Rosh): It refers to the Avodah of bringing the Olah up on to the Mizbe'ach, 1 where the Kohen then performs the Melikah.
Rendering the word "ha'Kohen" that follows superfluous - seeing as a Zar was anyway proibited from ascending the Mizbe'ach.
Why does the Torah insert the word "ha'Kohen" in the Pasuk?
Rashi #1 and Ramban: To teach us that Melikah (piercing the neck of the bird) 1 must be performed with the Kohen's fingernails, and not with a knife. 2
On the lower part of the back of the neck, cutting through the nape of the neck and severing the wind-pipe and the esaphogus (Rashi and Rashbam).
It also teaches us that unlike Shechitah, which is not an Avodah, Melikah, which is, requires Kehunah. See Oznayim la'Torah, who explains the difference.
Whereabouts on the neck does the Kohen perform the Melikah?
Zevachim, 65a: Refer to 1:15:3.1. And we learn this via a Gezeirah Shavah from Chatas ha'Of, where Torah specifically writes in 5:8 "mi'Mul Orpo".
Why does the Torah juxtapose Haktarah to Melikah?
Kidushin, 36a: To teach us that women are not eligible to perform Melikah just like they are not eligible to perform Haktarah, 1
Zevachim, 65a #1: To teach us that, Melikah, like Haktarah, must be performed on top of the Mizbe'ach. 2
Zevachim, 65a #2: To teach us that, just as the head and the body are burned separately, so too, should the Melikah of the Olas ha'Of completely sever the head from the body. 3
Seeing as the Torah will write in Pasuk 17 "Vehiktir osah", why does it write here "Vehiktir ha'Mizbeichah"?
Zevachim, 65b: To teach us that the head of the Olas ha'Of is burned separately.
Sifra: To teach us that if the Kohen did not sever the head, but burnt it together with the body, the Korban is nevertheless Kasher. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 122.
What is the meaning of "ve'Nimtzah Damo ?"?
Rashi: He presses the Oref against the wall of the Mizbe'ach until the blood drips down the wall. 1
. 2
See Oznayim la'Torah, who elaborates on the apparent contradiction in Rashi, who explains elsewhere that the Kohen squeezes the bird between his fingers and the blood squirts out on to the wall of the Mizbe'ach. He answers by establishing the current explanation by the Olas ha'Of and the second explanation by a Chatas ha'Of and elaborates.
Why does the Torah invert the order of the phrases "ve'Hiktir ha'Mizbeichah" and "ve'Nimtzah Damo"? How can one squeeze the blood after having burned the bird?
Rashi #1: To teach us that, just as the head is burned separate from the body, 1 so too, must the Melikah sever the head from the body. 2
Rashi #2: The Kohen performs Melikah and burns the bird on the Mizbe'ach, at which point the blood has already been squeezed on the wall of the Mizbe'ach.
Ramban (citing Zevachim, 65a and Aba Yossi ben Chanan in the Midrash) 3 : The Kohen performs Melikah on the bird having in mind to burn the head just as he burns the body. 4
Zevachim, 65a: To teach us that the Mitzuy, like the Haktarah, should be performed on top of the Mizbe'ach. 5
In other words, the head must be severed from the body already via the Melikah. Incidently, the Pasuk also hints that if one burns the head without performing Mitzuy, the Korban is Kasher ? which is not the case regarding the body See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'Vehiktir ha'Mizeichah' citing the Rambam).
See Ramban, who interprets the Midrash differently.
Seeing as they are burned separately - The Kohen first burns the head after removing the crop; then he splits the body (See Pasuk 17) and burns it (Ramban).
See Torah Temimah, note 105, as to why.
Why does the Torah insert the word "al Kir ha'Mizbe'ach"?
Sifra: To confine the Mitzuy to the wall of the Mizbe'ach and not on the Y'sod. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 114.
Why does the Torah repeat the word "ha'Mizbe'ach"?
Zevachim, 65a: In order to extrapolate "Al Kir ha'Mizbe'ach", 1 've'Lo al Kir ha'Kevesh, ve'Lo al Kir ha'Heichal',
Zevachim (Ibid.): Above the Chur ha'Sikra. See Torah Temimah, note 113.
What are the implications of the word "Ve'nimtzo Damo ... "?
Zevachim, 65a: It implies all the blood, and not just some of it
Why is the blood squeezed against the Mizbe'ach?
Moshav Zekenim and Da'as Zekenim 1 : A bird has little blood. If it would be collected in a Kli, some would stick to the Kli, and perhaps not enough would remain to throw on the Mizbe'ach.
It seems that also Hadar Zekenim (in Pasuk 13) also learns like this, just there is a printing mistake.
Why is Melikah performed with the fingernail, and not with a knife?
Moshav Zekenim (citing the Ri): Because, since this is normally Neveilah, it will be known that one does so 1 only by Kodshim.
Moshav Zekenim (citing R. Eliezer of Garmaiza): Melikah should atone for sins that are written with a fingernail - as the Navi writes in Yirmiyah 17:1 "Chatas Yehudah Kesuvah be'Et Barzel be'Tziporen 2 Shamir".
Moshav Zekenim: If he would do Shechitah, some blood would fall on the ground, and it could not be squeezed against the Mizbe'ach, and if he would collect the blood in a Kli, some would become absorbed.
Rashi, citing Zevachim 65a, writes that it cannot be that the Kohen burns the head on the Mizbe'ach before squeezing the blood on the wall. Why not?
Rashi (Zevachim 65a): Because all the blood must be squeezed, including what is in the head.
Moshav Zekenim: Because Haktarah never precedes the Kaparah that is attained via the Avodah performed with the blood.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that ve'Hikrivo teaches that one may even bring one bird for an Olah. Why would we have thought otherwise?
Moshav Zekenim: If one found a nest with two doves, and said that he will bring them for a Korban, and one of them went away 1 , the verse teaches that he brings the second for a Korban.
Sifsei Chachamim: Because the previous Pasuk implies that one must bring at least two birds.
One might have thought that he cannot fulfill his words, so he is exempt. (PF)
