Rashi DH Avoda Tama, states that because of the Limud of Avodah Tamah which excludes any avodah that does not complete an avodah but in fact has other avodos after it. Rashi gives examples C'gon Shechita and Kaballah etc. This implies that there would be an issur in shechita that needs a ptur of the posuk that to patur from Misah. What I dont understand is we know that the Job of shechita is not an avodah that is posul Bzar so we wouldnt need a ptur from a posuk. The only ptur that would be necessary is Mekaballah Veeilach which is only Kasher beCohen and on that we could say there is no Chiyuv Misah should a Zar perform them since its not an Avodah Hamitamemes?
Yaakov Yehoshua Fischer
You are asking a very good question. Indeed, in the commentary of RABEINU ELYAKIM, the word "Shechitah" is omitted. The RASHASH here cites the Sefer Ben Aryeh who discusses your question and answers that Rashi is referring to the Shechitah of the Parah Adumah , which does require a Kohen (according to Rav on Daf 42a). The Rashash, though, strongly rejects that answer. Even without the Petur of "Avodah Tamah" there would certainly be no Chiyuv Misah for a Zar who does the Shechitah of the Parah Adumah since it is not done in the Azarah, and the Chiyuv Misah is only for Avodos performed in the Azarah!
The MENACHEM MESHIV NEFESH cites from the YAD DAVID who answers that Rashi mentions Shechitah because of the Shechitah of the Par of Aharon, according to the opinion that says that it must be done by a Kohen Gadol (42a). According to that opinion, a Zar -- and even a Kohen Hedyot -- who did this Shechitah would have been Chayav Misah if not for the fact that it is not an Avodah Tamah, as is implied in the Gemara in Yevamos (33b).
(We may point out that according to what we wrote in the Insights to 42a, Tosfos holds in a number of places that a Zar is not Chayav Malkus -- and certainly not Misah -- for slaughtering the Par of Aharon. In order to justify the above answer, then, we must suggest that Rashi argues with Tosfos on that point.)
M. Kornfeld (On another occasion, a year later, I wrote another, maybe better, answer to this question)