What are the implications of "el-P'nei ha'Sadeh"?
Tosefta Nega'im, Perek 5: 'Lo Ya'amod be'Yafo Veyizrekenah la'Yam, 1 be'Geives Veyizrekenah la'Midbar, 2 Chutz la'Ir Veyizrekenah be'Toch ha'Ir. 3
Oznayim la'Torah (citing the Mekubalim): Like the goat on Yom Kipur, which goes out to Azazel, 4 it goes out to the demons of the field. 5
Oznayim la'Torah: Where it will not find a place to rest.
Oznayim la'Torah: Where it will not find food.
Oznayim la'Torah: Where it will be trapped and lose its freedom (See Oznayim la'Torah) or be killed.
See Vayikra, 16:8.
Since the Torah writes "el-P'nei ha'Sadeh", why does it need to add "el mi'Chutz la'Ir"?
Sifra: It describes the Tzipor Chayah
Oznayim la'Torah, citing Tosfos in Kidushin, 57: And the reason that the Torah adds the (otherwise superfluous) word "el mi'Chutz la'Ir" is, to teach us that, although the purification ceremony of the Metzora himself (See Oznayim la'Torah, DH 'Veshilach es ha'Tzipor ... ') takes place outside the town, the Kohen or his Shali'ach takes the bird into the town and sends it out towards the fields. See Oznayim la'Torah for various reasons as to why. Citing the Aruch, he also explains how, so much so does this bird cherish its freedom that, if it is caught, it will strangle itself rather than be 'enslaved'.
What brings about the house's atonement?
Ramban: The live bird that carries away the owner's sins. 1
Like the Sa'ir ha'Mishtale'ach on Yom Kipur (Ramban). The owner does not require an Asham and a Chatas - like he does by Nig'ei Adam (Refer also to 14:18:1:1), because the punishment of Nig'ei Batim is not as direct as that of Nig'ei Adam. Consequently, the Kaparah of the birds, the cedar-stick (the crimson thread) and the hyssop will suffice.
Since when does a house require atonement?
Oznayim la'Torah: Indeed it does
Having purified the house by sprinkling on ot seven times
Oznayim la'Torah: The Metzora and the house require two things: To completely remove the plague from the house and to atone for himself and for his house to the point that the plague will not return. The former, he achieves with the sprinkling; the latter, with sending the live bird away (in connection with the atonement of the house), or the Korbanos (in connection with the atonement of the Metzora). 1
See Oznayim la'Torah for details. We find a similar sequence by the Sa'ir la'Azazel, where part of the Kaparah of Yisrael is achieved by pushing the Sa'ir la'Azazel off the mountain, and its completion, by bringing the Sa'ir la'Hashem
What happens to the dead bird and live bird, respectively?
Refer to 14:7:2:1-2 and notes.
