One small step for women TB Zevakhim 32

We have already learned that there are four steps or avadot (עבדות) when offering a sacrifice on the altar. The four steps are: the slaughtering (שחיטה), the receiving the blood into a bowl (קבלה), the transfer of the blood to the altar (הולכה), and sprinkling the blood on the altar (זריקה). Only a priest, a kohen, has permission to do the last three avadot. The first Mishnah in chapter 3 of our massekhet Zevakhim enumerates who else may slaughter the sacrifice besides the kohen.

“With regard to all those who are unfit (meaning non-priest –gg) for Temple service who slaughtered an offering, their slaughter is valid, as the slaughter of an offering is valid ab initio when performed even by non-priests, by women, by Canaanite slaves, and by ritually impure individuals. And this is the halakha even with regard to offerings of the most sacred order, provided that the ritually impure will not touch the flesh of the slaughtered animal, thereby rendering it impure.” (Sefaria.org translation)

There are some surprising and unexpected people who also may slaughter a sacrifice. One of them is a woman! Tosafot ד"ה שֶהַשְחִיטָה כְשֵרָה בְזָרִים וּבְנָשִים supports a woman’s right to slaughter a sacrifice. They write that the Gemara proves that women may slaughter the sacrifice ab initio. They thoroughly reject Hilkhot Eretz Yisrael’s responsa who holds that women may not slaughter the sacrifice because they are weak minded (דַּעְתָּן קַלָּה). Tosefot says this is just an unnecessary stringency.

This is one small step of ensuring equal rights for women. Unfortunately there are men in the government and in other positions of influence who want to take the women’s rights back three giant steps.