To redeem consecrated things upon which a blemish developed: That we were commanded to redeem consecrated [animals] upon which a blemish developed and purchase with their money another animal for a sacrifice. And after the redemption, they go out to being non-sacred and the owners slaughter them and eat them like completely non-sacred [animals]. And about this is it stated, “But in all that your soul desires, you may slaughter and eat meat, etc. the impure and the pure may eat of it, like the gazelle and the deer.” After the section mentioned the pure sacrifices and obligated us to sacrifice them “only in the place that the Lord will choose,” it stated afterwards about the sacrifices themselves that if a blemish developed in them, that we redeem them and eat them ‘”n all that our souls desire”; meaning to say that we do with them any of our desires — like the gazelle and the deer, whose body is never holy. And so the traditional explanation came about it that this verse is only speaking about disqualified consecrated [animals] that they be redeemed.
It is from the roots of the commandment that it was from the kindnesses of God to us to permit us to derive benefit from the sacrificial animals after they develop a blemish — and even though they were already separated to be consecrated and the power of the name of the Heavens rested upon them. God is righteous and does righteousness with His creatures and lightens the rod of His kingship and His loftiness from upon them, and [so] He is not exacting with them to say, “Do not touch the consecrated, since it was Mine even for a moment.” And He magnified His kindness with us and obligated the thing with a positive commandment. As if He only left the matter as optional for us, it is possible that we would still be wary by way of piety from touching them. But since there is the fulfillment of a commandment in the thing, no concern remains in the matter. And for this reason, the verse elucidated with a lengthy elucidation, saying, “the impure and the pure may eat of it, like the gazelle and the deer” — meaning to say that no sanctity of the body ever rests on [these two animals], as to say, eat it without any concern at all.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Temurah 32a) that if the animal dies before it is redeemed, it is buried, like the law of unblemished consecrated [animals] that die; which is that they are buried, such that no man benefit from them. As redemption after death is impossible, since Scripture requires appraisal and evaluation — as I have written in the Order of Eem Bechukotai (Sefer HaChinukh 353). And if it gave birth before the redemption, we sacrifice the offspring which is unblemished. But if it became pregnant before it was redeemed and it gave birth after it was redeemed, the offspring is forbidden and not redeemed. So what does he do? Adjacent to the redemption of its mother, he invests its offspring with the title of the sacrifice with which its mother was consecrated; as it cannot be sacrificed [directly] from the [status] of its mother, since that is a sanctity that has been waived because of its blemish.
And when all disqualified sanctified [animals] are redeemed, it is permissible to slaughter them in the marketplace of the butchers and to sell them and to weigh them by the pound like other non-sacred foods — except for a firstborn and a tithe, as they are not slaughtered there. And the reason of the thing is because with other consecrated [animals] their value returns to being consecrated, as we go back and purchase with them a different animal for a sacrifice. And therefore in order not to reduce their value, we sell them in any place. But with the firstborn and the tithe that are eaten with their blemish and for which there is no need to buy a different animal with their value for a sacrifice, we do not slaughter and sell them in the market of butchers. And regarding the blemishes that disqualify a sacrifice, I have already spoken about them in the Order of Emor (Sefer HaChinukh 275). And [these] and rest of the details of the commandment are elucidated in Tracate Bekhorot and in Temurah and in [some] places in Chullin, Arakhin and Meilah. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Things Forbidden on the Altar 1.)
And this commandment is practiced by males and females at the time of the [Temple]. But now at this time, they, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 13a) that we do not consecrate [animals]. And the same is true that we do not redeem. And the whole matter is like I have written in the Order of Eem Bechukotai (Sefer HaChinukh 350) — take it from there. And even though I have written there that the consecration of one who consecrates [an animal], even at this time, holds and that there is a need for a correction to the matter, as I have written there — nonetheless regarding redemption, we certainly have to write that it is not practiced at this time from any angle, and like the matter that I wrote there about the law of the evaluations of animals (Sefer HaChinukh 353). You can see the matter from there.
לִפְדּוֹת קָדָשִׁים שֶׁנָּפַל בָּהֶם מוּם – שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ לִפְדּוֹת קָדָשִׁים שֶׁנָּפַל בָּהֶם מוּם וְלוֹקְחִין בִּדְמֵיהֶן בְּהֵמָה אַחֶרֶת לְקָרְבָּן, וְאַחַר הַפִּדְיוֹן הֵם יוֹצְאִין לְחֻלִּין וְזוֹבְחִין וְאוֹכְלִין אוֹתָן הַבְּעָלִים כְּחֻלִּין גְּמוּרִים, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים יב טו) רַק בְּכָל אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ תִּזְבַּח וְאָכַלְתָּ בָשָׂר וְגוֹ' הַטָּמֵא וְהַטָּהוֹר יֹאכְלֶנּוּ כַּצְּבִי וְכָאַיָּל. אַחַר שֶׁהִזְכִּירָה הַפָּרָשָׁה הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת הַתְּמִימִים, וְחִיְּבָה שֶׁלֹּא לְהַקְרִיבָם, כִּי אִם בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְיָ, אָמַר אַחֲרֵי כֵן עַל הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת בְּעַצְמָם שֶׁאִם נָפַל בָּהֶם מוּם שֶׁנִּפְדֵם וְנֹאכְלֵם בְּכָל אַוַּת נַפְשֵׁנוּ, כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה בָּהֶם כָּל חֶפְצֵנוּ כְּמוֹ בִּצְבִי וְאַיָּל, שֶׁאֵין גּוּפָן קָדוֹשׁ לְעוֹלָם. וְכֵן בָּא אֵלֵינוּ הַפֵּרוּשׁ הַמְּקֻבָּל, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר זֶה הַפָּסוּק, אֶלָּא בִּפְסוּלֵי הַמֻּקְדָּשִׁין שֶׁיִּפָּדוּ.
To redeem consecrated things upon which a blemish developed: That we were commanded to redeem consecrated [animals] upon which a blemish developed and purchase with their money another animal for a sacrifice. And after the redemption, they go out to being non-sacred and the owners slaughter them and eat them like completely non-sacred [animals]. And about this is it stated, “But in all that your soul desires, you may slaughter and eat meat, etc. the impure and the pure may eat of it, like the gazelle and the deer.” After the section mentioned the pure sacrifices and obligated us to sacrifice them “only in the place that the Lord will choose,” it stated afterwards about the sacrifices themselves that if a blemish developed in them, that we redeem them and eat them ‘”n all that our souls desire”; meaning to say that we do with them any of our desires — like the gazelle and the deer, whose body is never holy. And so the traditional explanation came about it that this verse is only speaking about disqualified consecrated [animals] that they be redeemed.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. שֶׁהָיָה מֵחַסְדֵי הָאֵל עָלֵינוּ לְהַרְשׁוֹת אוֹתָנוּ לֵהָנוֹת מִבַּהֲמוֹת הַקָּרְבָּן, אַחַר שֶׁנָּפַל בָּהֶם מוּם, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּבָר נִפְרְשׁוּ לִהְיוֹת קֹדֶשׁ וְכֹחַ שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם חָל עֲלֵיהֶם, צַדִּיק הוּא הַשֵּׁם וּצְדָקָה יַעֲשֶׂה עִם בְּרִיּוֹתָיו וְשֵׁבֶט מַלְכוּתוֹ וְרוֹמְמוּתוֹ יָקֵל מֵעֲלֵיהֶם, וְלֹא יְדַקְדֵּק עִמָּם לֵאמֹר אַל תִּגְּעוּ בַּקֹּדֶשׁ מֵאַחַר שֶׁהָיָה לִי אֲפִלּוּ רֶגַע אֶחָד, וְעוֹד הִפְלִיא חַסְדּוֹ עִמָּנוּ וְחִיְּבָנוּ בַּדָּבָר בְּמִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה, שֶׁאִלּוּ הִנִּיחַ הַדָּבָר בִּרְשׁוּתֵנוּ לְבַד אוּלַי עֲדַיִן נָחוּשׁ מִדֶּרֶךְ חֲסִידוּת לִגַּע בָּהֶן, אֲבָל אַחַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ קִיּוּם מִצְוָה בַּדָּבָר לֹא יִשָּׁאֵר שׁוּם חֲשָׁשׁ בָּעִנְיָן, וּמִטַּעַם זֶה בֵּאֵר הַכָּתוּב בֵּאוּר רָחָב לֵאמֹר, הַטָּמֵא וְהַטָּהוֹר יֹאכְלֶנּוּ כַּצְּבִי וְכָאַיָּל כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁאֵין קְדֻשַּׁת הַגּוּף חָלָה עֲלֵיהֶם לְעוֹלָם, כְּלוֹמַר, אִכְלוּהוּ מִבְּלִי פִּקְפּוּק כְּלָל.
It is from the roots of the commandment that it was from the kindnesses of God to us to permit us to derive benefit from the sacrificial animals after they develop a blemish — and even though they were already separated to be consecrated and the power of the name of the Heavens rested upon them. God is righteous and does righteousness with His creatures and lightens the rod of His kingship and His loftiness from upon them, and [so] He is not exacting with them to say, “Do not touch the consecrated, since it was Mine even for a moment.” And He magnified His kindness with us and obligated the thing with a positive commandment. As if He only left the matter as optional for us, it is possible that we would still be wary by way of piety from touching them. But since there is the fulfillment of a commandment in the thing, no concern remains in the matter. And for this reason, the verse elucidated with a lengthy elucidation, saying, “the impure and the pure may eat of it, like the gazelle and the deer” — meaning to say that no sanctity of the body ever rests on [these two animals], as to say, eat it without any concern at all.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (תמורה לב, א) שֶׁאִם מֵתָה הַבְּהֵמָה קֹדֶם שֶׁתִּפָּדֶה תִּקָּבֵר, כְּדִין קָדָשִׁים הַתְּמִימִים שֶׁמֵּתִים, שֶׁהֵם נִקְבָּרִים, שֶׁלֹּא יֵהָנֶה אָדָם בָּהֶם, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִפְדּוֹתָהּ אַחַר מִיתָה, שֶׁהַכָּתוּב הִצְרִיכָהּ הַעֲמָדָה וְהַעֲרָכָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בְּסֵדֶר אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי (מצוה שנג) וְאִם יָלְדָה קֹדֶם פִּדְיוֹן, הַוָּלָד שֶׁהוּא תָּמִים מַקְרִיבִין אוֹתוֹ, אֲבָל אִם נִתְעַבְּרָה קֹדֶם שֶׁתִּפָּדֶה, וְיָלְדָה אַחַר שֶׁנִּפְדֵּית הַוָּלָד אָסוּר וְאֵינוֹ נִפְדֶּה, אֶלָּא כֵּיצַד יַעֲשֶׂה? סָמוּךְ לְפִדְיוֹן אִמּוֹ מַתְפִּיס וְלָדָהּ לְשֵׁם הַזֶּבַח שֶׁהִקְדִּישׁ אִמּוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין יָכוֹל לְהַקְרִיבוֹ מִכֹּחַ אִמּוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא קְדֻשָּׁה דְּחוּיָה מֵחֲמַת מוּמָהּ.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Temurah 32a) that if the animal dies before it is redeemed, it is buried, like the law of unblemished consecrated [animals] that die; which is that they are buried, such that no man benefit from them. As redemption after death is impossible, since Scripture requires appraisal and evaluation — as I have written in the Order of Eem Bechukotai (Sefer HaChinukh 353). And if it gave birth before the redemption, we sacrifice the offspring which is unblemished. But if it became pregnant before it was redeemed and it gave birth after it was redeemed, the offspring is forbidden and not redeemed. So what does he do? Adjacent to the redemption of its mother, he invests its offspring with the title of the sacrifice with which its mother was consecrated; as it cannot be sacrificed [directly] from the [status] of its mother, since that is a sanctity that has been waived because of its blemish.
וְכָל פְּסוּלֵי הַמֻּקְדָּשִׁין כְּשֶׁיִּפָּדוּ מֻתָּר לִשְׁחֹט אוֹתָם בְּשׁוּק הַטַּבָּחִים וְלִמְכֹּר אוֹתָם שָׁם וְלִשְׁקֹל בְּלִיטְרָא כִּשְׁאָר הַחֻלִּין, חוּץ מִן הַבְּכוֹר וּמִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר שֶׁאֵין שׁוֹחֲטִין אוֹתָם שָׁם, וְטַעַם הַדָּבָר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁאָר קָדָשִׁים חוֹזְרִין דְּמֵיהֶם לַהֶקְדֵּשׁ, שֶׁחוֹזְרִין וְקוֹנִים בָּהֶם בְּהֵמָה אַחֶרֶת לְקָרְבָּן, וּלְפִיכָךְ שֶׁלֹּא לְמַעֵט בִּדְמֵיהֶן מוֹכְרִין אוֹתָם בְּכָל מָקוֹם, אֲבָל הַבְּכוֹר וְהַמַּעֲשֵׂר שֶׁנֶּאֱכָלִין בְּמוּמָן וְאֵין צֹרֶךְ לִקְנוֹת בִּדְמֵיהֶן בְּהֵמָה אַחֶרֶת לְקָרְבָּן, אֵין שׁוֹחֲטִין וּמוֹכְרִין אוֹתָן בְּשׁוּק שֶׁל טַבָּחִים. וּבְעִנְיָן הַמּוּמִין הַפּוֹסְלִין בַּקָּרְבָּן, כְּבָר דִּבַּרְתִּי בָּהֶן בְּסֵדֶר אֱמֹר (מצוה ערה). וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֵי הַמִּצְוָה מְבֹאָרִים בְּמַסֶּכֶת בְּכוֹרוֹת וּבִתְמוּרָה וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת מְחֻלִּין וַעֲרָכִין וּמְעִילָה [הלכות איסורי מזבח פ"א].
And when all disqualified sanctified [animals] are redeemed, it is permissible to slaughter them in the marketplace of the butchers and to sell them and to weigh them by the pound like other non-sacred foods — except for a firstborn and a tithe, as they are not slaughtered there. And the reason of the thing is because with other consecrated [animals] their value returns to being consecrated, as we go back and purchase with them a different animal for a sacrifice. And therefore in order not to reduce their value, we sell them in any place. But with the firstborn and the tithe that are eaten with their blemish and for which there is no need to buy a different animal with their value for a sacrifice, we do not slaughter and sell them in the market of butchers. And regarding the blemishes that disqualify a sacrifice, I have already spoken about them in the Order of Emor (Sefer HaChinukh 275). And [these] and rest of the details of the commandment are elucidated in Tracate Bekhorot and in Temurah and in [some] places in Chullin, Arakhin and Meilah. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Things Forbidden on the Altar 1.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת. אֲבָל עַכְשָׁו בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עבודה זרה יג א), שֶׁאֵין מַקְדִּישִׁין, וְהוּא הַדִּין שֶׁאֵין פּוֹדִין, וְכָל הָעִנְיָן כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בְּסֵדֶר אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי (סימן שנ), קָחֶנּוּ מִשָּׁם. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי שָׁם, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁהִקְדִּישׁ אֲפִלּוּ בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה, שֶׁהֶקְדֵּשׁוֹ נִתְפָּס וְצָרִיךְ תַּקָּנָה לַדָּבָר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב שָׁם, מִכָּל מָקוֹם לְעִנְיַן הַפְּדִיָּה, וַדַּאי יֵשׁ לָנוּ לִכְתֹּב שֶׁאֵינָהּ נוֹהֶגֶת בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה בְּשׁוּם צַד, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי שָׁם בְּדִין עֶרְכֵי בְּהֵמָה (מצוה שנג), מִשָּׁם תִּרְאֶה כַּוָּנָתִי בָּזֶה.
And this commandment is practiced by males and females at the time of the [Temple]. But now at this time, they, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 13a) that we do not consecrate [animals]. And the same is true that we do not redeem. And the whole matter is like I have written in the Order of Eem Bechukotai (Sefer HaChinukh 350) — take it from there. And even though I have written there that the consecration of one who consecrates [an animal], even at this time, holds and that there is a need for a correction to the matter, as I have written there — nonetheless regarding redemption, we certainly have to write that it is not practiced at this time from any angle, and like the matter that I wrote there about the law of the evaluations of animals (Sefer HaChinukh 353). You can see the matter from there.