Temurah 20 – Guilt Offering Can Be Only A Male Animal

Since guilt offering can only be a male, if one consecrates a female animal for this purpose, his consecration is invalid. Nevertheless, the animal's value does become consecrated, and this consecration spreads throughout the body of the animal. It cannot be brought on the Altar, but one has to let it graze until it gets a blemish, then sell it, and bring another, male animal for one's guilt offering. If meanwhile he already brought his guilt offering, this money is put into a collection box in the Temple, to buy sacrifices for the time when the Altar is idle.

Incidentally, we see a principle that monetary sanctification leads to the full sanctification of the body. For example, if one designated a ram for its value, planning to sell it and buy another sacrifice, the ram itself becomes a sacrifice. Rabbi Shimon disagrees with this principle. Therefore, he says that the original guilt offering never became sanctified, and may be sold even without a blemish.

Other cases where an animal is sent to graze nclude the exchange of a guilt-offering – for nothing else can be done with it - and offspring, and the offspring of its offspring, ad infinitum.

Art: Rosa Bonheur - Heads Of Sheep And Rams