4,049. Permanent vs. Temporary Blemishes
Hilchos Issurei Mizbeiach 1:11
The differences between animals with permanent blemishes and those with temporary blemishes is as follows: if an animal with a permanent blemish gives birth in its sanctified status, the offspring must be redeemed. The offspring is then rendered completely secular, even if it’s unblemished. This is because the subordinate thing shouldn’t be treated more stringently than the main thing. If the animal conceived before being redeemed and delivered after, the offspring is completely secular. If animal died before being redeemed, it should be redeemed after. This is because the sanctity never embraced the body of the animal because of its permanent blemish; only its value was sanctified.
However, let’s say that someone consecrated an animal that had a temporary blemish, or he consecrated an unblemished animal that acquired a permanent blemish after consecration. If it died before being redeemed, it must be buried like other unblemished sacrifices because it requires appraisal, as was already discussed in Hilchos Arachin Vacharamin. If it was slaughtered before redemption, it may be redeemed as long as it is still jerking, after which it may be eaten. If it gave birth, the offspring may be brought as an offering. If it conceived before redemption and gave birth after, the offspring is prohibited and cannot be redeemed. In such a case, before redeeming the mother, the offspring should be committed for the same type of offering as the mother. This is because it can’t be offered on the basis of the mother’s consecration since that sanctification was superseded by its becoming blemished.
Hilchos Issurei Mizbeiach 1:12
If a consecrated animal that got invalidated is redeemed, it may be slaughtered and sold in the market after being weighed on a scale like regular meat, with the exception of firstborn animals and animal tithes. This is because selling an animal in the market makes its price go up. Accordingly, other sacrifices, whose value remains consecrated, should be sold in the market like regular animals since the proceeds will be used to bring another animal as an offering. When it comes to firstborn animals and animal tithes, however, the proceeds of their sale will not be consecrated. Rather, the blemish means that the animals may be eaten, as we will discuss IY”H in the appropriate sections. Therefore, they may not be slaughtered or sold in the butcher shop. Even if the value of a firstborn animal was consecrated, it may not be weighed on a scale and sold in the market. This is because one may only consecrate something that he has acquired in its entirety (which this is not).
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