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4,104. Which Offerings Do and Don't Require Libations

Hilchos Maasei Hakarbanos 2:2

Libations are only required for a burnt offering of an animal and for peace offerings. This is the case for communal offerings and individual offerings – even the sheep of a woman who has given birth and the ram of the Kohein Gadol, since these are burnt offerings. Libations are not brought with bird offerings, guilt offerings or sin offerings, except for the sin offering and guilt offering of a metzora (colloquially a “leper,” but not really). These exceptional libations are explicit in the Torah.

Hilchos Maasei Hakarbanos 2:3

We know that libations aren’t brought with sin offerings and guilt offerings from Numbers 15:3: “to make a vow or a pledge,” from which we see that only offerings that can be vowed or pledged require libations. That excludes sin offerings, guilt offerings, firstborn animals, animal tithes and the korban Pesach. Since these aren’t subject to vows or pledges, they do not require libations. We know that libations are brought with the holiday peace offerings (shalmei chagigah) and the pilgrimage burnt offerings (olos r’iyah) because the verse continues, “or on your festivals.”

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