How the Owner Lays Hands on the Offering and Confesses

(Leviticus 1:4) Our Rabbis taught: How does one perform the laying-on of hands? The sacrificial animal stands in the north with its face to the west, and the one laying on hands stands in the east with his face to the west. He places his two hands between the two horns of the animal, provided that nothing interposes between him and the animal. He makes confession: over a sin offering, the iniquity of the sin offering; over a guilt offering, the iniquity of the guilt offering; and over a burnt offering, the iniquity of failing in the gleanings, the forgotten sheaf, the corner of the field, and the tithe of the poor [the unfulfilled positive commands the burnt offering atones for]. These are the words of Rabbi Yose the Galilean. Rabbi Akiva says: a burnt offering comes only for a positive command and for a negative command that has been transformed into a positive one. On what point do they disagree? Rabbi Yirmiyah said: they disagree about the prohibition of eating carrion. One master holds it is a full-fledged negative command, and the other master holds it is not a full-fledged negative command. Abaye said: all agree that the prohibition of carrion is a full-fledged negative command, and here they disagree about the verse "you shall leave them" (Leviticus 19:10). One master holds "you shall leave" implies from the outset, and the other master holds it implies now. What is the difference between a private altar and a communal altar? The laying-on of hands, slaughter in the north, the placing of blood all around, the waving, and the bringing near. Rabbi Yehudah says: there is no meal offering on a private altar; also priestly service, the garments of ministry, the vessels of ministry, the pleasing aroma, a partition for the blood, and the washing of hands and feet. But the matters of time, leftover sacrifice, and impurity are equal in both. Laying-on of hands, as it is written "before the LORD" and "he shall lay his hand"; slaughter in the north, as it is written "on the side of the altar northward" (Leviticus 1:11); blood all around, as it is written "and the sons of Aaron the priests shall dash" and so on; waving, as it is written "and he shall wave"; bringing near, as it is written "and he shall bring it near to the altar" (Leviticus 2:8). Rav Sheshet said: according to the one who holds there is a meal offering on a private altar, there are bird offerings on a private altar; according to the one who holds there is no meal offering on a private altar, there are no bird offerings on a private altar. What is the reason? "And they sacrificed peace sacrifices" (slaughtered animals) and not birds, slaughtered animals and not meal offerings. Priestly service, as it is written "and the priest shall dash" (Leviticus 17:6); garments of ministry, as it is written "seven days shall the priest wear them" (Exodus 29:30); vessels of ministry, as it is written "and they shall take all the vessels of ministry"; the pleasing aroma, as it is written "a pleasing aroma to the LORD"; a partition for the blood, as it is written "and the net shall reach to the middle of the altar" (Exodus 27:5); and that one need not have washed hands and feet, as it is written "when they come into the Tent of Meeting they shall wash with water" (Exodus 30:20). "And he shall lay his hand" his hand and not the hand of his slave, his hand and not the hand of his agent, his hand and not the hand of his wife. Why do I need all of these? They are all necessary. For had the Merciful One written only one, I would have said: this is to exclude a slave, who is not obligated in the commandments, but an agent, who is obligated in the commandments, and a man's wife, who is like himself, let me say he may lay on hands through them. And if it had taught us these two, who are not regarded as his own body, but his wife, who is regarded as his own body, let me say he may lay on hands through her therefore all are necessary.