ויקרא, פרק א׳, פסוק ט״ו

The voluntary burnt offering of a bird introduces a unique and highly specialized procedure, distinctly different from that of an animal offering. Because a bird is small and yields very little blood, the entire process relies on precise manual actions performed directly upon the altar, bypassing the standard vessels used for other sacrifices. A person bringing a voluntary gift may offer even a single bird, contrasting with mandatory bird offerings that always require a pair [רש״י, מזרחי, מלבי״ם, משכיל לדוד]. Furthermore, the procedure demands the exclusive involvement of a priest. While an ordinary Israelite is permitted to slaughter a sacrificial animal, the preparation of a bird is restricted entirely to the priest. He performs the work using his own body, specifically his fingernails, rather than employing a knife or any service vessel [רמב״ן, רש״י, תורה תמימה, רלב״ג, בכור שור].

The priest approaches the altar and conducts all his actions at its upper section, near the southeast corner, avoiding the floor or the ramp [רמב״ן, מלבי״ם, רש״ר הירש, אדרת אליהו]. The method of slaughter is a unique cut executed with the priest's thumbnail. He pierces the back of the bird's neck, cutting through the spine until he reaches and severs the windpipe and esophagus [רשב״ם, מזרחי, רש״ר הירש]. In this burnt offering, the head is completely severed and separated from the body, a stark contrast to the bird sin offering where the head remains attached [שד״ל, תורה תמימה, רלב״ג, הופמן].

A procedural difficulty arises regarding the sequence of the ritual, as the burning of the offering on the altar fires is mentioned before the draining of its blood. A fundamental law of sacrifices dictates that no part of an offering may be burned before its blood has achieved atonement. To resolve this, some commentators explain that the textual order does not reflect the chronological reality. In practice, the blood was drained first, and only afterward did the burning occur [רש״י, שפתי חכמים, הכתב והקבלה, ברכת אשר]. However, the primary approach among commentators is that the sequence is not meant to be a timeline at all, but rather a legal comparison. By placing the act of burning immediately after the cutting of the neck, a specific law is derived. Just as the burning of the bird is performed in two distinct parts with the head and body burned separately, the initial cut must conclude with the complete separation of the head from the body, rendering the head ready to be burned independently [רמב״ן, טור, תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, העמק דבר, חזקוני].

The final step of the preparation involves completely squeezing and pressing out the blood. Animal blood is typically collected in a basin and thrown against the altar from a distance. However, a bird contains an exceedingly small amount of blood. If the priest were to attempt to collect it in a vessel, the blood would cling to the inner walls, leaving an insufficient amount to be applied to the altar. Therefore, the priest forcefully presses the severed neck directly against the upper wall of the altar, squeezing out every drop of blood from both the head and the body so that it flows directly down the altar wall [רש״י, שד״ל, טור, דעת זקנים, חזקוני, פענח רזא, תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, רש״ר הירש].