ויקרא, פרק י״ז, פסוק ח׳

The relationship between humanity and God requires a precise framework. To maintain this structure, the Torah restricts the offering of sacrifices strictly to the Tabernacle. Following an earlier warning against slaughtering animals outside the camp, a new, independent decree prohibits the act of burning or offering a sacrifice outside these sacred bounds. Performing such an act is not necessarily an expression of idolatry or a denial of God; rather, it is a rejection of the path established by the Torah. It reflects a misguided belief that a person can approach God without the mediation of His Divine law [רש״ר הירש]. The primary approach among commentators is that this new directive is addressed to the very same individuals previously warned about slaughtering outside. Yet, while the earlier prohibition provided a clear reason—to prevent sacrificing to demons—this restriction is presented as an absolute decree with no stated explanation [פרדס יוסף].

The command applies broadly to the entire nation, teaching that even an ordinary Israelite who is not a priest, and therefore not authorized to perform the service inside the Tabernacle, is still held fully liable if he performs it outside [העמק דבר]. The scope of liability is expansive enough to include situations where two people perform the offering together, such as jointly lifting a single limb onto an altar; in such cases, both individuals are held responsible [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו]. While gentiles are excluded from this specific restriction, righteous converts are explicitly included [אור החיים, ביאור יש״ר, רד״צ הופמן]. The prohibition applies even to an individual currently undergoing the conversion process who is not yet accustomed to the Commandments, or to someone who dedicated an animal while still a gentile and offered it after completing his conversion [צפנת פענח, העמק דבר].

The law covers every type of sacrifice, encompassing both offerings that are completely burned and those whose meat is eaten [שטיינזלץ]. Together, these represent all categories of holy offerings [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו, רד״צ הופמן]. The prohibition also extends to the act of throwing the blood against the altar, which is the essential component of the eaten sacrifices [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם]. However, liability is restricted strictly to actions that complete the sacrificial service. Preparatory tasks, such as pouring oil or receiving the blood, as well as handling meat intended only for human consumption, do not incur guilt [תורה תמימה]. Furthermore, for an individual to be liable for offering outside the Tabernacle, the sacrifice must fundamentally be fit to be brought inside, and the offering must be made for the sake of God upon a properly constructed altar, rather than merely placed on a random rock [רלב״ג, רש״ר הירש].

Ultimately, the act of offering a sacrifice outside the Tabernacle stands as a completely independent violation from the act of slaughtering outside. Therefore, a person incurs guilt for burning limbs outside even if the animal had already been slaughtered outside and rendered invalid. Moreover, if one individual unlawfully slaughters the animal outside, and a second person subsequently burns it outside, both are held fully liable for their distinct actions, even if the second person only offered a single limb [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, יריעות שלמה, ברכת אשר].