Checking

Rashi Bo (12:6) brings the derash of the Michelta that the passover lamb was chosen four days in advance so that Bnei Yisroel would have the merit of the Pesach (see Sifsei Chachamim.)  However, there is also the opinion of Ben Bag Bag that learns a gezerah shavah from the word mishmeres that even the korban tammid had to be taken four days in advance.  Rashi Pesachim 96a explains that according to Ben Bag Bag the korban had to be checked every of one the four days to ensure that it didn’t have a blemish that would disqualify it.  The Rambam (Temmidin 1:9) understands that its enough to check it at the beginning of the four days and at the end.  Minchas Avrohom (Minachos 49b) explains that Rashi holds the din of the four days tells us that there is an obligation to check for blemishes for all of these days.  The Rambam understands that the din is to watch the korban for four days but there is no obligation of checking.

The Or Zarua raises the question is this law of checking for four days מעכב.  Tosfot Sukkah 42a understands that the law of checking for four days is מעכב based upon the Tosefta that says if one slaughters a tammid that isn’t checked on Shabbot there it is considered a violation of Shabbot.  In the commentary on the Michelta, the Har Efraim wants to knock off the proof.  He says there are two separate dinim in checking a korban.  There is a din to check right before sacrificing it (Tammid 3:4.)  That law is מעכב, it’s an obligation of the korban.  There is another law to check for four days in advance.  That law is an obligation on the person, a חובת הגברא and won’t be מעכב.  The Toras Kohanim Ch. 3 says if one slaughtered the tammid without checking it then another one must be brought.  It is clear from the commentary of the Rosh that the korban becomes completely disqualified.  The Briskor Rav (parshas Vayikra) asks why should the korban be disqualified, why is it different from any korban tzibbur which has a pasul that it is offered as a voluntary offering, why is it completely passul over here?  According to this principle of the Har Efraim the Toras Kohanim is referring to a tammid that was slaughtered before ascertaining that it doesn’t have a blemish and hence has the status of an animal that is a בעל מום.  This second din to check before right before the korban is offered applies to all korbanot and therefore the korban isn’t fit even for a voluntary offering.  Based upon this we understand why Rashi in Eruvin 103a says that all korbanot tzibbur were checked for blemishes.  He’s not referring to the checking four days in advance, rather to the checking that must be done right before the korban is offered (that is also the implication of Rashi Menachos 49b, see Bais Haotzer letter ב, klal 12.)

The Minchas Chinuch (5:2) asks why the Rambam leaves out the law that the korban pesach needs to be checked four days in advance and the Achronim give various answers. 

Why is it that the pesach and tammid need an additional level of checking?  Pesach is the korban that we offered when we started to become a nation.  The tammid is the first korban offered in the day.  The lesson is that when starting out in an endeavor, project or anything else, one must do a thorough checking to make sure every last, final detail is right.