And Reish Lakish says yet another explanation as to why the principal has not been returned to the owner: This is referring to a case where the thief slaughters blemished animals outside the Temple. A blemished animal may be slaughtered outside the Temple and its meat may be eaten, provided that it is redeemed with money.

Rabbi Elazar wondered about this discussion: According to the explanations attributed to Rabbi Yoḥanan, which are based on the assumption that this is referring to slaughtering a sacrificial animal inside the Temple, is it the slaughtering of the animal that renders it permitted for consumption? But isn’t it the sprinkling of the blood that renders it permitted? It is prohibited to eat sacrificial meat immediately after the slaughter; only after the sprinkling of the blood is it permitted to consume the meat. As the slaughter itself does not render the animal’s meat permitted, there should be no liability to pay the fourfold or fivefold payment.

Rabbi Elazar continues: And according to the explanation of Reish Lakish, who states that the case is referring to the slaughter of a consecrated blemished animal outside the Temple, is it the slaughtering of the animal that renders it permitted for consumption? But isn’t it the redemption of the animal that renders it permitted? Since the thief slaughtered a sacrificial animal, it is prohibited to eat its meat until its sanctity is removed by redeeming it with money. Once again, the slaughter itself does not render the meat permitted, and here too, there should be no liability to pay the fourfold or fivefold payment.

The Gemara comments: Apparently, this following statement of Rabbi Shimon escaped Rabbi Elazar, who asked these questions. Rabbi Shimon holds that any blood that is ready to be sprinkled is considered as though it had already been sprinkled, and likewise, any animal that is ready to be redeemed is considered as if it had already been redeemed.

The Gemara proves that Rabbi Shimon maintains these two opinions. Rabbi Shimon holds that any blood that is ready to be sprinkled is considered as though it had already been sprinkled, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Shimon says: There are cases involving leftover sacrificial meat after the time allotted for its consumption [notar], in which the meat is susceptible to contracting ritual impurity of food, and there are cases of leftover sacrificial meat in which the meat is not susceptible to contracting ritual impurity of food.

How so? If sacrificial meat was disqualified due to the fact that it remained overnight, i.e., after the allotted time for that offering, before the sprinkling of its blood, it is not susceptible to contracting ritual impurity of food, as it was never fit for consumption. According to Rabbi Shimon, for an item to be susceptible to contracting ritual impurity of food it must have been permitted for consumption or benefit, either at present or at some point in the past. Sacrificial meat may not be consumed before the sprinkling of its blood, nor may it be consumed if it had been left over after a specific period of time, in most cases overnight. If it was disqualified by being left overnight before its blood had been sprinkled, there was never a time when the meat was permitted. By contrast, if the meat was disqualified by being left over after the sprinkling of the blood, it is susceptible to contracting ritual impurity of food, as it was permitted for consumption at some point after the sprinkling of the blood.

And we maintain, as a result of a discussion recorded in tractate Menaḥot (101b): What is the meaning of: Before the sprinkling of the blood? It means before the blood became fit for sprinkling. And what is meant by: After the sprinkling of the blood? This means after the blood became fit for sprinkling, i.e., immediately subsequent to the slaughter.

The Gemara elaborates: What is the case in which the meat remained overnight before the blood became fit for sprinkling? Since the blood is fit for sprinkling almost immediately after the animal’s slaughter, how is it possible for the meat to become notar before that stage? The Gemara answers: This is referring to a case where there was not enough time in the day to sprinkle the blood, as he slaughtered the offering immediately prior to sunset. The blood was never fit for sprinkling, as the act of sprinkling must be performed before sunset. And in this case the meat is not susceptible to contracting ritual impurity of food, as there was never a time when it was permitted for consumption.

What is the case where the meat remained overnight after the blood became fit for sprinkling? It was when there was enough time remaining in the day after the slaughter to sprinkle the blood, and therefore the meat is susceptible to contracting ritual impurity of food. The Gemara states its conclusion: Evidently, Rabbi Shimon maintains that any blood that is ready to be sprinkled is considered as though it had already been sprinkled.

And Rabbi Shimon holds that any animal that is ready to be redeemed is considered as though it is already redeemed, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Shimon says: