Continuing its discussion of the status of a sacrifice that becomes disqualified, the Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses an interesting case in which a sacrifice was found to be a tereifa only after the blood was sprinkled, since examination of the internal organs occurs later:

“Rabbi Chanina holds that in the case of an animal that was found to be a tereifa due to a wound in its intestines, the sprinkling of the blood nevertheless effects acceptance, because the wound was unknown at the time of the sprinkling.”

The Rosh (Chullin 87:37; see also Shach YD 93:21 and Peri Chadash 21) uses this as proof of a principle: Halacha only responds to known phenomena.

For example, if a non-kosher substance falls into a pot, it is normally nullified by sixty times permitted substance. If at a later time more non-kosher falls in, the nullification may use the entire mixture as permitted substance to nullify the new material. However, if non-kosher fell in initially but one did not become aware of it until a second batch of non-kosher was added, then the permitted substance must be sixty times the sum of both prohibited substances.

This is another clear example of the power of subjectivity in Halacha, and how awareness determines outcome more than objective facts, as discussed in prior Psychology of the Daf posts for Zevachim 98 and 100.

Zevachim 105 — The Pain of Descent: Why Falling Hurts More Than Staying Low

Our Gemara discusses the ritual impurity incurred by those who burn certain sacrifices outside Jerusalem, including Yom Kippur offerings whose blood is sprinkled inside the sanctuary, as well as communal chattas and the chattas of a Cohen Gadol (Mishna Zevachim 12:5–6).

Typically, impurity is associated with loss of life: exposure to a corpse, the Red Heifer ceremony, niddah and zavah, which represent loss of reproductive potential or disorder. A metzora experiences necrotic flesh and symbolic social death. Even impurity after childbirth can be seen as a form of loss, as the mother begins the painful process of separation from the life force........

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