Why be stringent on Rabbinic tumah for sacrificial meat?

Question

Chapter 25 of Masechet Keilim deals with the distinctions between insides and outsides of vessels with regards to tumah coming from tamei liquids, which is Rabbinic. If a vessel's exterior becomes tamei from tamei liquids, we say that its interior remains tahor; this makes it obvious that this is Rabbinic tumah.

In mishnah 25:9, we see that this distinction doesn't apply for vessels used for kodashim:

כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ אֵין לָהֶם אֲחוֹרַיִם וָתוֹךְ, וְאֵין לָהֶם בֵּית צְבִיעָה.

Utensils used for holy things do not have reverse side and interior, and do not have a finger-hold. [from Kehati]

Bartenura explains:

דהנוגע באחד מהן כנוגע בכולו.

Since for one who touches one of them [the outer side, inner side, or finger-hold], it's as if they touched the entirety [of the vessel].

Thus, vessels used for kodashim don't have the benefit of a distinction between their outer and inner sides to remind us that the tumah of liquids is Rabbinic.

Why would we be more stringent with regards to vessels used for kodashim than other vessels, since we make it more likely that we will (accidentally) burn kodashim that is Biblically tahor (but Rabbinically tamei).

Answer 1

You ask:

Why would we be more stringent with regards to vessels used for kodashim than other vessels, since we make it more likely that we will (accidentally) burn kodashim that is Biblically tahor (but Rabbinically tamei).

I think the reason is that we have a general rule that "Kohanim Zerizim Heim" - Kohanim are scrupulous - since Kohanim - in Temple days - deal with Purity issues all the time.

E.g: Every time somebody bakes bread that get a piece of Challa which is Tahor and has to be treated accordingly. 2% of all produce is given to them as Terumah to be treated as Tahor.

Some Kodashim, OTOH, are eaten by everybody. Yom Tov? Celebrating? Repenting? Feeling generous? Bring a Korban!

If the general population gets to a point of Rabbinical Tumah we have to worry that they aren't being sufficiently careful, so we declare it all Tameh.

Since kohanim are more attuned to Tumah issues, we can rely on them knowing the difference between the various level of Tumah.

And since these are Rabbinic enaction you will find all sorts of inconsistencies; some by design, others because " here they saw for to decree, and there, not.".

As to your 2nd point they one may "burn kodashim that is Biblically tahor (but Rabbinically tamei)." - keep in mind that they wouldn't burn these Rabbinic-Tameh-Kodashim (Korbanot) immediately; they would wait until they were past their expiration date, and therefore had to be burnt anyway.