Where were sacrifices offered if not in the Temple?

Question

When a woman has to offer sacrifices after being impure (due, for example, to childbirth), where does she bring that offering?

In Masechet K'ritut, the discussion on 8a centers on a woman who has to bring multiple offerings. The Schottenstein notes read, "Like a woman after childbirth, a woman who was a zavah is permitted to cohabit with her husband immediately after her immersion, but may not eat kodashim or enter the temple until she has brought her offerings."

But if she has to bring offerings into the Temple then she can never enter the Temple to bring the offerings because until she does, she is impure and cannot enter the Temple.

Does she bring the (first) offering somewhere else so that she can then enter the "Temple confines" (8a7, note 60)? (were there different areas of the Temple, with different requirements regarding purity?)

Is the bringing of the live bird enough to effect a purity status (so she becomes tahor enough simultaneously with her entrance), regardless of whether the bird ends up being properly sacrificed?

Answer 1

The temple is divided in several areas which are not equivalent from the holiness point of view. A few parts only are prohibited to the Mechusar Kippurim (one who lacks only Kappara by Korban to be able to eat korbanot or enter the mikdash {1}) . He entered up to the external limit of this area. The boundary is the external edge of shaar Nikanor. We learn all this from two mishnayot and a short stuff of Gemara.

1. Mishna Kelim 1, 8.

   פרק א - משנה ח. . . . . עֶזְרַת נָשִׁים מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁאֵין טְבוּל יוֹם נִכְנָס לְשָׁם, וְאֵין חַיָּבִים עָלֶיהָ חַטָּאת. __עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת מִמֶּנָּה, שֶׁאֵין מְחֻסַּר כִּפּוּרִים נִכְנָס לְשָׁם, וְחַיָּבִין עָלֶיהָ חַטָּאת. __ ‏

Ezrat Nashim is more holy, Tvul Yom cannot enter there, ..., Ezrat Israel is more holy , Mechusar Kippurim cannot enter and if he entered he needs to offer Korban Chattat.

Mechusar Kippurim Can Be In Ezrat Nashim = Machane Levia.

The Mechusar Kippurim can be at shaar Nikanor, inside.

2. See Sota Mishna 1, 5:

   וְאִם אָמְרָה טְהוֹרָה אָנִי, מַעֲלִין אוֹתָהּ לְשַׁעַר הַמִּזְרָח שֶׁעַל פֶּתַח שַׁעַר נִקָּנוֹר, שֶׁשָּׁם מַשְׁקִין אֶת הַסּוֹטוֹת, וּמְטַהֲרִין אֶת הַיּוֹלְדוֹת, וּמְטַהֲרִין אֶת הַמְּצֹרָעִים.‏

BUT IF SHE SAYS, 'I AM PURE', THEY BRING HER UP TO THE EAST GATE WHICH IS BY THE ENTRANCE OF NICANOR'S GATE WHERE THEY GIVE SUSPECTED WOMEN THE WATER TO DRINK, PURIFY WOMEN AFTER CHILDBIRTH AND PURIFY LEPERS.

Rashi on the Mishna, Sota 7a:

ששם משקין את הסוטות. מפני שלא נתקדש בקדושת עזרה עובי חלל אותו השער מפני המצורעין שמכניסין ידיהן לבהונות ליתן מדם האשם על בוהן ידו ומחוסר כפורים שנכנס לעזרה בכרת לפיכך לא קדשו' שיוכל לעמוד בחלל השער שאם היה כהן מוציא את דם האשם חוץ לעזרה הרי הוא נפסל ביוצא לפיכך צריך להכניס ידו לתוך חלל העזרה וביאת מקצת שרא רחמנא:‏

The Gate Nikanor thickness is not Mekuddash as Azara in way to allow the presence of mechussare kappara. (summarized translation).

3. See Gemara 8a in Sota.

   But why a woman after childbirth? Is it to say because they come to stand by their offerings; for it has been taught: A person's offering is not sacrificed until he stands by it? If so, it should also apply to men and women with a running issue! - It does indeed also apply to them, and the Tanna [in the Mishnah] only specifies one of them.

Rashi:

כשמקריבים את קרבן קיניהם לטהרם באכילת קדשים ומצוה על האדם שיעמוד וישמור על קרבנו ונפקא לן בספרי מתשמרו להקריב לי במועדו (במדבר כח) ומי שיכול ליכנס בעזרה נכנס ואלו שלא היו יכולות מפני שהיו מחוסרות כפרה עומדות בחלל שער נקנור שלא נתקדש:‏

A person need to watch when they sacrifiy his Korban (as best as possible).

Who can enter the Azara go on and one who cannot enter the Azara because he is mechussar Kappara enter into the thickness Nikanor's gate.

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{1}: First Mishna 2 chapter of Kretot (with Sincino's translation of Mechusare Kappara) :

THERE ARE FOUR PERSONS WHO REQUIRE A CEREMONY OF ATONEMENT.