Le Lévitique 3:2 Midrash : Sifra & Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)

1) (Vayikra 3:2): ["vesamach" ("and he shall place") is written four times: once in respect to olah, thrice in respect to shelamim] "And he shall place his hand" — not the hand of his bondsman; "his hand" — not the hand of his messenger; "his hand" — not the hand of his wife. "his hand on the head" — not on the back; "his hand on the head" — not on the throat; "his hand on the head" — not on the back of the head. I would exclude all of these, but not the breast; and it would follow by kal vachomer, viz.: Now if the head, which does not require tenufah, requires semichah — the breast, which requires tenufah, should it not require semichah! It is, therefore, written "on the head" — and not on the breast.

2) "korbano" ("his offering") is written three times, to include (in the requirement of semichah) all the partners to an offering (one after the other). (For without the inclusion provision) would it not follow (that they would not all perform semichah?), viz.: If tenufah, which obtains both with living animals (e.g., the Atzereth lambs and the guilt-offering of the metzorah) and with slaughtered animals (e.g., the breast and thigh of peace-offerings and thanksgiving offerings), are excluded (from tenufah by all of the partners, [one performing tenufah for all of them]) — semichah, which obtains only with living animals, how much more so should all of the partners be excluded from it, (and only one perform it for all)! It is, therefore, written: "his offering" — to include (as performing semichah) all of the partners to the offering.

3) "his offering," and not the offering of another; "his offering," and not the offering of a gentile; "his offering," and not the offering of his (deceased) father. These are the words of R. Yehudah, who says that an heir does not perform semichah.