The Torah states in Parashat Re’eh (12:15) that we may eat meat “with all your heart’s desire,” without any restrictions, even in a state of impurity, just as we may eat the meat of wild animals such as deer. The oral tradition explains that this verse speaks of the case of an animal that was consecrated as a sacrifice, but then developed a physical blemish that renders it unfit as a sacrifice. The animal in this case must be “redeemed” – meaning, its sanctity is transferred onto money, whereupon the animal is no longer considered sacred. The Torah here commands eating the meat of this animal, treating it like the meat of a deer – an animal which cannot be consecrated as a sacrifice. The blemished animal that has undergone Pidyon (“redemption”) no longer retains any sanctity, to the point where it may be compared to animals such as deer which have no possibility of ever being consecrated. The Sefer Ha’hinuch writes that the Torah commanded us to partake of the meat of this animal as a measure of kindness. We might have assumed that once an animal had been consecrated, it is permanently out of our control, and can never be returned. But G-d, in His infinite kindness, established that once the animal becomes disqualified for use as a sacrifice, it may be redeemed and used like an ordinary animal, as though it had never been consecrated. The Torah went so far as to require – and not just allow – eating this animal, because otherwise, a person might feel that even though this meat is technically permitted, it is proper to be stringent, and refrain from the meat, since the animal had been consecrated. In order to dispel this misconception, and to make it clear that this animal is entirely permissible, the Torah commanded that we eat the meat of this animal which had been consecrated and was then redeemed. If a consecrated animal died after it developed a disqualifying blemish, before it could be redeemed, then it cannot then be redeemed so it’s carcass could become permissible for use. The carcass must instead be buried. If the consecrated animal was pregnant, and it gave birth after developing a blemish but before it could be redeemed, the infant is considered consecrated, and must therefore be offered as a sacrifice. If the animal conceived after being consecrated, and is redeemed before giving birth, then before the redemption, the fetus is formally declared consecrated for the same sacrifice for which the mother had been consecrated. When a consecrated animal becomes unfit for sacrificing, and requires Pidyon, it may be brought to the meat market to be slaughtered, and the meat may be weighed and sold there. Although this might seem disrespectful to a consecrated animal, this is nevertheless allowed, because the meat will likely be sold for a higher price in the market, thus benefitting the treasury of the Bet Ha’midkash. The exceptions to this rule are a Bechor (firstborn animal) and Ma’aser (animal tithe) which developed a blemish. These blemished sacrifices are eaten by the owners themselves, and there is thus no benefit to the Bet Ha’mikdash by selling them in the market. As such, the meat may not be sold in the market, since this would be disrespectful, and there is no offsetting factor of benefit to the Bet Ha’mikdash in such a case. This Misva is binding upon both men and women, and applies in the times of the Bet Ha’mikdash. Nowadays, of course, when we do not consecrate animals, the laws of Pidyon do not apply.