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Me’ilah 12a

מעילה י״ב ע״א

Meilah 12a

Learn Me’ilah 12a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Me’ilah 12a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Sources for placing altar and מנורה ashes; מעילה on birds not yet fit or past their time, and on קדשים that died

Overview

The amud opens by finding sources for where removed ashes are placed. The ashes of the outer altar come from 'ושמו אצל המזבח.' רבי אלעזר learns the ashes of the inner altar from the extra words 'מקום הדשן' in the bird-offering פסוק. He also learns the ashes of the מנורה from the extra letter ה in הדשן. Then a new משנה brings רבי שמעון's view: doves too young to be offered carry מעילה, while pigeons too old to be offered do not. The גמרא explains רבי שמעון's reason. It then explains why the רבנן treat young doves differently from a too-young animal: an animal can be redeemed like a בעל מום, but birds have no פדיון. Next, עולא quotes רבי יוחנן that קדשים that died leave Torah-level מעילה. רב חסדא objects, and after accepting that there is rabbinic מעילה, he asks whether anything can gain מעילה only later. The גמרא suggests blood as an example and begins to answer that blood has מעילה from the start; the explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מִזְבֵּחַ הַחִיצוֹן, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ:

The outer altar — as it is written about it:

״וְשָׂמוֹ אֵצֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ״.

"And he shall put it beside the altar."

מִזְבֵּחַ הַפְּנִימִי מְנָלַן?

The inner altar — from where do we know it?

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: דְּאָמַר קְרָא:

Rabbi Elazar said: For the verse says:

The steps (16)

  1. QuestionOuter altar has a source, but what about the inner altar?
  2. Responseרבי אלעזר: an extra verse is applied to the inner altar
  3. ChallengeMaybe both verses are about the outer altar
  4. ResolutionThe extra word 'the ashes' includes the inner altar
  5. QuestionWhat is the source for the ashes of the מנורה?
  6. ResponseThe extra 'the' in 'the ashes' includes the מנורה
  7. Statementרבי שמעון on young doves and old pigeons
  8. Statementרבי שמעון's reasoning makes sense
  9. ChallengeWhy do the רבנן treat young doves differently from a young animal?
  10. ResolutionToo-young animals can be redeemed, birds cannot
  11. StatementSacrificial animals that died leave מעילה
  12. Challengeרב חסדא asks where the holiness went
  13. Resolutionעולא points to the same question on the משנה
  14. Challengeרב חסדא agrees, then raises a new difficulty
  15. ChallengeBlood seems to be exactly that kind of case
  16. ResolutionBlood actually has misuse liability from the start