Me’ilah 12b
מעילה י״ב ע״ב
Meilah 12b
Learn Me’ilah 12b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.
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Topic
מעילה on things that come from consecrated animals: blood, milk, eggs and dung, and how the kind of consecration matters
Overview
The amud opens by finishing an earlier argument with רב's ruling: blood let from a live קדשים animal is forbidden for benefit and carries full מעילה. The גמרא then repeats that ruling (גופא) to examine it. רב המנונא challenges it from milk and eggs of הקדש, which have no מעילה. The answer is that an animal cannot live without its blood, but it can live without milk. רב משרשיא challenges again from manure and dung in the עזרה, which an animal also cannot do without, yet they carry no מעילה. The גמרא answers that dung comes from outside food and is always replaced, while blood is part of the animal's own body. The same ברייתא also supports רבי אלעזר's rule that anything 'holy and not holy' is sold and its money goes to the Temple chamber. A new משנה then teaches that milk and eggs of altar animals carry no מעילה, but those of בדק הבית animals do. רב פפא explains that an altar animal consecrated only for its value (קדושת דמים) is treated like בדק הבית. A further משנה begins at the end of the amud and continues on the next amud.
Opening lines
דְּאָמַר רַב:
As Rav said:
הַמַּקִּיז דָּם לְבֶהֱמַת קָדָשִׁים,
One who lets blood from a sacrificial animal,
אָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה, וּמוֹעֲלִין בּוֹ.
it is forbidden to benefit from it, and one is liable for misusing it.
גּוּפָא.
The matter itself.
The steps (13)
- Proofרב's ruling on blood let from a sacrificial animal
- StatementRestating רב's ruling to examine it directly
- ChallengeChallenge from milk and eggs of consecrated animals
- ResolutionBlood is different because an animal cannot live without it
- ChallengeChallenge from manure and dung in the courtyard
- ChallengeDung is also something the animal cannot live without
- ResolutionDung comes from outside, blood is part of the body
- ProofThe ברייתא supports רבי אלעזר about money going to the chamber
- Statementמשנה: milk of consecrated animals and eggs of doves
- StatementOnly altar offerings, not animals given for Temple upkeep
- ChallengeWhat about an altar animal consecrated only for its value?
- Resolutionרב פפא fills in missing words in the משנה
- StatementA new משנה begins: anything fit for the altar