Me’ilah 14a

מעילה י״ד ע״א

Meilah 14a

Learn Me’ilah 14a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Me’ilah 14a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

An idol that broke by itself and the nest in an אשירה tree; then wood bought by the גזברים and שמואל's rule that the בית המקדש is built with חולין.

Overview

The גמרא opens with a מחלוקת about an idol that broke by itself. רבי יוחנן says it is still forbidden because no non-Jew cancelled it. ריש לקיש says it is permitted because the owner gives up on an idol that could not even save itself. ריש לקיש challenges רבי יוחנן from our משנה, which lets a person knock down a nest in an אשירה tree with a pole, as if branches that broke off the idol are permitted. The first answer, that the bird brought wood from elsewhere, is attacked from the הקדש half of the משנה. So the גמרא reads the case as branches that grew after the tree was consecrated, and it backs this up from the pole. רבי אבהו, quoting רבי יוחנן, keeps the outside-wood reading and says the pole is for knocking down the chicks. The גמרא then rules that chicks are permitted and eggs are forbidden, and רב אשי adds that chicks still needing their mother count like eggs. A new משנה teaches that there is מעילה on wood the גזברים bought, but not on its sawdust or leaves. שמואל explains that building is done with חולין: the donated money's holiness is moved onto the finished building, and then the money is paid to the workers.

Opening lines

The steps (16)

1. StatementDispute: an idol that broke by itself
2. StatementThe reasons behind each opinion
3. Challengeריש לקיש quotes the משנה about a nest
4. ChallengeThe nest is made of branches that broke off the idol
5. ResolutionNo, the bird brought wood from elsewhere
6. ChallengeIf the nest is from outside wood, why is the הקדש nest forbidden?
7. ResolutionThe משנה is about branches that grew after the tree was consecrated
8. ProofProof: why else knock the nest down with a pole?
9. RejectionThe nest is from outside wood, and "knock down" means the chicks
10. StatementChicks are permitted, eggs are forbidden
11. StatementYoung chicks that need their mother count like eggs
12. StatementNew משנה: wood bought by the treasurers
13. StatementBuild first with non-holy materials, then make them holy
14. QuestionWhy build with non-holy materials?
15. ResponseDonated money is holy, so its holiness moves onto the building
16. ResponseThe now-unholy money is paid to the workers