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Me’ilah 16a

מעילה ט״ז ע״א

Meilah 16a

Learn Me’ilah 16a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Me’ilah 16a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Do kosher and non-kosher נבלות join together to make a כזית, for טומאה and for the איסור of eating?

Overview

The משנה taught that all נבלות join together to make a כזית. רב limits this to טומאה: for the איסור of eating, kosher and non-kosher carcasses stay separate. לוי says they join even for eating. רב אסי says kosher and non-kosher stay separate, and there are two versions of whether he argues with רב. The גמרא challenges רב אסי from a ברייתא about a dead cow and a live camel. It first answers that the ברייתא means two live animals join, following רבי יהודה on אבר מן החי. That answer is pushed back twice: the ברייתא's example would be pointless, and a second ברייתא says cow and camel join 'whether alive or dead.' Finally the גמרא answers for רב אסי that the ברייתא follows a תנא who holds איסור חל על איסור, which רב אסי does not hold.

Opening lines

לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא לְעִנְיַן טוּמְאָה,

They taught this only with regard to ritual impurity,

אֲבָל לְעִנְיַן אֲכִילָה –

but with regard to eating,

טְהוֹרִין בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן,

kosher ones are by themselves,

וּטְמֵאִים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן.

and non-kosher ones are by themselves.

The steps (9)

  1. StatementThe joining rule applies only to טומאה, not to eating
  2. Statementלוי says they join even for eating
  3. Statementרב אסי says kosher and non-kosher stay separate
  4. StatementTwo versions: does רב אסי argue with רב?
  5. ChallengeChallenge from the dead cow and live camel
  6. ResolutionRead it as both alive, following רבי יהודה
  7. ChallengeWhy mention a dead cow and a live camel if even two dead ones do not join?
  8. ChallengeA second ברייתא says two dead animals do join
  9. Resolutionרב אסי: this תנא holds that one prohibition can land on another