Me’ilah 16b

מעילה ט״ז ע״ב

Meilah 16b

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

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Topic

The minimum amount of eating שרצים (creeping creatures) that makes a person liable to מלקות: a כזית or a כעדשה?

Overview

רב rules that a person gets מלקות for eating שרצים only once he eats a כזית, because the Torah uses the word 'eating' for them. The גמרא challenges him with a ברייתא, praised by רבי יוחנן, that ties eating שרצים to their טומאה, so eating should be measured by a כעדשה. The גמרא answers that the ברייתא is about dead שרצים, which carry טומאה, while רב is about live ones. אביי objects that רב was explaining a משנה that includes dead שרצים. רב יוסף replies that רב was stating a rule on his own. Next, the גמרא finds a contradiction in רבי יוחנן, who elsewhere says eating requires a כזית. רבא answers that the כעדשה applies only to the eight שרצים the Torah sets apart. רב אדא בר אהבה then challenges רבא: by that logic, animals should also be split into set-apart and not set-apart kinds.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. Statementרב: Eating creeping creatures requires an olive-bulk for lashes
2. ChallengeA ברייתא links eating creeping creatures to their טומאה
3. ChallengeEating, like impurity, is a lentil-bulk, which contradicts רב
4. ResolutionDead creatures versus live creatures
5. Challengeאביי: רב was explaining a משנה that includes dead creeping animals
6. Resolutionרב יוסף: רב was just stating a rule, not explaining that משנה
7. Challengeרבי יוחנן praised the lentil-size teaching, yet said lashes need an olive-size
8. Resolutionרבא: The verse speaks about the specific creeping animals it lists
9. Challengeרב אדא בר אהבה: Then animals should also be split into set-apart and not set-apart