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Me’ilah 19a

מעילה י״ט ע״א

Meilah 19a

Learn Me’ilah 19a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Me’ilah 19a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Holy-to-holy מעילה, who is included, and the three comparisons that set when using הקדש requires damage

Overview

This amud finishes a ברייתא about מעילה, misusing הקדש property. A person commits מעילה even when he moves holy money to another holy use for his own benefit, such as paying for his own bird offerings, שקל, חטאת or אשם. רבי שמעון and רבי יהודה argue about when that liability starts, and 'תמעל מעל' is the source. The גמרא explains why the ברייתא had to include the king and the כהן גדול: we might have thought they are not a 'זר' to the anointing oil. Next, the גמרא lists three comparisons the Torah makes for מעילה. From סוטה we learn there can be liability without damage, from עבודה זרה that an item which can be damaged must actually be damaged, and from תרומה that damaging without benefit is פטור. רב כהנא then asks whether gold really cannot be damaged, and רב זביד gives two answers. Finally, רב פפא explains that the משנה's חטאת that needs real damage is a blemished animal, whose value drops when its wool is taken.

Opening lines

– עֵד שֶׁיֵּצֵא מִן הַקֹּדֶשׁ לַחוֹל.

– until it goes out from the sacred to the non-sacred.

מִן הַקֹּדֶשׁ לַקֹּדֶשׁ, כְּגוֹן:

From the sacred to the sacred, such as:

לָקַח קִינֵּי זָבִים,

he bought the bird pairs of zavim,

וְקִינֵּי זָבוֹת, וְקִינֵּי יוֹלְדוֹת,

and the bird pairs of zavot, and the bird pairs of women after childbirth,

The steps (15)

  1. StatementThe mistaken assumption: liability only when holy becomes ordinary
  2. StatementMoving from holy to holy also counts, says רבי שמעון
  3. Statementרבי יהודה: only once the blood is sprinkled
  4. ProofThe source: 'תמעל מעל' means in any case
  5. StatementThe גמרא quotes the start of the ברייתא: everyone is included
  6. ChallengeWhy say it? 'נפש' obviously means anyone
  7. ResolutionWe might have thought the anointed ones are not 'strangers'
  8. StatementThree comparisons, starting with סוטה: liable even without damage
  9. StatementThe עבודה זרה comparison: a damageable item needs a real change
  10. StatementThe תרומה comparison: damaging without benefit is exempt
  11. ChallengeDoesn't gold get damaged too?
  12. ResolutionThat gold was treated carelessly
  13. ResolutionGold is not damaged right away
  14. ChallengeIsn't an unblemished animal like the gold cup?
  15. ResolutionThe case is a blemished animal