Me’ilah 20b

מעילה כ׳ ע״ב

Meilah 20b

Learn Me’ilah 20b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Meat versus liver in our משנה, how broadly food words reach in נדרים, and whether an agent who adds to his mission is still an agent

Overview

Our משנה says that a שליח who serves liver when told to serve meat, or the reverse, has gone against his instructions. The גמרא asks which תנא holds that items an agent would ask about first count as two separate things. רב חסדא says this is not רבי עקיבא, who in נדרים forbids gourds to someone who vowed off vegetables. אביי answers that even רבי עקיבא agrees the שליח had to ask first, and רבא praises this. The גמרא then names רבן שמעון בן גמליאל as the one who reads food words narrowly: for him, liver and birds are not 'meat.' Next it asks why the first תנא counts birds as meat but not fish. רב פפא first places the case on a day of bloodletting, but birds are also avoided then, so he switches to a day of sore eyes, when only fish is avoided. Finally the גמרא tries to learn from the משנה that an agent who adds to his mission is still an agent. רב ששת rejects this proof: the agent may have split the order into one piece for the owner and one for himself.

Opening lines

The steps (16)

1. QuestionWho holds that items an agent would ask about are two separate things?
2. Responseרב חסדא says this does not follow רבי עקיבא
3. Rejectionאביי says even רבי עקיבא agrees the agent had to ask
4. Conclusionרבא approves אביי's answer
5. QuestionWho disagrees with רבי עקיבא?
6. ResponseIt is רבן שמעון בן גמליאל, who permits liver after a vow on meat
7. Proofרבן שמעון בן גמליאל: innards are not meat
8. QuestionWhy does the first תנא count birds as meat?
9. ResponsePeople speak of bird as a substitute for meat
10. ChallengePeople would say the same about fish
11. Resolutionרב פפא: the case is a day of bloodletting
12. Challengeשמואל: birds are also harmful after bloodletting
13. ChallengeA ברייתא: no bloodletting before fish, birds or salted meat
14. Resolutionרב פפא's new case: a day when the eyes hurt
15. ProofA proof from the משנה: an agent who adds is still an agent
16. Rejectionרב ששת: the agent split the order into two separate parts