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Me’ilah 5b

מעילה ה׳ ע״ב

Meilah 5b

Learn Me’ilah 5b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Me’ilah 5b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

What does 'a period of fitness' in the מעילה משנה mean, when does a פסול make the blood שיריים, and what does a פיגול sprinkling do to מעילה?

Overview

The גמרא wants to know what 'a period of fitness' in our משנה means: fitness to sprinkle the blood, or fitness to eat the meat. First it suggests our משנה's wording is not exact, like a similar משנה in זבחים. רב אסי objects that two משניות would not both use loose wording, so the גמרא decides our משנה about מעילה is exact. The זבחים wording instead teaches that when a פסול receives and sprinkles, the rest of the blood becomes שיריים (leftovers). The גמרא then challenges this from רבי יוחנן, who said only sprinkling with פיגול intent makes שיריים. It answers that רבי יוחנן's list covers only things invalid for the ציבור. A טמא, who can serve for the ציבור, does make שיריים, while other פסולין do not. Finally, the גמרא tries to prove the 'fitness to sprinkle' reading from a ברייתא that says פיגול is always subject to מעילה. It rejects that proof: the ברייתא may be speaking after sprinkling, and 'always' teaches רב גידל's rule that a פיגול sprinkling neither takes an offering out of מעילה nor brings it in.

Opening lines

הָכִי נָמֵי, לָאו דַּוְקָא.

So too here, it is not exact.

אָמַר רַב אַסִּי:

Rav Asi said:

אִם כֵּן, לְמָה לִי לְמִיתְנֵי תַּרְתֵּי?

If so, why do I need it to teach two?

אֶלָּא לְעוֹלָם דִּמְעִילָה דַּוְקָא,

Rather, actually, the one about misuse is exact,

The steps (14)

  1. RejectionMaybe our משנה is not exact either
  2. ChallengeWhy would two משניות both be inexact?
  3. ResolutionOur מעילה משנה is exact after all
  4. ResolutionWhat the זבחים משנה is really teaching
  5. ChallengeA challenge from ריש לקיש's question to רבי יוחנן
  6. ChallengeReading רבי יוחנן as leaving out a פסול
  7. RejectionMaybe a פסול is included too
  8. ChallengeBut רבי יוחנן said 'you have nothing except'
  9. ResolutionRereading 'You have nothing except': an impure כהן is not on the list
  10. ProofA ברייתא: there is always מעילה with פיגול
  11. ProofThe inference: fitness for sprinkling is what the משנה means
  12. RejectionNo proof: the ברייתא may be after sprinkling
  13. ChallengeWhat does 'always' add?
  14. Resolution'Always' teaches רב גידל's rule