Meilah 16b — the Talmud in English

We learned in the Mishna: And all creeping creatures combine with one another.

The Gemara discusses: with what measure is one liable for lashes for eating creeping creatures—whether with an olive-bulk or with a lentil-bulk?

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: For eating creeping creatures, one receives lashes for them

with

a measure of

an olive-bulk.

The version of the Shita Mekubetzet.

What is the reason? “Eating” is written concerning them,

the Torah said: [Leviticus 11] “And every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth, it is an abomination; it shall not be eaten ... You shall not eat them, for they are an abomination.” And ordinary eating stated in the Torah is with a measure of an olive-bulk.

And we raise an objection:

But it was taught,

for Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Hanina taught

before him,

he taught a beraita before

Rabbi Yohanan:

The Torah said [Leviticus 20]: “

And you shall distinguish between the pure animal and the impure, and between the impure bird and the pure, and you shall not make your souls abominable through animal or through bird or through anything that creeps upon the ground, which I have distinguished for you to render impure,” and

we expound:

The verse began with eating,

for what the Torah said, “You shall not make your souls abominable,” means the prohibition of eating, for making the soul abominable is eating ,

and it concluded,

and the verse concludes concerning creeping creatures: “and through anything that creeps upon the ground, which I have distinguished for you to render impure,” and that means

with impurity,

to render others impure through their contact, to tell you:

Just as impurity,

whose measure is

with a lentil-bulk ,

so too eating,

whose measure is

with a lentil-bulk.

And when Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Hanina taught before Rabbi Yohanan,

Rabbi Yohanan praised him,

he praised this exposition.

If so, one exposition is difficult against the other exposition. For Rav said that their measure is with an olive-bulk, and it is reasonable to say so, since there is no one who disputes him. And furthermore, because “eating” is stated in the Torah, and ordinary eating is with an olive-bulk. Whereas this beraita expounded that the measure for receiving lashes for eating them is with a lentil-bulk ?

And we resolve:

Rav Yosef said

It is not difficult,

the expositions do not contradict one another!

Here,

where the beraita expounded that their measure is with a lentil-bulk, it is speaking

in their death,

of the eight creeping creatures that died, and only in their death do they render impure with a small measure, “a lentil-bulk,” as the Torah said [there]: “And these are impure for you among the creeping creatures that creep upon the earth: the mole, and the mouse, and the tortoise according to its kinds; and the ferret, and the lizard, and the snail, and the homet, and the tinshamet. These are impure for you among every creeping creature; whoever touches them in their death shall become impure until evening.” And since the Torah regarded the measure of their impurity as a lentil-bulk, therefore the measure of eating them too is a lentil-bulk,

whereas

here, what Rav said, that the measure of eating them is with an olive-bulk, is speaking

of

their life,

when they do not render impure. Therefore, the measure of eating them is with an olive-bulk, like the other prohibitions of eating in the Torah, whose measure is with an olive-bulk .

Abaye said to Rav Yosef: How is it possible to interpret Rav’s words as referring to the eight creeping creatures in their life,

when

Rav is standing upon the Mishna,

Rav stated his ruling concerning the Mishna ,

and

behold,

the Mishna

teaches “all creeping creatures,”

and even in their death.

It implies that Rav said that the measure of creeping creatures is with an olive-bulk even concerning dead creeping creatures?

Rav Yosef said to Abaye:

To Abaye:

That inference of yours is yours!

This inference will remain with you, and I have no dealings with it, because

Rav merely stated a teaching,

Rav stated an independent tradition, and did not state this as an explanation of the Mishna.

We learned above that Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Hanina taught a beraita before Rabbi Yohanan, expounding that the measure for eating creeping creatures is a lentil-bulk, like the measure of their impurity, and Rabbi Yohanan praised this exposition.

And we are astonished:

Did Rabbi Yohanan praise it?!

We raise an objection,

the Gemara brings a Mishna from tractate Oholot [chapter 1, Mishna 7]:

The limbs,

a complete limb from the corpse, containing flesh, sinews, and bones,

have no measure,

and they render impure through contact, carrying, and a tent,

even

when they are

less than an olive-bulk from the corpse.

And less than an olive-bulk from an animal carcass

renders impure through contact and carrying.

And less than a lentil-bulk from a creeping creature renders one impure with its impurity .

That is, complete limbs render impure even with less than their measure, since they are complete, they are significant .

And Rabbi Yohanan said: One receives lashes for them

for eating them

only with an olive-bulk.

And even though their impurity is with less than an olive-bulk.

And this Mishna certainly speaks of limbs that separated from the corpse, because the Mishna speaks of the eight creeping creatures, which render impure only in their death, and the Mishna comes to teach that if it is a complete limb, it renders impure even with less than the measure of a lentil-bulk ,

It follows that Rabbi Yohanan holds that the measure for receiving lashes for eating, even in their death, is with an olive-bulk. And it is difficult: How did Rabbi Yohanan praise the beraita that expounded that the measure for eating is with a lentil-bulk? And we resolve:

Rava said: With regard to the distinguished ones [

the eight creeping creatures are called “distinguished,” because the Torah distinguished and set them apart from the other creeping creatures, for the other creeping creatures do not render impure, whereas the eight creeping creatures do render impure]

the verse spoke.

That is, indeed, concerning the eight creeping creatures one receives lashes even with a lentil-bulk, as Rabbi Yohanan praised the exposition of the beraita: just as their measure of impurity, so is their measure for eating,

and what Rabbi Yohanan said, “One receives lashes only with an olive-bulk,” refers specifically to eating an animal that died. Rabbi Yohanan came to teach us that even though the Mishna said that a complete limb renders impure even with less than an olive-bulk, nevertheless one does not receive lashes for eating it except with an olive-bulk.

For the Torah likened eating to impurity only with regard to what is stated at the end of the verse, “which I have distinguished for you to render impure,” and that means the eight “distinguished” creeping creatures .

And we raise an objection:

Rav Adda bar Ahava said to Rava: If so, concerning an animal as well, let us distinguish

between a distinguished one and one that is not distinguished.

That is, although regarding an animal there is no relevance to “distinguished” and “not distinguished,” because there is no difference between one animal and another, rather the Gemara’s intention is: Why did Rabbi Yohanan say that although the measure of impurity of a complete limb of an animal is any amount, nevertheless the measure for its impurity is with an olive-bulk,

and why do we not liken an animal to the creeping creatures, which are written in the same verse, and say that just as concerning creeping creatures the measure of their eating, when it is a complete limb, is any amount, like the measure of their impurity, so too concerning an animal the measure of their eating is like the measure of their impurity? After all, the Torah likened them in one verse ?