Meilah 17b (יז:) — the Talmud in English

They said:

“Let Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai go, for he is experienced”

[accustomed]

in miracles.

They said:

“And who will go after him,”

who will accompany him?

Rabbi Eliezer bar Rabbi Yosei.

Rabbi Yosei did not want his son Rabbi Eliezer to accompany Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai, because he maintained that Rabbi Shimon was quick-tempered and feared that he might punish him; that is, he might take offense at him over some matter, and his displeasure would harm his son. Therefore,

Rabbi Yosei said to them

to the Sages of Israel:

“If Abba Halafta were

[Rabbi Yosei was the son of Rabbi Halafta]

alive,

would

you be able to say to him, ‘Give your son over to be killed’?”

That is, just as my father would not have agreed to send me and endanger me, so too my son will not go with you.

Rabbi Shimon did not understand his concern, and thought that Rabbi Yosei was afraid for his son because of the fear of the government or because of the dangers of the road . Therefore,

Rabbi Shimon said to them: “If Yohai, Abba, were alive,”

would

you be able to say to him, ‘Give your son over to be killed’?”

That is, just as I am prepared to enter a place of danger in order to annul evil decrees against the Jews, so too Rabbi Eliezer should endanger himself, and Rabbi Yosei is not entitled to object to this.

Rabbi Yosei said to them: “I will go”,

I will go myself and will not send my son, because

perhaps Rabbi Shimon will punish him; that is

what I fear,

I fear that Rabbi Shimon may punish him because he is young and quick to answer [as indeed happened].

He accepted this upon himself,

Rabbi Shimon vowed to him

not to punish him,

that he would not punish him!

The Gemara continues its account:

Even so, he punished him!

When

Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai and Rabbi Eliezer ben Rabbi Yosei

were traveling on the road, they were asked this question: From where is it derived that the blood of a creeping creature is impure? He twisted his mouth,

he hurried to answer ,

Rabbi Eliezer bar Rabbi Yosei, and said:

The Torah says,

“And this shall be impure for you,”

as explained.

Rabbi Shimon took offense.

And Rabbi Shimon said to him: “From the twisting of your lips,

from the speed of your answer,

it is evident that you are a Torah scholar! Let the son not return to his father” !

And it is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud

that Rabbi Shimon’s displeasure caused harm, and Rabbi Eliezer bar Rabbi Yosei was stricken with askara [a type of throat disease]. When Rabbi Shimon remembered his condition [his promise] to return him to his father, he retracted, prayed for him, and he was healed .

A demon came out to meet them ,

one named

Ben Temalyon,

and he appeared like a small infant, and was accustomed to jesting among women and playing tricks on them.

He said

to them, Ben Temalyon said:

“Do you wish

that

I come with you,

and through me the miracle will occur?”

Rabbi Shimon was distressed that the miracle would occur through a demon.

Rabbi Shimon wept and said: “What,

if even

my father’s maidservant,

the maidservant of the household of Abraham our forefather,

had an angel appear to her three times” ,

during her distress, as it is stated [Genesis 16] three times, “And an angel of the Lord said to her,” teaching that for each statement a different angel was sent to her,

and I,

am not worthy of having an angel appear to me even

once,

and the miracle will be performed through a demon?” And he said again:

“Let the miracle come by any means,

the main thing is that the miracle should occur!”

He went ahead,

Ben Temalyon walked before them,

entered

and

entered the body of the emperor’s daughter,

the body of the daughter of the Roman emperor. She became insane and cried out, saying constantly, “Bring me Rabbi Shimon ben Rabbi Yohai” .

When they arrived there ,

when Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Eliezer reached the emperor’s palace,

they said to him,

to

Ben Temalyon, “Ben Temalyon, leave!” “Ben Temalyon, leave!”

They said this quietly and in a whisper, so that the members of the royal household would not notice and would think that Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Eliezer had accomplished this through their prayers.

And when they called him,

when they said this to him,

he came out and left,

he left the emperor’s daughter and went away. Before leaving, Ben Temalyon said to the members of the royal household: “Know that the emperor’s daughter will be healed; when I leave, I will break every glass vessel in the house.” And indeed, he did so upon leaving !

They said to them

the members of the royal household said to Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Eliezer: In reward for healing the emperor’s daughter,

if

they wished,

“ask for whatever you have to ask for,

whatever you desire,

and enter the king’s treasury,

and enter the king’s treasury,

and take whatever you wish” ,

whatever you want!

They entered,

they entered the king’s treasury,

they found that document,

the document containing the royal decree against the Jews: that they should not circumcise their sons, that they should not observe Shabbat, and that they should engage in intercourse with menstruant women.

They took it,

they took it

and tore it up.

The decree was annulled .

The Gemara concludes that from this story one can understand what Rabbi Eliezer ben Rabbi Yosei said in tractate Yoma [57a].

And this is what Rabbi Eliezer bar Rabbi Yosei said,

in his debate with the Sages concerning the place where the blood of Yom Kippur was sprinkled:

“I saw it,

the curtain,

in Rome,

which had been taken to Rome when the Temple and its vessels were plundered,

and there were several drops of blood on it!”

He saw it on this occasion, when he was permitted to enter the king’s treasury.

Mishna:

The Mishna continues with the law of combining prohibitions. [The Mishna and Gemara are explained according to the one attributed to Rashi and Rabbeinu Ovadia.]

Piggul and notar do not combine with one another ,

because they are two distinct designations 649 ,

of invalidity. This will be explained in the Gemara.

A creeping creature and an animal carcass, and likewise an animal carcass and the flesh of a corpse, do not combine with one another to impart ritual impurity, even according to the less stringent of them,

that is, an animal carcass is less stringent than a creeping creature, since it imparts impurity only in the measure of an olive-bulk, whereas a creeping creature imparts impurity even in the measure of a lentil. Less than a lentil-bulk of a creeping creature does not combine to complete the measure of an olive-bulk of an animal carcass. And all the more so, less than an olive-bulk of an animal carcass does not combine to complete the measure required for a creeping creature.

Likewise, an animal carcass is less stringent than the flesh of a corpse, since a corpse imparts impurity for seven days, whereas an animal carcass imparts impurity only until evening. Less than an olive-bulk of a corpse does not combine to complete the measure of an animal carcass. And all the more so, less than an olive-bulk of an animal carcass does not combine to complete the measure required for a corpse.

Gemara:

We learned in our Mishna: Pig gul and notar do not combine with one another.

The Gemara discusses with regard to which prohibition they do not combine.

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: They taught

in our Mishna that they do not combine

only with regard to impurity of the hands,

if one touched half an olive-bulk of piggul and half an olive-bulk of notar, they do not combine to render the hands impure,

We learned in tractate Pesachim [120b] that the Sages decreed impurity of the hands upon one who touches piggul or notar. In the case of piggul, this was due to “suspicion of the priesthood,” meaning priests suspected of intentionally invalidating the offering in order to cause the owners a loss, and then claiming that they had done so inadvertently. Therefore, they decreed that one who touches an egg-bulk or an olive-bulk of the flesh of piggul renders his hands impure and must immerse his hands before touching consecrated food. Once they decreed impurity, they would not intentionally invalidate offerings, because immersing one’s hands is burdensome . With regard to notar, they decreed this because of “the laziness of the priesthood,” meaning lazy priests, and likewise lazy Israelites, who are lax in eating consecrated food and leave it over. Once they decreed impurity of the hands, they would hurry to eat it.

The reason they do not combine is

because it is rabbinic,

that is, since even the full measure is subject only to a rabbinic decree, as explained, if we combine them it would be a decree upon a decree. The Sages did not issue a decree upon a decree ;

But with regard to eating, they do combine.

One who eats most of an olive-bulk of piggul, and notar completes it to an olive-bulk, is flogged on account of piggul. Likewise, if most of an olive-bulk is notar and piggul completes it, he is flogged on account of notar .

As it was taught,

as we learned in a beraita:

Rabbi Eliezer says:

The Torah said in the passage concerning the inauguration [Exodus 29, verse 34 ], “And if any of the flesh of the inauguration offering or of the bread remains until morning, you shall burn the remainder in fire;

it shall not be eaten, because it is sacred.”

The words “because it is sacred” are superfluous for purposes of exposition. And we derive:

“Everything within the sacred realm that is disqualified,

such as piggul, notar, and blood that was spilled,

the verse comes to impose a prohibition against eating it.”

That is, all consecrated offerings that became disqualified are forbidden to be eaten. Therefore, notar and piggul combine.

Mishna:

The Mishna discusses the combining of foods [edibles] with regard to impurity and other laws. It is explained according to the interpretation of Rabbeinu Ovadia of Bertinoro.

One who eats

[food]

that became impure through a primary source of impurity,

and became a first-degree derivative,

and the food

that became impure through a derivative of impurity,

and became a second-degree derivative,

combine with one another,

to complete the measure of an egg-bulk,

to impart impurity according to the less stringent

of the two.

The Mishna continues in tractate Toharot [chapter 1, Mishna 8]: “How so? Half an egg-bulk of first-degree food and half an egg-bulk of second-degree food that were mixed together—are considered second-degree.” That is, this combined measure of an egg-bulk has the status of second-degree impurity, and if it touches teruma, it disqualifies it, as does second-degree impurity, which disqualifies teruma. This is the meaning of “according to the less stringent of them”: it renders impure in the manner in which second-degree impurity renders impure. But they do not combine according to the more stringent of them, since this combined measure of an egg-bulk does not become first-degree impurity, and therefore it does not render non-sacred food impure through contact, making it second-degree. And similarly,

all foods combine with one another to invalidate the body [of the person who eats them]

all foods combine with one another to disqualify the body

a person who eats them]

half a pras.

by a measure of

half a pras.

A person who eats impure food in the measure of “half a pras” is disqualified from eating teruma and disqualifies teruma through contact, until he immerses himself.

And

similarly, all foods combine with one another to form a measure

of food

for two meals for an eruv.

One who wishes to walk more than two thousand cubits on Shabbat establishes an eruv teḥumin, that is, he places there enough food for two meals in the place where he wishes his eruv to acquire its status, and from that place he may walk an additional two thousand cubits.

And

similarly, all foods combine with one another to form a measure

of an egg-bulk for contracting food impurity.

Food does not render other things impure when it is less than an egg-bulk, as it is stated [Leviticus 11]: “From any food that may be eaten,” which indicates: food that can be eaten all at once. The Sages estimated that the throat—the passage through which food is swallowed—cannot hold more than the egg of a hen.

And

similarly, all foods combine with one another to form a measure

of a dried fig for carrying on Shabbat.

One who carries food on Shabbat from one domain to another is not liable for less than a measure of a dried fig.

And

similarly, all foods combine with one another to form a measure

of a kakotevet

a date]

on Yom Kippur.

The measure for all prohibitions involving eating, in order to become liable for violating them, is an olive-bulk. But with regard to becoming liable for karet and lashes when one eats on Yom Kippur intentionally, or for a sin-offering when one eats on Yom Kippur inadvertently, the measure is a kakotevet, which is slightly less than an egg-bulk, approximately two olive-bulks . This is because the Torah altered its wording and did not write “You shall not eat,” as it did with the other Torah prohibitions; rather, it wrote: “You shall afflict your souls.” This indicates that the Torah was concerned only with the cessation of the affliction. The Sages estimated that with a measure of a kakotevet, a person who eats it’s mind is appeased, whereas with less than this measure, his mind is not appeased.

The Mishna continues with the law of combining liquids.

All liquids combine to disqualify the body

of a person who drinks them],

by a measure of

on Yom Kippur.

a quarter-log.

As explained with regard to one who eats impure foods, so too one who drinks impure liquids in the measure of a quarter-log is disqualified from eating teruma and disqualifies teruma through contact, until he immerses himself.

And

similarly, all liquids combine with one another to form a measure

of a cheekful

on Yom Kippur.

One who drinks on Yom Kippur is not liable for less than the measure of “a cheekful.” This means that he places liquid in his mouth, moves it to one side, and it is visible. This measure is determined for each person according to the size of his cheekful, and for an average person it is less than a quarter-log.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: Food that became impure through contact with a primary source of impurity and food that became impure through contact with a derivative of impurity combine with one another to render impure according to the less stringent of the two.

The Gemara cites a baraita, in which the reason that they combine is explained.

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon says: What is the reason

that first-degree and second-degree derivatives combine with one another? It is

because it is possible for second-degree impurity to become first-degree impurity .

Before the Gemara explains this, it is puzzled by the wording of the baraita:

And we answer:

Does second-degree impurity render

one who touches it

first-degree impurity?!

That is impossible!

After all, it does not render it even second-degree impurity, but only third-degree impurity!?

And we answer:

Rava said: This is what it means: What caused second-degree impurity

to come to a state of impurity—was it

not the first-degree impurity?

Since its impurity comes through the power of first-degree impurity, the first-degree impurity is therefore no less potent than it, and combines with it. Second-degree impurity, however, does not have the “power” to combine with first-degree impurity.

Rav Ashi said,

in accordance with Rava’s explanation, but with a change in wording:

“First-degree and second-degree impurity, with regard to third-degree impurity, are members of one ‘chamber’;”

they are members of the same house. That is, second-degree impurity comes through the power of first-degree impurity, and therefore first-degree impurity combines with it.