Meilah 8a (ח.) — the Talmud in English

But with regard to eating, it does not render it permitted ,

and the sprinkling did not make it permitted to be eaten .

It follows that the wording “there is no me'ila for the meat” is precise: specifically, there is no me'ila, but it is nevertheless still forbidden to be eaten.

We have completed the chapter “Most Holy Offerings.”

The previous chapter explained the law of offerings that became invalid, died, or underwent a change in their designated location, and we learned that one is liable for me'ila with regard to them. From this point onward, the Mishna explains, with regard to all offerings that are performed properly, when one is liable for me'ila with regard to them.

All the offerings mentioned in this chapter are kodshei kodashim, with regard to which one is liable for me'ila from the moment they were sanctified through verbal designation, until the time when eating them becomes permitted; at that point they leave the category of “kodshei Ha

When does this apply? To offerings whose eating is permitted. But with regard to offerings whose eating is not permitted—such as a cattle burnt-offering, a bird burnt-offering, and bulls that are burned, and similar offerings—misuse applies to them until the completion of their mitzva, as will be explained.

In addition to the prohibition of misuse that applies to consecrated items from the time they are consecrated through “the sanctity of speech,” they acquire “sanctity of the offering” from the time the sacrificial service is performed with them: through slaughtering in the case of an animal, through pinching the nape in the case of a bird, through the formation of a crust on the surface in an oven, or through sanctification in a sacred vessel. Once they acquire the sanctity of the offering, they become susceptible to disqualification through contact with one who has immersed that day, one who lacks atonement, or overnight exposure.

After the blood has been sprinkled, cast, and squeezed out, or after the frankincense bowls and the handful have been burned on the altar, an additional liability may apply to them on account of piggul, notar, or ritual impurity.

With regard to a bird sin-offering, misuse applies

This applies to offerings with regard to which there is a permitted manner of eating. But with regard to offerings that have no permitted manner of eating, such as an animal ola, a bird ola, bulls that are burned, and the like, one is liable for me'ila until the completion of their mitzva, as will be explained.

from the time it is consecrated,

when one says, “This is a sin-offering.”

Once its nape has been pinched [pinching the nape in a bird takes the place of slaughtering in an animal],

pinching in the case of a bird takes the place of slaughtering in the case of an animal], it has

it becomes fit

to become prepared

to be disqualified by

contact with

one who has immersed that day,

that is, one who was impure and immersed but has not yet waited for sunset

, and by

contact with

one who lacks atonement,

that is, an impure person whose purification is completed by bringing purification-offerings, such as a man or woman with a flux, a leper, or a woman after childbirth, who have not yet brought their offerings. If they touch the bird sin-offering after its nape has been pinched, it becomes disqualified.

And

it likewise becomes disqualified

through overnight exposure,

if the blood remained until sunset, it became disqualified. Likewise, if—after its blood was sprinkled on the day it was offered — its flesh remained overnight, for a day and a night from the time its nape was pinched, it became disqualified.

Once its blood has been sprinkled

[the sprinkling takes the place of throwing the blood]

one is liable for it

In addition to the prohibition of me'ila that applies to offerings from the moment they were sanctified through verbal designation, they acquire “sanctity of the body” from the moment the sacrificial service is performed with them: through slaughtering in the case of an animal, melika in the case of a bird, forming a crust on the surface in an oven, or through sanctification in a vessel. Once they acquire sanctity of the body, they become susceptible to being rendered invalid through contact with a tevul yom, one who lacks atonement, or through linah.

on account of piggul, notar, and ritual impurity, but misuse does not apply to it ,

as explained in the previous chapter.

Gemara:

The Gemara discusses the Mishna’s statement that the flesh of an offering becomes disqualified through contact with “one who has immersed that day”—that is, if it was touched by one who has already immersed to purify himself from impurity but has not yet waited for sunset.

The Gemara presents three opinions of tannaim, Sages of the Mishnaic period, who disagreed about the level of impurity of one who has immersed that day.

The levels of impurity were divided into primary sources and derivative sources. They were also divided into “impure” and “disqualified.”

Impure

means an impure entity capable of transmitting impurity further, whereas

disqualified

means an entity that does not transmit impurity further, but is itself merely disqualified.

The primary source of all primary sources of impurity

is a corpse.

A primary source of impurity

is a person or vessel that touched a corpse. Likewise, a creeping creature, an animal carcass, a man or woman with a flux, and similar entities are considered primary sources of impurity. All these are primary sources of impurity, and derivative sources branch out from them.

A primary source of impurity renders people and vessels, food and liquids impure, whereas a derivative of impurity renders only food and liquids impure, but not people or vessels.

One who touches a primary source becomes a first-degree impure person or object; one who touches a first degree becomes second degree; one who touches a second degree becomes third degree; and one who touches a third degree becomes fourth degree.

All levels of impurity from the first degree downward are called “derivatives of impurity” or “offspring of impurity.”

A second-degree impure item that touches food or liquids does not render them third degree if they are non-sacred produce. But if they are teruma, the teruma becomes third degree impure. Nevertheless, the teruma does not become “impure,” and therefore does not render one who touches it impure; it is merely “disqualified,” meaning that priests are forbidden to eat it.

A second-degree impure item that touches the flesh of a consecrated offering renders the flesh of the offering impure and makes it third degree. That flesh then disqualifies consecrated flesh that touches it, making it fourth degree with regard to consecrated items. However, a fourth degree with regard to consecrated items does not become “impure”; it is merely “disqualified.”

Our Mishna says that one who has immersed that day “disqualifies” consecrated items; it does not say that he “renders consecrated items impure.” It follows that the tanna of the Mishna holds that one who has immersed that day does not render the flesh of a consecrated offering impure and make it third degree, and that flesh which was touched by one who immersed that day does not render other consecrated flesh that touches it impure.

The novel point is that although one who has immersed that day disqualifies teruma by Torah law, as it is stated [Leviticus 22:6–7]: “A person who touches it [one of the impure persons mentioned there] shall be impure until evening, and he shall not eat of the sacred offerings unless he washes his flesh in water. When the sun sets, he shall be pure, and afterward he may eat of the sacred offerings.” The Sages explained that the verse is speaking of teruma and teaches that one who has immersed that day disqualifies teruma through contact.

Apparently, if one who has immersed that day disqualifies teruma, he must necessarily have the status of second-degree impurity, and he should render consecrated flesh impure and make it third degree, which would in turn be capable of making another item fourth degree. Nevertheless, if he touched consecrated flesh, he does not render it impure [as does any second-degree impure item that touches consecrated flesh]; he merely “disqualifies” it. Therefore, consecrated flesh that touches flesh touched by one who immersed that day should not become disqualified as does an ordinary fourth degree in consecrated items.

It follows that according to this opinion, one who has immersed that day is second degree with regard to teruma and third degree with regard to consecrated items.

It teaches

that we stated in our Mishna: Once its nape has been pinched, it

becomes fit “

After the sprinkling, casting, and pressing out of the blood, or the burning of the bazikhim and the handful, an additional liability may apply to them on account of pigul, notar, or tamei.

to be disqualified”

With regard to the bird hatat, one is liable for me'ila

through one who has immersed that day, one who lacks atonement, and overnight exposure.

from the moment it was sanctified

The wording must be analyzed:

“To be disqualified”—yes;

the consecrated flesh touched by one who immersed that day becomes disqualified.

“But to render impure”—no;

the flesh touched by him does not render other consecrated flesh impure.

This proves that

whose Mishna is this,

that is, whose opinion does it reflect?

It is the opinion of the Rabbis, and not that of the other tannaim.

and not according to the other tannaim.