Meilah 8a — 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 “one may not derive benefit from the meat” is precise: specifically, one may not derive benefit from it, but it is still forbidden to eat it.

We have completed the chapter “Consecrated Offerings of the Highest Sanctity.”

In the previous chapter, the law of consecrated offerings that became invalid, or died, or whose location was changed, was explained, and we learned that there is meila with regard to them. From this point onward, the Mishna explains, with regard to all consecrated offerings made in valid fashion, when there is meila with regard to them.

All those mentioned in this chapter are offerings of the highest sanctity, with regard to which there is meila from the time they were consecrated by the sanctification of the mouth, until the time when eating becomes permitted, at which point they leave the category of “offerings of the highest sanctity.”

When are these words said? With regard to offerings that have a permitted eating. But with regard to offerings that do not have a permitted eating, such as an animal burnt-offering, a bird burnt-offering, bulls that are burned, and their like, there is meila with regard to them until the completion of their mitzva, as will be explained.

Besides the prohibition of meila that applies to consecrated offerings from the time they were consecrated with “sanctification of the mouth,” an additional “sanctity of the body” applies to them from the time the service of the offering was performed upon them: through slaughtering in the case of an animal, or through pinching in the case of a bird, or through the formation of a crust on the inside in an oven, or through the sanctity of a vessel. Once they have been sanctified with the sanctity of the body, they have thereby become fit to become invalid through contact with one who immersed that day, one lacking atonement, and overnight lodging.

And after the sprinkling, the casting, and the pressing-out of the blood, or the burning of the bowls and the handful, it is possible that an obligation will be added with regard to piggul, notar, or impurity.

With regard to the bird sin-offering, there is meila with regard to it

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 was consecrated,

when he said, “This is a sin-offering.”

Once it has been pinched [the

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

become fit,

prepared

to become invalid through

contact with one who immersed that day,

and

he is one who is impure and immersed, but his sun has not yet set,

, and through

contact with one

lacking atonement,

who is impure, whose purification is completed through bringing purification-offerings, such as a man or woman with a flux, a person with scale-disease, or a woman after childbirth, who have not yet brought their offerings, and if they touched the bird sin-offering after the pinching, it became invalid.

And

it is likewise rendered invalid

through overnight lodging,

if the blood remained overnight until the sun set, it became invalid. And likewise, if—after the blood was cast on the day of its offering—its flesh remained overnight for a day and a night from the time of the pinching, it became invalid.

Its blood was cast [the

casting takes the place of the sprinkling]

and one is liable on its account

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.

for piggul, notar, and impurity, but there is no meila with regard to it, as explained in the previous chapter.

as explained in the previous chapter.

Gemara:

The Gemara discusses what the Mishna said, that the flesh of an offering becomes invalid through “one who immersed that day.” That is, if one who had already immersed from his impurity but whose sun had not yet set touched it.

The Gemara brings three opinions of tannaim, who disagreed as to what degree of impurity one who immersed that day has.

The degrees of impurity were divided into primary sources and derivatives. Likewise, they were divided into “impure” and “invalid.”

“Impure”

is called an impure thing that has the power to transmit the impurity onward, whereas

“invalid”

is called a thing that does not transmit the impurity onward, but is itself merely impure.

The primary source of primary sources of impurity,

is the 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 their like are considered primary sources of impurity. All these are “primary sources” of impurity, and “derivatives” branch out from them.

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

One who touches a primary source becomes first-degree with regard to impurity, and one who touches a first-degree object becomes second-degree. One who touches a second-degree object becomes third-degree. And one who touches a third-degree object becomes fourth-degree.

All degrees of impurity from first-degree with regard to impurity and below are called “derivatives of impurity” or “offspring of impurity.”

A second-degree object with regard to impurity that touched foods and liquids: if they were ordinary food, it does not render them impure to make them third-degree. But if they were teruma, the teruma becomes third-degree with regard to impurity. In any event, the teruma does not become “impure,” and therefore does not render one who touches it impure; rather, it is merely “invalid,” meaning that it is forbidden for priests to eat it.

A second-degree object that touched the flesh of consecrated property “renders the flesh of consecrated property impure,” making it third-degree with regard to impurity, and it renders the flesh of consecrated property that touches it invalid, making it fourth-degree with regard to consecrated property. But the fourth-degree with regard to consecrated property does not become “impure”; rather, it merely becomes “invalid.”

In our Mishna it is said that one who immersed that day “invalidates” consecrated property, and it is not said that he “renders consecrated property impure.” It is thereby proven that the tan­ nay of the Mishna holds that one who immersed that day does not “render” the flesh of consecrated property impure, to make it third-degree, and the flesh that was touched by one who immersed that day does not render the flesh of consecrated property that touches it impure.

And the novelty is this: Although one who immersed that day “invalidates” 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 holy things unless he washes his flesh in water. And the sun sets, and he becomes pure, and afterward he may eat of the holy things.” And the Sages explained that the verse is speaking of teruma, and teaches that one who immersed that day invalidates the teruma through his contact.

And seemingly, if one who immersed that day invalidates the teruma, then necessarily he is of the degree of second-degree with regard to impurity, and he should render consecrated property impure, making it third-degree with regard to impurity, which has the power to make a fourth-degree with regard to impurity. Nevertheless, if he touched consecrated property, he does not render it impure [like an ordinary second-degree object that touches consecrated property], but merely “invalidates” it. Therefore, the flesh of consecrated property that touches flesh of consecrated property touched by one who immersed that day will not become invalid like an ordinary fourth-degree object with regard to consecrated property.

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

It teaches

we learned in our Mishna: Once it was pinched, it

became 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 become invalid”

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

through one who immersed that day, one lacking atonement, and overnight lodging.

from the moment it was sanctified

And one should be precise:

“to become invalid”—yes,

the flesh of consecrated property touched by one who immersed that day will become invalid,

but to render impure—not,

the flesh that he touched will not render other flesh of consecrated property impure.

It is proven that

whose Mishna is this,

whose Mishna is it?

It is that of the Rabbis,

and not according to the other tannaim.