Pesachim 19a — the Talmud in English

And the third is invalid by Torah law, from

as it is written:

“And the flesh that touches ![](pamud.bmp "

exact page position")

any impure thing shall not be eaten”!

And since it is written “any impure thing,”

are we not also dealing

with sacred flesh

that touched a second-degree source of impurity and became third-degree? For even food that is second-degree is called “impure,” as it is written concerning a vessel that became impure through a creeping creature: “Everything that is inside it shall become impure”—and this refers to food that is second-degree. Here it is explicitly demonstrated that flesh which is third-degree with regard to sacred offerings is disqualified from eating.

And

a fourth-degree

with regard to sacred offerings is disqualified

by a kal va-chomer, as we said

above.

And from here it is necessary that Rabbi Yose does not hold like Rabbi Akiva.

And if it should enter your mind

that he

holds like Rabbi Akiva,

who says, “A second-degree makes a third-degree in non-sacred food,”

let us also teach that a fourth-degree

is disqualified

in teruma

by a kal va-chomer from one who has immersed that day. Just as one who has immersed that day, who is pure with regard to non-sacred food, nevertheless disqualifies teruma, so a third-degree, which is impure with regard to non-sacred food, is it not surely the case that it should disqualify the fourth-degree in teruma?!

And

likewise, let

a fifth-degree with regard to sacred offerings

also be disqualified by a kal va-chomer. Just as one lacking atonement, who is permitted with regard to teruma, disqualifies sacred offerings, so a fourth-degree, which is disqualified in teruma, is it not surely the case that it should disqualify a fifth-degree with regard to sacred offerings?!

And since Rabbi Yose disqualified only the third-degree in teruma and the fourth-degree with regard to sacred offerings, learn from this that he did not hold like Rabbi Akiva, who renders the third-degree impure even in non-sacred food.

And according to our conclusion, that for Rabbi Yose the impurity of liquids, to render others impure, is not by Torah law, there is no possibility of a fourth-degree with regard to sacred offerings by Torah law. For the vessel that touched a creeping creature became first-degree. The food that touched it became second-degree. The liquid that touched the food became third-degree. And thereafter it does not render anything impure by Torah law.

And this is likewise demonstrated by the fact that “a fourth-degree with regard to sacred offerings” is taught among the levels [stringencies] taught with regard to sacred offerings [Hagiga 2]. And we have the accepted principle there that all the levels are rabbinic. In particular, the last five levels mentioned there have not even a trace of impurity by Torah law. And the stringency of a fourth-degree with regard to sacred offerings is one of the last five levels.

And the third-degree with regard to sacred offerings, concerning which Rabbi Yose says that it is by Torah law, can be found only with food that touched food that touched a vessel that became impure through a creeping creature. And necessarily he holds that impurity makes its equivalent, and that food renders food impure among sacred offerings.

And as for the fact that food renders liquid impure by Torah law—this requires examination: from where do we know it? For Rabbi Yose does not expound “shall become impure, shall become impure” like Rabbi Akiva.

And Rav Ashi concluded his question: However, from here we learn

only

that Rabbi Yose does not hold like Rabbi Akiva. But to say that

Rabbi Akiva did not hold according to

this kal va-chomer of

Rabbi Yose—from where do we know it?

Perhaps he accepts this kal va-chomer. And in every event he disqualifies even the fourth-degree in teruma and the fifth-degree with regard to sacred offerings.

He said to him:

Rav Kahana: Necessarily Rabbi Akiva does not hold this way. For if not, it is impossible that

not

some

[be mentioned]

tan­ n ai

and

teach

the impurity of

a fourth-degree in teruma, and

the impurity of

a fifth-degree with regard to sacred offerings, and say

that it is according to the method of

Rabbi Akiva.

For if Rabbi Akiva accepts this kal va-chomer, they too are automatically disqualified. And since we do not find this mentioned in the words of the tannaim, necessarily Rabbi Akiva does not accept Rabbi Yose’s kal va-chomer.

And the reason Rabbi Akiva does not accept this kal va-chomer is that he has a refutation: what is true of one who has immersed that day, who is a primary source of impurity? Can you say this of a second-degree, which is only a descendant of impurity?

And Rabbi Akiva holds that a second-degree makes a third-degree, both in non-sacred food and in teruma. And with regard to sacred offerings, even a third-degree makes a fourth-degree. And it is an explicit verse by Torah law, for it is written, “And the flesh that touches any impure thing shall not be eaten.” And “any impure thing” includes even a third-degree, for according to Rabbi Akiva even in non-sacred food it is called “impure.”

And we object:

But we—

and is it

because of this,

that no tannai mentioned so?

Shall we arise and rely on it?

And because of this shall it be said that Rabbi Akiva does not accept this kal va-chomer?

Rav Ashi went out, and some say

Rav Kahana went out,

and examined and found [he examined and found] an explicit Mishna from which it is demonstrated that the fourth-degree is not disqualified in teruma and the fifth-degree is not disqualified with regard to sacred offerings, even according to Rabbi Akiva. And from this it is necessary to conclude in accordance with Rava, that Rabbi Akiva does not accept this kal va-chomer.

an explicit Mishna from which it follows that fourth-degree teruma is not disqualified and fifth-degree sacred meat is not disqualified, even according to Rabbi Akiva. This proves Rav’s conclusion that Rabbi Akiva does not accept this a-fortiori inference.

And

as we learned: The vessel joins

everything

that is inside it with regard to sacred offerings!

For if the vessel were long, and sacred food were located at one end, and other sacred food at its other end, and an impure person touched one of the foods, the other food would also become impure with it. And even though the second food does not touch the first, the vessel joins them, and they are considered as one body, so that if part of it becomes impure, all of it becomes impure.

But

the vessel

does not

join the foods

with regard to teruma!

For if the teruma at one side of the vessel became impure, the teruma at the other side did not become impure along with it. For this stringency applies specifically to sacred offerings, and not to teruma.

And this is speaking when the impure person did not touch the vessel and did not render it impure. Rather, he touched only the food. And food does not render a vessel impure, even rabbinically.

And there is another stringency with regard to sacred offerings over teruma:

the fourth

degree of impurity

with regard to sacred offerings is disqualified.

But not in teruma.

And

only

the third with regard to

degree of impurity is disqualified

in teruma.

And Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: This Mishna was taught from Rabbi Akiva’s testimony!

For we have already found that Rabbi Akiva innovated the law of a vessel joining with regard to sacred offerings.

As we learned: Rabbi Akiva added testimony

regarding

the fine flour

of the meal-offerings,

and

regarding

the incense, and

regarding

the frankincense

of the meal-offerings and of the golden table,

and

regarding

the coals

of the altar:

that if

they are placed in a vessel, and

one who has immersed that day touched [which disqualifies sacred offerings]

который делает святыни непригодными]

part of them, he disqualified all of them!

Evidently, the vessel joins everything inside it into one body. For if you say that each coal renders its fellow impure, there would be a sixth and a seventh degree of impurity, and this is impossible. Rather, necessarily, through the law of joining, everything in the vessel became impure as one.

And since we find that Rabbi Akiva said so, it is demonstrated that the first Mishna too is from Rabbi Akiva’s testimony. And it teaches there, “And the fourth-degree with regard to sacred offerings is disqualified, and the third-degree in teruma.” Evidently,

a fourth

degree with regard to sacred offerings—

yes,

but

a fifth, no. A third

degree in teruma—

yes,

but

a fourth, no.

Learn from this that Rabbi Akiva did not render a third-degree in teruma impure by a kal va-chomer from one who has immersed that day. And likewise he did not render a fourth-degree with regard to sacred offerings impure by a kal va-chomer from one lacking atonement. And Rava said properly that Rabbi Akiva does not accept Rabbi Yose’s kal va-chomer.

[And since Rabbi Yohanan’s words were mentioned, we explain his words. And it is an independent matter.]

Since Rabbi Yohanan said, “This Mishna was taught from Rabbi Akiva’s testimony,”

evidently he holds

that the stringency of

the joining

of a vessel, which is taught regarding sacred offerings, is

rabbinic

only. For Rabbi Akiva testified so even regarding frankincense and coals. And they are not subject to receiving impurity by Torah law, for the law of food does not apply to them. And the Sages decreed impurity upon them because the regard for sacred offerings renders them fit and gives them the status of food.

And Rabbi Yohanan disagrees

with what

Rabbi

said,

for Rabbi Hanin said:

Rabbi Hanin said:

The joining

of a vessel with regard to sacred offerings is

by Torah law.

As it is stated:

“One spoon, ten [shekels] of gold, full of incense.”

And we expound:

the verse made

everything that was in the spoon

into

one piece!

And once part of it became impure, all of it became impure.

We learned there:

Rabbi Hanina, deputy of the priests, testified regarding

a needle that

has a concern of impurity and

was found in the flesh

of sacred offerings,

that the knife and the hands

that touched it are

pure. And the flesh

in which the needle was found is

impure.

And if the needle

was found

in

excrement [feces] that is in the animal’s stomach,

inside the animal’s stomach,

everything is pure!

Because the needle did not touch the flesh.

Rabbi Akiva said: We have gained that there is no impurity of hands in the Temple!

For we have the accepted principle that the Sages decreed impurity upon ordinary hands that have not been immersed. And they gave them the status of second-degrees of impurity. And they disqualify sacred offerings, and likewise teruma [though for teruma washing suffices, and immersion is not required].