Zevachim 72b — the Talmud in English

They are

to be burned,

as is the law concerning kil'ei ha-kerem, for which there is a mitzva to burn them, as it is stated concerning them: “A fire shall be kindled”.

And if

the bundles

of fenugreek that are forbidden for benefit

with

other bundles of fenugreek

that are permitted,

which are permitted for benefit—

all of them are to be burned

even if one bundle of forbidden fenugreek became mixed with many bundles of permitted fenugreek],

the words of Rabbi Meir.

And the Sages say: They shall rise

be annulled] the forbidden bundles that became mixed with the permitted ones, provided that the mixture is

in

a ratio of

one

forbidden item

and two hundred

permitted items. For we learned from the words of Scripture that the annulment of kil'ei ha-kerem is in a mixture of one forbidden item with two hundred permitted items.

And the tanna continues and explains the reason for the dispute between Rabbi Meir and the Rabbis: For Rabbi Meir used to say: That which

is customarily counted,

which, because of its importance, is sold by count and not by estimation,

is

rendering forbidden

forbidding] the mixture into which it became mixed [and below it will be explained what “rendering forbidden” means], and it is not annulled through the majority.

And the Sages say: It does not render forbidden,

but rather it is annulled; that is, no item that is customarily counted is important enough to prevent annulment through the majority,

except

only

six things

that are important [especially, in that they are large, their prices are high, and they are important within their species]

alone.

But

Rabbi Akiva says: seven

things. And as will be explained below, what the seventh important thing is according to Rabbi Akiva.

And these are

the six important things that are not annulled through the majority according to the Sages:

Perekh nuts [

a place-name],

and Badan pomegranates [

a place-name],

and sealed barrels, and ribs [

of]

beets, and cabbage stalks [

in the Land of Israel, where large cabbage stalks grow]

, and Ionian pumpkin.

Rabbi Akiva adds: Also loaves of a householder,

but not those of a baker.

And the tanna continues in that Mishna and explains what the “rendering forbidden” is that causes the important item to forbid the mixture when it becomes mixed:

If the important item was of the species of a tree,

fit to be

forbidden with the prohibition of

orlah,

the entire mixture becomes forbidden with the prohibition of

orlah.

And if the important item was of the species sown in a field together with the vine,

fit to be

forbidden with the prohibition of

kil'ei ha-kerem,

the entire mixture becomes forbidden on account of

kil'ei ha-kerem.

And it was stated concerning it,

concerning this Mishna, that Rabbi Yohanan and Reish Lakish disputed in explaining the position of Rabbi Meir, who said: “Anything that is customarily counted” is not annulled through the majority:

Rabbi Yohanan says: “That which is customarily counted” is what we learned

in the words of Rabbi Meir. That is, Rabbi Meir forbids the mixture only when it contained a forbidden item so important that everyone sells it by count. But if there were people willing to sell it by estimation, then even though there are people who sell it only by count, such an item is not important enough that the prohibition should not be annulled through the majority, according to Rabbi Meir.

But

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: “Anything that is customarily counted” is what we learned

in the words of Rabbi Meir. That is, even an item that some people sell by count and some sell by estimation is sufficiently important that it should not be annulled through the majority.

And now the Gemara concludes its objection: Why should the forbidden animals that became mixed with valid sacrifices not be annulled?

This works out according to Reish Lakish,

who said that “anything that is customarily counted” is not annulled through the majority according to Rabbi Meir; properly, animals are not annulled through the majority in our Mishna, because there are people who sell them specifically by count.

But according to Rabbi Yohanan,

who holds that only an item defined by the formulation “that which is customarily counted” is not annulled through the majority, but an item that there are people who sell by estimation and do not insist on counting is not sufficiently important, and it is annulled through the majority,

what is there to say?

Why is the forbidden animal not annulled through the majority of valid animals? After all, there are people who do not insist on selling their animals by count, but are willing to sell it by estimation, as a herd; and in such a case Rabbi Yohanan holds that they are annulled through the majority!?

And we answer:

Rav Pappa said: This tanna

of our Mishna, who holds that a forbidden animal is not annulled through the majority of valid animals,

is the tanna of “a litra of dried figs,”

as he explains and proceeds.