Tout [sanctifié] qui convient à l'autel, mais qui ne convient pas à l'entretien du Temple, ou à l'entretien mais pas à l'autel, ou ni à l'entretien ni à l'autel, est soumis aux lois de la meilah . Comment? S'il sanctifiait une fosse remplie d'eau, une fosse à fumier pleine de fumier, un pigeonnier rempli de colombes, un arbre plein de fruits, un champ plein d'herbe, eux et ce qu'ils contiennent sont soumis à la meilah . Mais s'il consacrait une fosse et qu'elle était plus tard remplie d'eau, une fosse à fumier qui fut plus tard remplie de fumier, un pigeonnier qui fut plus tard rempli de colombes, un arbre qui fut plus tard rempli de fruits, un champ qui fut plus tard rempli d'herbe , ils sont soumis à la meilah , mais pas à ce qu'ils contiennent , dit le rabbin Yehuda. Rabbi Shimon dit, celui qui a sanctifié son champ ou un arbre, eux et tout ce qui en pousse sont soumis à la meilah parce qu'ils sont les pousses de choses sanctifiées. La progéniture des ma'aser [animaux dîmes] ne devrait pas nourrir des animaux ma'aser [leurs mères], d'autres feraient donc don de leurs animaux à cette fin [d'allaiter]. La progéniture des animaux sanctifiés ne devrait pas nourrir d'autres animaux consacrés, et d'autres feraient donc don de leurs animaux à cette fin [d'allaiter]. Les ouvriers ne devraient pas manger les figues sèches qui ont été sanctifiées et de même une vache ne devrait pas manger du fourrage qui a été sanctifié.
Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
כל הראוי למזבח – it states that their body is appropriate.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Meilah
Whatever is fit for the altar and not for Temple repair, for Temple repair and not for the altar, neither for the altar nor for Temple repair is subject to the law of sacrilege. A person can be liable for sacrilege for things that are either fit for use on the altar, or fit for use for Temple repair, or not fit for either use. In all cases, it is possible that the law of sacrilege will apply, as the mishnah will now explain.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
בור מלא מים – their body is appropriate for the repair of the Temple house for building, but their body is not appropriate for the altar, for it is not appropriate for the libation of waters but rather potable, running spring water, for they would not make water libations in the Temple other than from the waters of the Shiloah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Meilah
How so? If one consecrated a cistern full of water, a dump full of manure, a dove-cote full of pigeons, a tree laden with fruit, a field covered with herbs, the law of sacrilege applies to them and to their contents. But if one consecrated a cistern and it was later filled with water, a dump and it was later filled with manure, a dove-cote and it was later filled with pigeons, a tree and it afterwards bore fruit or a field and it afterwards produced herbs, the law of sacrilege applies to the consecrated objects themselves but not to their contents, the words of Rabbi Judah. Water is fit for Temple repair but not for the altar. It can be used to make bricks, or for other uses. But this water cannot be put on the altar, because the one water libation done during the year, on Sukkot, was done with water from the Shiloah. The manure is fit for neither use. It would have to be sold and its profits used for Temple upkeep. The pigeons can be put on the altar. Some fruit, such as grapes and olives, can be put on the altar. Other fruit cannot be used on the altar, or for Temple upkeep. They would be sold and the profits used for Temple upkeep. Similarly, herbs cannot be used on the altar, or for Temple upkeep. In all of these cases, the law of sacrilege applies both to the container, and to that which was in it or on it. However, if one dedicates one of these things before it contains the water, manure, etc. only the container/tree/field is subject to the law of sacrilege. The general rule is that which is produced by something dedicated is not subject to the law of sacrilege. This is the opinion of Rabbi Judah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
אשפה מלאה זבל – its body is not appropriate either for the altar nor for repair of the Temple house but rather for its monetary value.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Meilah
Rabbi Shimon says: if one consecrated a field or a tree, the law of sacrilege applies to it and to its produce for it is the growth of consecrated property. Rabbi Shimon partially disagrees with Rabbi Judah. He holds that if something grows from a consecrated thing, such as fruit from a tree or herbs from a plant, that which grows is subject to the law of sacrilege.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
שובך מלא יונים – it is appropriate for the altar but not for the repair of the Temple house.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Meilah
The young of [cattle set aside as] tithe may not nurse from cattle set aside for tithe, but others consecrate for such use. The young of consecrated cattle may not nurse from consecrated cattle, but others consecrate for such use. Tithed animals are sacred as are their offspring. Therefore, even their own offspring cannot nurse from them. Other people dedicate milk so that the offspring of tithed or holy animals can have milk to nurse.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
אילן מלא פירות – it is appropriate for the altar for First Fruits but not for the repair of the Temple house.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Meilah
Workers may not eat dry figs dedicated to the Temple, nor may a cow eat of the vetch belonging to the Temple. Workers who are working on behalf of the Temple, or a cow performing some type of labor needed for the Temple, cannot directly eat produce dedicated to the Temple. Although the Temple must feed the workers or the cow, they still can’t eat holy property. They get their pay from the Temple treasurer. They can then use these funds to buy their own food.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
שדה מלאה עשבים – it is not appropriate either for the altar nor for the repair of the Temple house.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
ואין מועלין במה שבתוכן – they are not subject to the law of sacrilege in what they became more valuable after it was dedicated [to the Temple].
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
ולד מעושרת (offspring of the tithe of cattle) – if a female cow came out tenth that passes under the shepherd’s staff (see Leviticus 27:32 – “All tithes of the herd or the flock – of all that passes under the shepherd’s staff, every tenth one – shall be holy to the LORD”), and it had a male issue prior to that, it cannot suck any further from her, for her male issue is unconsecrated, and she (i.e., the mother) is tithe, and it is found that he would be benefitting from the milk of something dedicated, for the tithing of cattle is something holy.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
ואחרים מתנדבים כן – meaning to say, this one “that passed under the shepherd’s staff” undefined, It should not suck from it (i.e., the tithe of cattle), but others that had donated [their beasts] beforehand, are permitted to make a condition prior to tithing that if the tithe of their cattle should be a female beast, its milk would be unconsecrated in order that its young can suck from her with legal permission, and similarly also with the offspring of that which is dedicated, that they would not dedicate the milk of their mother. Such is what my Rabbis/Teachers have explained, but it is spoken with an expression of uncertainty. But Maimonides explained [that the expression] “and others donate,” that whomever whose heart causes him to donate who donate milk to cause to suck the offspring of a tithed and dedicated animal, because it is forbidden for offspring to suck from them, for the Rabbis declared that it should be considered like shearing and Divine service that is forbidden with Holy Things. Therefore, they don’t have a remedy other than that others will donate milk to cause them (i.e., the offspring) to suck, since they were forbidden from sucking from the milk of their mother. And this is correct.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
לא יאכלו מגרוגרות של הקדש – and even if they made a condition that they would perform the work of their meals, we don’t eat from the dried figs of that which is dedicated [to the Temple], but rather, the treasure gives them the cost of food from that which is dedicated and they purchase [food] from the market.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Meilah
וכן פרה – that threshes in the vetches of that which is dedicated [to the Temple], we muzzle its mouth so that it doesn’t eat from that which is dedicated, as it is written (Deuteronomy 25:4): “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing,” with threshing that is appropriate for it you don’t muzzle, but you do muzzle [an ox] with threshing of dedicated/sacred things that is not appropriate for it, for it is not permitted to eat that which is dedicated/consecrated [to the Temple].
