Comentário sobre Meilá 2:11

חטאת העוף. הוכשרה ליפסל – that is to say, from when the bird is killed by pinching its neck with a finger nail, holiness is added to it, and it becomes disqualified if a טבול יום /a Kohen who has immersed himself that day, but is awaiting sunset, had come in contact with it or someone lacking atonement/מחוסר כפורים (i.e., like a woman after childbirth, a male or woman with a flux, a healed leper who have to bring a sacrifice to complete their purification). But especially if It was disqualified by a Tevul Yom. But it does not become unclean to make others unclean, for just as the Tevul Yom disqualifies the heave-offering/Terumah, so it also disqualifies that which is holy.

Introduction This entire chapter discusses various states of preparation of every type of sacrifice, and when the sacrifice becomes liable for various prohibitions. As we shall see, the pattern of this mishnah is repeated throughout this highly stylized chapter. There are some halakhot that I will explain here and then refer to throughout the mishnah, so save the commentary for future reference. The first topic is the bird hatat.

הוזה דמה חייבין עליה משום פגול – for it refers to the sprinkling of the sin offering of a bird in the place of sprinkling of an animal/cattle, for sprinkling [of the blood] establishes disqualification of an offering of inappropriate intention when he thought about it prior to this like the sprinkling of the blood of cattle and furthermore, there is the prohibition of remnant and impurity.

The law of sacrilege applies to the hatat of a bird from the moment of its dedication. As soon as a bird hatat is dedicated, it is subject to the laws of sacrilege, even when it is still alive. Since it is still not edible to the priests, the laws of sacrilege apply (see 1:1).

ואין בה מעילה – for since its blood had been sprinkled there is [in it] a moment of availability for the Kohanim.

With the pinching of its neck it becomes susceptible to be disqualified through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, or by remaining overnight. Once its neck is pinched, which is how bird sacrifices are slaughtered, it is now subject to disqualification by contact with a “tevul yom.” A “tevul yom” is a person who has immersed in the mikveh but is not fully pure until the sun sets that evening (see Leviticus 22:7). It can also be disqualified by contact with a person who has gone through his purification process but must still bring the requisite sacrifices the next day (see Keritot 2:1). If the blood remains overnight without being sprinkled on the altar, the sacrifice is disqualified.

Once its blood has been sprinkled it is subject to [the laws of] piggul, notar and defilement, but the law of sacrilege no longer applies to it. Once the blood has been sprinkled, its flesh is edible and is therefore liable to the laws of piggul, notar and defilement. Piggul is a disqualification that occurs if the priest sacrifices it with the intention of eating it after it can no longer be eaten. Notar is remnat, and defilement refers to the prohibition of eating a sacrifice that has been ritually defiled. Since the bird hatat can now be eaten by the priests, it is no longer subject to the laws of sacrilege.

מיצה דמה (the wringing/squeezing out of the blood) – the squeezing/wringing out of the burnt offering of the bird refers to the place of the sprinkling of the [blood] of the animal and the sprinkling of the sin-offering of the bird, for concerning the burnt-offering of the bird it is written (Leviticus 1:15 – also see Tractate Zevakhin 6:5): “and its blood shall be drained out [against the side of the altar].”

The law of sacrilege applies to the olah of a bird from the moment of its dedication.
With the pinching of its neck it becomes susceptible to be disqualified through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, or by remaining overnight.
Once its blood has been squeezed out [onto the walls of the altar] it is subject to [the laws of] piggul, notar and defilement;
And the law of sacrilege applies to it until [the ashes have been] removed [from the altar] to the place of the ashes.
Today’s mishnah deals with the bird olah, a whole burnt offering. Most of its laws are the same as those found in yesterday’s mishnah.
Sections one-three: These laws are the same as those found in yesterday’s mishnah. See there for an explanation.
Section four: Since an olah never becomes edible, the laws of sacrilege apply longer than they do to the hatat, which can be eaten by the priests. The flesh is still subject to sacrilege until it is burned and the ashes are removed from the altar and brought out to the “places of ashes” which was outside of the Temple/Tabernacle (see Leviticus 6:4). At this point its mitzvah has been completed and it is therefore no longer subject to the law of sacrilege.

עד שתצא לבית הדשן – for since all of it is burnt entirely, and there is no moment of availability [for use by the priests] at the end, one always commits religious sacrilege with it until it is burned entirely, and one takes from its ashes in the removal of the ashes from the altar, as it is written (Leviticus 6:3) “and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt- offering on the altar [and place them beside the altar].”

פרים הנשרפים – for the Kohanim do not have a moment of availability [for use] at all.

The law of sacrilege applies to the bullocks which are to be burned and the goats which are to be burned from the moment of their dedication.
Once slaughtered they become susceptible to be disqualified through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, or by remaining overnight.
Once their blood has been sprinkled they are subject to [the laws of] piggul, notar and defilement.
And the law of sacrilege applies to them even while they are at the place of the ashes so long as the flesh has not been charred.
This mishnah is very similar to the first two mishnayot of this chapter, except it deals with the bullocks and goats that are burned. There are three types of bullocks that are burned: 1) The bullock offered on Yom Kippur; 2) the bullock offered by a high priest for issuing a mistaken instruction; 3) the bullock offered by the court that makes a mistaken instruction. There are two types of goats that are burned: 1) The goat offered on Yom Kippur; 2) The goat offered by a court for making a mistaken instruction concerning a law related to idol worship.
Sections 1-3: See mishnayot one and two above for an explanation.
Section four: The law of sacrilege continues to apply to the burned bullocks and goats even after they are brought out to the place of burning. It applies until their flesh has been charred and its appearance has changed. This is when their burning is technically complete (see Zevahim 12:6) and at that point the law of sacrilege no longer applies.

הוזה דמן כו' – the sprinkling of their blood establishes them for inappropriate intention to be punishable by extirpation for a person who eats of them, if he had in mind an undue intention [in the performance of a sacrificial ceremony] at the time of the ritual slaughter to offer their portions of the sacrifices offered on the altar outside of their appropriate time, for since there is no moment of availability [for use] by the Kohanim, they commit religious sacrilege with them in the house of the ashes outside of the camp where they were burned if he benefited from them.

עד שיתך הבשר (until the flesh is charred in small lumps) – that is to say, that it will be burned and become charcoal/used for kindling. But after it is charred into small lumps, furthermore, there is no sacrilege, for there is nothing where its command is performed where one commits religious sacrilege.

ואין מועלין בעורה – because it belongs to the Kohanim, as it is written (Leviticus 7:8): “the priest [who offers a man’s burnt offering] shall keep the skin of the burnt offering that he offered.”

The law of sacrilege applies to an olah from the moment of its dedication.
When it is slaughtered it becomes susceptible to be disqualified through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, or by remaining overnight.
Once its blood has been sprinkled it is subject to [the laws of] piggul, notar and defilement;
And the law of sacrilege does not apply to its hide, but it does apply to it flesh until [the ashes have been] removed [from the altar] to the place of the ashes.
Today’s mishnah deals with the animal olah.
Sections one-three: See mishnah two.
Section four: Immediately after it is slaughtered, the hide belongs to the priest. Therefore, the law of sacrilege stops applying to the hide. However, the law of sacrilege continues to apply to its flesh, which is not eaten by the priest. It only stops when the flesh is removed from the altar and brought to the place of ashes.

אבל מועלין בבשר – all the time that is burnet on the altar, it is burnt entirely.

עד שתצא לבית הדשן – when they lift all the ashes from top of the altar and cast them in the ash heap. And furthermore, there is no sacrilege, for its command had already been done/fulfilled.

אין מועלין בבשר – for there is a period of availability for the Kohanim, for the meat of the sin-offering and guilt-offering and communal sacrifices of peace-offerings, are consumed by the Kohanim.

The law of sacrilege applies to the hatat, and asham and to shelamim sacrifices of the congregation from the moment of their dedication.
Once slaughtered they become susceptible to be disqualified through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, or by remaining overnight.
Once their blood has been sprinkled they are subject to [the laws of] piggul, notar and defilement.
The law of sacrilege then no longer applies to the flesh, but applies to the innards until the ashes are removed to the place of the ashes.
This mishnah refers to other most holy sacrifices, namely the hatat, the asham and the public shelamim sacrifices. These are the two lambs sacrificed on Shavuot. They are considered most holy sacrifices, although other shelamim sacrifices are sacrifices of a lesser degree of holiness.
Sections one-three: See the previous mishnayot.
Section four: Once the animal has been slaughtered, the flesh may be eaten by the priests, and therefore the law of sacrilege no longer applies. However it continues to apply to the innards until they are burned and then brought out to the place of ashes.

אבל מועלין באימורים – for there is no period of availability for the Kohanim.

שתי הלחם – that we bring on Shavuot/Atzeret.

Introduction On Shavuot two loaves of bread are brought with the sacrifices. Our mishnah is concerned with when the law of sacrilege applies to these loaves.

קרמו פני הלחם בתנור (when they have formed a crust in the oven) – which is the beginning of their establishment, but this formation of a light crust on the dough is considered rendering fit to be made invalid by a Tevul Yom/one who immersed himself that day [but had to wait until sunset to be pure] and those lacking atonement [through bringing a sacrifice], like the ritual slaughtering of something of the Holy of Holies. But here, we don’t have the reading, "ובלינה" /being left overnight (which is found in the earlier Mishnayot of this chapter), because the “two loaves” are baked from the eve of the Festival [of Shavuot] and their baking does not supersede the festival and are eaten on the morrow on the Festival. But they are rendered fit to slaughter upon them the sacrifice, for since they have formed a light crust on their face, they are called, “bread.”

The law of sacrilege applies to the two loaves of bread from the moment of their dedication. Same as mishnayot above.

ואין בהם מעילה – for there is no period of availability for the Kohanim, and their commandment has already been fulfilled.

Once they have formed a crust in the oven they become susceptible to be disqualified through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, and the [festival] offerings can then be slaughtered. Once they have formed a crust, they are considered food and they are liable to become disqualified in all of these ways (see above mishnayot). Note that “remaining overnight” is not found in this mishnah because the two loaves are cooked the night before the festival. They always remain overnight. Once they have formed a crust, they are considered bread and at this point the priests can slaughter the festival sacrifices (see Leviticus 23:20).

Once the blood of the lambs has been sprinkled they [the loaves] are subject to [the laws of] piggul, notar and defilement, and the law of sacrilege no longer applies to them. Once the blood of the lambs has been sprinkled, one who eats them can be liable if they have been disqualified. And since the priests can now eat the loaves, they are no longer subject to the laws of sacrilege.

לחם הפנים – here also we don’t have the reading "ובלינה"/being left overnight, because it is baked on Friday (i.e., the Eve of the Sabbath) and is not consumed until the following Sabbath.

Introduction Today’s mishnah deals with the showbread that is placed on the table in the Sanctuary every Shabbat.

קרבו הבזיכין (when dishes of incense have been offered) – that is, its preliminary acts, that on Shabbat at the time of the removal of the bread, they would offer dishes of incense of frankincense.

The law of sacrilege applies to the showbread from the moment of its dedication. See above mishnayot.

ואין בו מעילה – for it was permitted to the Kohanim and its command had been performed.

Once it has formed a crust in the oven it becomes susceptible to be disqualified through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, and it may be arranged upon the table [of the Sanctuary]. As with the two loaves in yesterday’s mishnah, the showbread can become disqualified once it has become crusted. It is also at this point that it can be taken out of the oven and arranged on the table.

Once the dishes of incense have been offered it is subject to [the laws of] piggul, notar and defilement, and the law of sacrilege no longer applies to it. Two dishes of incense were placed over the showbread. If the bread was “piggul” while he was burning the incense he had the intent of eating the bread on the next day he would be liable for eating it. Similarly, if he waited until it was remnant (notar) or ate it after it was defiled he would be liable. As is always the case, once the bread has become defiled, it is no longer subject to the law of sacrilege.

המנחות מועלין בהן משהוקדשו – through the sanctification of the mouth [enunciating it].

Our mishnah discusses how the law of sacrilege relates to menahot.
The law of sacrilege applies to menahot (grain from the moment of their dedication. See every other mishnah in this chapter.

ואין מועלין בשיריים – because there is a period of availability to the Kohanim.

Once they have become sacred by being put in the vessel [of service] they become susceptible for unfitness through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, or by remaining overnight. Once the minhah is placed in a vessel it can be disqualified. The rest of the categories are the same as those in every other mishnah in this chapter.

אבל מועלין בקומץ (with the handful of the meal offering the priest takes to be put on the altar) = until it is burned completely and it leaves to the ash heap according to the law of the parts of the sin-offering and guilt-offering burned on the altar. And after that, there is no sacrilege with it, for its commandment had been performed.

Once the handful has been offered they are subject to [the law of] piggul, notar and defilement, and the law of sacrilege no longer applies to the remnants, but it applies to the handful until its ashes have been removed to the place of the ashes. Once the handful has been removed and placed on the altar, the minhah can be eaten by the priests, and therefore the law of sacrilege no longer applies. However, one who eats it in a disqualified state is now liable for the three prohibitions mentioned in all of the mishnayot above.

ומנחת נסכים – the meal offering that comes with the sacrifice where there are no remnants, and all of these are burned entirely.

The law of sacrilege applies to the handful [of a minhah], the frankincense, the incense, the minhah of a priest, the minhah of the anointed high priest and the minhah that is accompanied by a libation, from the moment of their dedication. All of these menahot or other items (incense) are completely burned on the altar. No parts thereof are given to the priest. Therefore, the law of sacrilege will always apply to them.

משהוקדשו – mere sanctification by mouth.

Once they have become sacred by being put in the vessel, they become susceptible for unfitness through contact with a tevul yom or one who still requires atonement, or by remaining overnight, and they are subject to [the laws of] notar and defilement, but [the law of] piggul does not apply to them. Most of this section is the same as that in yesterday’s mishnah except that the laws of piggul do not apply to any of these items. The mishnah will now explain why the laws of piggul do not apply.

ופגול אין בהן – because they don’t have permitting factors

This is the general rule: whatever has something else which renders it permissible [for the altar or for the use of the priests] is not subject to [the laws of] piggul, nothar and defilement until that act has been performed. And whatever does not have something else which renders it permissible becomes subject [to the laws of] notar and defilement as soon as it has become sacred by being put in the vessel, but piggul does not apply to it. Any sacrificial item that has something else that allows it to be burned or eaten is subject to all of these laws, but only after that other thing has been done. For instance, the flesh of an animal is subject to these laws after the blood has been sprinkled on the altar (see mishnayot 1-5). The innards can be put on the altar once the blood has been sprinkled. The minhah can be eaten once the handful has been removed. The two loaves can be eaten once the blood of the lambs has been thrown on the altar, and the showbread can be eaten once the incense has been burned. All of these have other things that permit them. In contrast, the list in our mishnah “permits itself.” In other words, these things can be sacrificed immediately (none of them are eaten) without waiting for something else to be done. Therefore, they are subject immediately to the laws of notar and defilement. Piggul never applies to such items. For further discussion see Zevahim 4:3.

(i.e., in animal sacrifices the blood is the permitting factor while in meal offerings it is the handful of flour; an offering whose permitting factor was not offered is not rendered unfit by improper intention), as for example, peace-offerings and sin-offerings and guilt-offerings, that their blood permits the portions of offerings consumed on the altar and the meat/flesh to the Kohanim, or something that has a permitting factor to the altar alone, such as the burnt-offering of birds and oxen that are burned, that their blood is a permitting factor to the altar alone, as for example, the two loaves (brought as a communal sacrifice on Shavuot) that the blood of the lambs is the permitting factor, and the shewbread (see Leviticus 24:5-9) that are in the dishes are a permitting factor, as for example, the meal offerings that have a permitting factor through a handful of the meal offering which the priest takes to put on the altar. All of these, there is no liability because of inappropriate intention and left-over and impure until the permitting factors are offered, for this is written regarding inappropriate intention (Leviticus 7:18): “[If any of the flesh of his sacrifice of well-being is eaten on the third day,] it shall not be acceptable; [it shall not count for him who offered it. It is an offensive thing],” and we stated the same ceremonies which are needed for the atoning efficacy of the legally performed offering, are required for making it an unfit offering (the eating of which is punishable by extirpation). But the remnant and impure we derive from פיגול /offerings disqualified by inappropriate intention in Tractate Zevakhim in chapter two “All of the Sacrifices” /כל הזבחים (Talmud Zevakhim 28b and 45b).

כל דבר שאין לו מתירין – like those of the handful of the meal offering which the priest takes to put on the altar and the frankincense which are themselves permitting factors themselves but they do not permit any other thing.

חייב משום עליה משום נותר וטמא – because impure things we include them, from what is written (Leviticus 22:3): “if any man among your offspring, while in a state of impurity , partakes of any sacred donation that the Israelite people may consecrate to the LORD, that person shall be cut off [from before Me,” the Biblical verse speaks of all of the Holy Things to make one liable because it is impure, and that which is remnant is derived from the impure (see Talmud Zevakhim 45b).