Mishnah Meilah 2:1-2

Sugya Map

Meilah vs. Karet: The Matir's Fulcrum

• Issue: Determining the precise halachic moment when liability for meilah (misuse of consecrated property) ceases, and karet-level prohibitions (e.g., piggul, notar, tumah) for consumption commence, across various korbanot.
• Nafka Mina: Distinguishes between monetary liability (meilah) and capital punishment (karet), impacting the handling and consumption of sacrificial items.
• Primary Sources: Mishnah Meilah 2:1-2.

Text Snapshot

The Mishnah juxtaposes the chatat ha'of (bird sin offering) and olat ha'of (bird burnt offering) with a critical distinction: "חטאת העוף... הוזה דמה, חייבין עליה משום פגול... ואין בה מעילה."^1 "עולת העוף... נמלקה... הוצה דמה, חייבין עליה משום פגול... ומועלין בה עד שתצא לבית הדשן."^2 Notice the parallel: both incur karet liability for piggul etc., post-blood-act. Yet, meilah ceases for the chatat ha'of but continues for the olat ha'of until its complete destruction.

Readings

Rambam: Matir and Permitted Use

Rambam explains that karet for piggul necessitates the "permitting factor" (המתיר) (blood sprinkling) to be performed with improper intent.^3 For the chatat ha'of, once sprinkled, "אין בחטאת העוף אימורים רק כולה לכהנים"^4 – it becomes entirely permissible to Kohanim. This transition to human consumption effectively ends its kedushat meilah.

Tosafot Yom Tov: Exclusive Altar-Dedication

Tosafot Yom Tov notes the Mishnah's ordering, highlighting Olat Ha'of's "שייכות דמעילה יותר"^5. Unlike an animal olah (whose hide goes to Kohanim), the Olat Ha'of is entirely burned on the altar. Its kedushat meilah therefore persists until its total consumption by fire, reflecting its exclusive dedication to Heaven.

Friction

The tension: meilah ceases for chatat ha'of but continues for olat ha'of post-blood-act. Both undergo a matir, yet their meilah statuses diverge. Why?

Terutz: Teleological Kedushah

The resolution lies in their ultimate purpose. The chatat ha'of, post-sprinkling, is designated for Kohanim consumption, shedding its meilah status as it becomes permissible. The olat ha'of, however, is entirely for the Altar, never for human consumption. Its kedushah (and thus meilah liability) persists until its total consumption by fire, signifying its complete, unmediated dedication to Heaven.^6

Intertext

This fundamental distinction—between offerings whose matir permits human consumption and those whose matir facilitates complete altar-consumption—resonates across Seder Kodashim. It is echoed in Zevachim (e.g., Zevachim 47a) regarding the conditions for piggul and notar liabilities based on the korban's intended beneficiaries.

Psak/Practice

This Mishnaic analysis highlights a critical meta-psak heuristic: the halachic trajectory of a consecrated item is fundamentally defined by its ultimate purpose. This teleological understanding dictates the cessation or continuation of its meilah status, even post- matir, underscoring the nuanced nature of kedushah.

Takeaway

The cessation of meilah is not merely triggered by a matir, but by the matir's effect in rendering the korban permissible for its intended consumption, be it human or exclusively Altar-bound.

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^1 Mishnah Meilah 2:1 ^2 Mishnah Meilah 2:2 ^3 Rambam on Mishnah Meilah 2:1:1 s.v. "מה שאמר הוזה דמה חייבין עליה משום פגול" ^4 Rambam on Mishnah Meilah 2:1:1 s.v. "אחר כך אמר ואין בה מעילה" ^5 Tosafot Yom Tov on Mishnah Meilah 2:1:1 s.v. "חטאת העוף" ^6 Synthesis of Mishnah Meilah 2:1-2 and Rishonim (Rambam on Mishnah Meilah 2:1:1; Tosafot Yom Tov on Mishnah Meilah 2:1:1).