## Meilah Daf 17a

###### Meilah 17a:1
[Meilah 17a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:1)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: כִּי קָא מַקֵּישׁ רַחֲמָנָא – לְבַל תְּשַׁקְּצוּ, אֲבָל לְשִׁיעוּרִין – לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rava **said to** Rav Adda bar Ahava: **When the Merciful One juxtaposes** kosher and non-kosher animals to creeping animals, this is referring **to** the prohibition of: “You shall **not make** your souls **detestable”** (Leviticus 20:25), teaching that they are all included in that prohibition. **But with regard to measures** the Torah does **not** juxtapose those animals to creeping animals. For this reason there is no difference between the measure of impurity of carcasses of kosher animals and non-kosher animals.


###### Meilah 17a:2
[Meilah 17a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:2)

**מַתְנִי׳** דַּם הַשֶּׁרֶץ וְהַבָּשָׂר – מִצְטָרְפִין זֶה עִם זֶה. כְּלָל אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: כֹּל שֶׁטּוּמְאָתוֹ וְשִׁיעוּרוֹ שָׁוִין – מִצְטָרְפִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** **The blood of** one of **the** eight **creeping animals** listed in the Torah **and** their **flesh join together** to constitute the lentil-bulk measure to impart impurity. **Rabbi Yehoshua stated a principle:** With regard to **any** items **whose impurity,** in terms of degree and duration, **and measure** to impart impurity, **are equal,** e.g., two halves of an olive-bulk from two corpses or two animal carcasses or two halves of a lentil-bulk from two creeping animals, **they join together** to constitute the requisite measure.


###### Meilah 17a:3
[Meilah 17a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:3)

טוּמְאָתוֹ וְלֹא שִׁיעוּרוֹ, שִׁיעוּרוֹ וְלֹא טוּמְאָתוֹ, לֹא טוּמְאָתוֹ [וְלֹא] שִׁיעוּרוֹ – אֵין מִצְטָרְפִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rabbi Yehoshua continued: By contrast, with regard to items whose **impurity** is equal **but** their **measure** is **not** equal, e.g., a creeping animal and an animal carcass, each of which renders one impure until the evening, but the measure of a creeping animal is a lentil-bulk, whereas that of an animal carcass is an olive-bulk; or items whose **measure** is equal **but whose impurity** is **not** equal, e.g., a corpse and an animal carcass, with regard to which the measure of each is an olive-bulk, but the duration of the impurity imparted by a corpse is one week and the duration of the impurity imparted by an animal carcass is until the evening; or items that are equal **neither in** terms of **their impurity** nor in terms of **their measure, they do not join together** to constitute the requisite measure.


###### Meilah 17a:4
[Meilah 17a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:4)

**גְּמָ׳** אָמַר רַב חָנִין אָמַר רַב זְעֵירָא,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** The mishna teaches that the blood of one of the eight creeping animals listed in the Torah and the flesh of those animals join together to constitute the lentil-bulk measure required to impart impurity. **Rav Ḥanin says** that **Rav Zeira says:** The blood and flesh join together only if the blood is from the same animal as the flesh, but not if it is from a different animal.


###### Meilah 17a:5
[Meilah 17a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:5)

וְכֵן אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: ״הַטְּמֵאִין״ – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהֵן מִצְטָרְפִין, וַאֲפִילּוּ שֶׁרֶץ וָשֶׁרֶץ, שֶׁרֶץ וָדָם, בֵּין מִשֵּׁם אֶחָד, בֵּין מִשְּׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And similarly, Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina says,** in rejection of Rav Zeira’s statement: It is taught in a *baraita*: The verse states: “These are **the impure [*hateme’in*]** to you among all that creep; whoever touches them when they are dead, shall be impure until the evening” (Leviticus 11:31). This plural form of “*hateme’in*” **teaches that they join together** to impart ritual impurity. **And** this applies **even** to the flesh of **a creeping animal and** the flesh of another **creeping animal,** or the flesh of **a creeping animal and** the **blood** of another creeping animal, **whether** they are **from one category,** i.e., one type of creeping animal, **or from two categories** of creeping animal.


###### Meilah 17a:6
[Meilah 17a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:6)

אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: לָא קַשְׁיָא, כָּאן – בְּכוּלּוֹ. כָּאן – בְּמִקְצָתוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yosef says:** This is **not difficult. Here,** the *baraita* is referring to a case where the half-measure of flesh and the half-measure of blood both came **from an entire** animal, and therefore the two half-measures combine, due to the significance of an entire animal. **There,** in the statement of Rav Zeira, he is speaking of a case where the half-measure of flesh and the half-measure of blood each come **from part of** an animal.


###### Meilah 17a:7
[Meilah 17a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:7)

וּמְנָא תֵּימְרָא? מִדְּתַנְיָא: נִשְׁפַּךְ עַל הָרִצְפָּה וְהָיָה מְקוֹמָהּ קָטַפְרֵס, אִיהֵל עַל מִקְצָתוֹ – טָהוֹר, אִיהֵל עַל כּוּלּוֹ – טָמֵא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And from where do you say** that there is a distinction between a case where the flesh and blood come from an entire animal and a case where they come from part of an animal? **From that which is taught** in a *baraita*: In a case where one quarter-*log* of blood from a corpse was **spilled on the floor, and its place was a slope [*ketafres*],** so that the blood trickles down, and someone leaned over so that he **covered part of it,** he remains **ritually pure.** If he **covered all of it,** he is rendered **impure.**


###### Meilah 17a:8
[Meilah 17a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:8)

מַאי ״מִקְצָתוֹ״? אִילֵּימָא מִקְצָת דָּם, וְהָא אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר רַבִּי: רְבִיעִית דָּם שֶׁהֵגִיס בָּהּ – טְהוֹרָה!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara clarifies the *halakha*: **What** does the phrase: **Part of it,** mean in this context? **If we say** that it is referring to **part of** the one quarter-*log* of **blood,** whereas if it is a full quarter-*log* then he is impure, that is difficult: **But doesn’t Rabbi Ḥanina say** that **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **says:** If there was exactly **one quarter-***log* of **blood** in a pot **that one stirred** without touching the blood, he remains **pure,** despite the fact that his body must have overshadowed all the blood at the time, and would therefore have had the status of a tent over it. The reason is that some of the blood must have been absorbed into the spoon with which he stirred, and therefore there no longer remains an entire connected quarter-*log*. This shows that the entire quarter-*log* must be together, as one unit, in order to impart impurity.


###### Meilah 17a:9
[Meilah 17a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:9)

אֶלָּא לָאו שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ: כָּאן – בְּכוּלּוֹ, כָּאן – בְּמִקְצָתוֹ? שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, isn’t it** correct to **conclude from** this *baraita* that there is a distinction between a case where the blood came from an entire corpse, and where it came from part of a corpse? In other words, if the blood came from one body it need not be together as a single unit, whereas if it came from more than one body, it must all be joined together, as in the case mentioned by Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Similarly, with regard to the statements of Rav Zeira and the *baraita*, **here** the *baraita* is referring to a situation where the half-measure of flesh and the half-measure of blood came **from an entire** animal, and due to the significance of an entire animal the two half-measures combine. **There,** Rav Zeira is referring to a case where the half-measure of flesh and the half-measure of blood come **from part of** the animal. The Gemara notes that one should indeed **conclude from it** that this is the correct distinction.


###### Meilah 17a:10
[Meilah 17a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:10)

שָׁאַל רַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶּן חָרָשׁ אֶת רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי בָּעִיר רוֹמִי: מִנַּיִן לְדַם שְׁרָצִים שֶׁהוּא טָמֵא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דְּאָמַר קְרָא: ״וְזֶה לָכֶם הַטָּמֵא״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara relates that **Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash asked Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai in the city of Rome: From where** is it derived **with regard to** the **blood of creeping animals that it is impure?** Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai **said to him:** It is derived from the fact **that the verse states: “And these are they that are impure** for you among the creeping animals” (Leviticus 11:29). Since a similar phrase already appears in Leviticus 11:31, it is derived from here that the blood of creeping animals is impure.


###### Meilah 17a:11
[Meilah 17a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:11)

אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו: חֲכֵים לֵיהּ בֶּן יוֹחַאי. אָמַר לָהֶם: תַּלְמוּד עָרוּךְ בְּפִיו שֶׁל רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בַּר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי. שֶׁפַּעַם אַחַת גָּזְרָה הַמַּלְכוּת גְּזֵרָה שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמְרוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, וְשֶׁלֹּא יָמוּלוּ אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם, וְשֶׁיִּבְעֲלוּ אֶת נִדּוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash’s **students said to him** in amazement: How **wise is** Rabbi Shimon **ben Yoḥai!** Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash **said to them:** This source is not his own, as it is **a set tradition in the mouth of Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Yosei,** and Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai learned it from him. Rabbi Matya ben Ḥarash provided the background for this claim. **As, on one occasion the** gentile **monarchy issued a decree that** the Jewish people **may not observe Shabbat, and that they may not circumcise their sons, and that they must engage in intercourse with** their wives when they are **menstruating.**


###### Meilah 17a:12
[Meilah 17a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:12)

הָלַךְ רַבִּי רְאוּבֵן בֶּן אִיסְטְרוֹבָּלִי, וְסִיפֵּר קוֹמֵי, וְהָלַךְ וְיָשַׁב עִמָּהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם: מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אוֹיֵב, יַעֲנִי אוֹ יַעֲשִׁיר? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: יַעֲנִי. אָמַר לָהֶם: אִם כֵּן, לֹא יַעֲשׂוּ מְלָאכָה בַּשַּׁבָּת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲנוּ! אָמְרוּ: טָבֵית אָמַר, לִיבְטַל, וּבִטְּלוּהָ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli went and cut** his hair in **a *komei*** hairstyle,which was common only among the gentiles, **and he went and sat with** the gentiles when they were discussing these three decrees. **He said to them: One who has an enemy,** does he want his enemy **to become poor or to become rich? They said to him:** He wants his enemy **to become poor.** Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli **said to them: If so,** with regard to the Jewish people as well, isn’t it better that **they will not perform labor on Shabbat in order that they will become poor?** The gentiles **said:** That is **a good** claim that **he said; let us nullify** our decree. **And they** indeed **nullified it.**


###### Meilah 17a:13
[Meilah 17a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:13)

חָזַר וְאָמַר לָהֶם: מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אוֹיֵב, יַכְחִישׁ אוֹ יַבְרִיא? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: יַכְחִישׁ. אָמַר לָהֶם: אִם כֵּן, יָמוּלוּ בְּנֵיהֶם לִשְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים וְיַכְחִישׁוּ. אָמְרוּ: טָבֵית אָמַר, וּבִטְּלוּהָ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Again** Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli **spoke to them** and said: **One who has an enemy,** does he want his enemy **to become weak or to become healthy? They said to him:** He wants his enemy **to become weak.** Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli **said to them: If so,** with regard to the Jewish people as well, isn’t it better that **they circumcise their sons after eight days and** thereby cause them to **become weak?** The gentiles **said:** That is **a good** claim that **he said, and they nullified** their decree.


###### Meilah 17a:14
[Meilah 17a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:14)

חָזַר וְאָמַר לָהֶם: מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אוֹיֵב, יִרְבֶּה אוֹ יִתְמַעֵט? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: יִתְמַעֵט. אִם כֵּן, לֹא יִבְעֲלוּ נִדּוֹת. אָמְרוּ: טָבֵית אָמַר, וּבִטְּלוּהָ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Once **again** Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli **spoke to them** and said: **One who has an enemy,** does he want his enemy **to multiply or to decrease? They said to him:** He wants his enemy **to decrease.** Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli **said to them: If so,** with regard to the Jewish people as well, isn’t it better that they **do not engage in intercourse with** their wives when they are **menstruating?** The gentiles **said:** That is **a good** claim that **he said, and they nullified** their decree.


###### Meilah 17a:15
[Meilah 17a:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Meilah/r/17a:15)

הִכִּירוּ בּוֹ שֶׁהוּא יְהוּדִי, הֶחֱזִירוּם. אָמְרוּ: מִי יֵלֵךְ וִיבַטֵּל הַגְּזֵרוֹת?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
A short time later **they recognized that** Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli **was a Jew,** and they realized that he had fooled them to the advantage of the Jewish people. They therefore arose and **reinstated** all of their decrees. The Sages then **said: Who will go and nullify** these **decrees?**