Din & Daf: Conceptual Analysis of Halakha Through Case Study with Dr. Elana Stein Hain
On Menachot 101b, R. Shimon ben Yehuda discusses prohibitions related to consuming mixtures of milk and meat in terms of “kedusha/holiness.” In this shiur we will examine how certain prohibitions, especially those regarding not deriving benefit – known as איסורי הנאה, shed light on the concept of kedusha.
Menachot 101
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- מנחות קא:
דְּתַנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: בָּשָׂר בְּחָלָב אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּמוּתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַה׳ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ״, וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר ״וְאַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיוּן לִי וּבָשָׂר בַּשָּׂדֶה טְרֵפָה לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ״, מָה לְהַלָּן אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּמוּתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה, אַף כָּאן אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּמוּתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה.
As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda says in the name of Rabbi Shimon: With regard to meat cooked in milk, eating it is prohibited and deriving benefit from it is permitted, as it is stated: “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; you shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Deuteronomy 14:21). And elsewhere the verse states: “And you shall be holy men to Me; therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by animals [tereifa] in the field” (Exodus 22:30). Just as there, with regard to an animal torn by animals, which is forbidden as a tereifa, i.e., an animal possessing a wound that will cause it to die within twelve months, eating it is prohibited but deriving benefit from it is permitted, so too here, with regard to meat cooked in milk, where being a holy people is also mentioned, eating it is forbidden but deriving benefit from it is permitted.
- תוספתא ערלה א:ו
ר’ שמעון בן לעזר אומ’ בשר בחלב מותר בהנאה…
In the teachings of R. Simeon b. Eleazar, meat and milk are allowed for deriving benefit…
- משנה חולין ח:ד
בְּשַׂר בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה בַּחֲלֵב בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה, אָסוּר לְבַשֵּׁל וְאָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה…
It is prohibited to cook the meat of a kosher animal in the milk of any kosher animal, not merely the milk of its mother, and deriving benefit from that mixture is prohibited…
- מכילתא דר’ שמעון בר יוחאי כג:יז
…נאמר כן לא תבשל גדי ונאמר להלן (ל”ד כ״ו) לא תבשל לא תבשל אחד לאיסור אכילתו ואחד לאיסור הנאתו ואחד לאיסור בישולו:
It is stated here “Do not cook a kid,” and it is stated there “Do not cook,” “Do not cook” – one for the prohibition of eating, one for the prohibition of deriving benefit and one for the prohibition of cooking.
Derived from אכילה
- דברים יד:ג
לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל כׇּל־תּוֹעֵבָֽה׃
You shall not eat anything abhorrent.
- דברים יד:כא
לֹ֣א תֹאכְל֣וּ כׇל־נְ֠בֵלָ֠ה לַגֵּ֨ר אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׁעָרֶ֜יךָ תִּתְּנֶ֣נָּה וַאֲכָלָ֗הּ א֤וֹ מָכֹר֙ לְנׇכְרִ֔י כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַי-הֹוָ֖ה אֱ-לֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}
You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death; give it to the stranger in your community to eat, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people consecrated to the ETERNAL your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
- חולין קיד:
אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: מִנַּיִן לְבָשָׂר בְּחָלָב שֶׁאָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״לֹא תֹאכַל כׇּל תּוֹעֵבָה״ – כֹּל שֶׁתִּעַבְתִּי לָךְ הֲרֵי הוּא בְּבַל תֹּאכַל.
Rav Ashi says: From where is it derived that meat cooked in milk is prohibited for consumption, even though the verse explicitly prohibits only cooking? It is derived from a verse, as it is stated elsewhere: “You shall not eat any abominable thing” (Deuteronomy 14:3). This verse teaches
that with regard to any practice that I have made abominable, i.e., forbidden, to you, the product is prohibited for consumption.
וְאֵין לִי אֶלָּא בַּאֲכִילָה, בַּהֲנָאָה מִנַּיִן? כִּדְרַבִּי אֲבָהוּ, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״לֹא יֹאכַל״, ״לֹא תֹאכַל״, ״לֹא תֹּאכְלוּ״ – אֶחָד אִיסּוּר אֲכִילָה וְאֶחָד אִיסּוּר הֲנָאָה בַּמַּשְׁמָע, עַד שֶׁיִּפְרוֹט לְךָ הַכָּתוּב, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁפָּרַט לְךָ בִּנְבֵלָה לַגֵּר בִּנְתִינָה וְלַגּוֹי בִּמְכִירָה.
And I have derived only that meat cooked in milk is prohibited with regard to consumption; from where do I derive that it is also prohibited with regard to benefit? It is derived in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Abbahu, as Rabbi Abbahu says that Rabbi Elazar says: Wherever it is stated, “He shall not eat,” or “you,” in the singular, “shall not eat,” or “you,” in the plural, “shall not eat,” both a prohibition against eating and a prohibition against deriving benefit are indicated. This is so unless the verse specifies for you that one may derive benefit, in the manner that it specified for you with regard to an animal carcass, from which the verse explicitly permits one to derive benefit, as it states: “You may sell it to a foreigner” (Deuteronomy 14:21). Accordingly, one may provide such meat to a gentile resident alien in Eretz Yisrael by giving it to him as a gift, and to any other gentile by sale.
Derived from בישול
- חולין קטו.
אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מִנַּיִן לְבָשָׂר בְּחָלָב שֶׁאָסוּר? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״אַל תֹּאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נָא וּבָשֵׁל מְבֻשָּׁל״, שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״מְבֻשָּׁל״. מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״מְבֻשָּׁל״? לוֹמַר לְךָ יֵשׁ לְךָ בִּשּׁוּל אַחֵר שֶׁהוּא כָּזֶה, וְאֵי זֶה – זֶה בָּשָׂר בְּחָלָב.
Reish Lakish says: From where is it derived that meat cooked in milk is prohibited for consumption? The verse states with regard to the Paschal offering: “You shall not eat it partially roasted, nor boiled in any way” (Exodus 12:9). As there is no need for the verse to state: “Boiled in any way,” since it could simply have stated: “Boiled.” What is the meaning when the verse states: “Boiled in any way?” It is included to tell you that there is another manner of cooking, the product of which is prohibited like this one. And which cooking is this? This is meat cooked in milk.
Derived from עם קדוש
- דברים יד:כא
לֹ֣א תֹאכְל֣וּ כׇל־נְ֠בֵלָ֠ה לַגֵּ֨ר אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׁעָרֶ֜יךָ תִּתְּנֶ֣נָּה וַאֲכָלָ֗הּ א֤וֹ מָכֹר֙ לְנׇכְרִ֔י כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַי-הֹוָ֖ה אֱ-לֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}
You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death; give it to the stranger in your community to eat, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people consecrated to the ETERNAL your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
- שמות כב:ל
וְאַנְשֵׁי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּהְי֣וּן לִ֑י וּבָשָׂ֨ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה טְרֵפָה֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ לַכֶּ֖לֶב תַּשְׁלִכ֥וּן אֹתֽוֹ׃ {ס}
You shall be holy people to Me: you must not eat flesh torn by beasts in the field; you shall cast it to the dogs.
- דברים כג:יח
לֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ה קְדֵשָׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֣וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֥ה קָדֵ֖שׁ מִבְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
No Israelite woman shall be a consecrated worker, *consecrated worker Or “retainer”; meaning of Heb. qedeshah uncertain. In contrast to others “cult prostitute.” nor shall any Israelite man be a consecrated worker. *consecrated worker Meaning of Heb. qadesh uncertain. See previous note.
- חולין קטו:
וְרַבִּי, בַּהֲנָאָה מְנָא לֵיהּ? נָפְקָא לֵיהּ מֵהָכָא: נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ״כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַה׳״, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן ״וְלֹא יִהְיֶה קָדֵשׁ בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, מָה לְהַלָּן בַּהֲנָאָה, אַף כָּאן בַּהֲנָאָה.
The Gemara asks: And Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, from where does he derive that meat cooked in milk is prohibited for benefit? The Gemara responds: He derives it from here, as it is stated here: “For you are a sacred [kadosh] people unto the Lord your God. You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Deuteronomy 14:21). And it is stated below: “Neither shall there be a sodomite [kadesh] of the sons of Israel” (Deuteronomy 23:18). The similar expressions teach that just as below, the prohibition of sodomy is a prohibition that involves enjoyment, i.e., deriving benefit, not eating, so too here, meat cooked in milk is prohibited with regard to deriving benefit.
Derived from מכירה followed by בישול
דְּבֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר תָּנָא: ״לֹא תֹאכְלוּ כׇל נְבֵלָה [וְגוֹ׳]״, אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: כְּשֶׁתִּמְכְּרֶנָּה – לֹא תְּבַשְּׁלֶנָּה וְתִמְכְּרֶנָּה.
The school of Rabbi Eliezer taught: The verse states: “You shall not eat of any animal carcass; you may give it to the stranger who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a sacred people to the Lord your God; you shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Deuteronomy 14:21). The Torah stated the prohibition of meat cooked in milk after the halakha of an animal carcass to teach that when you sell a carcass to a gentile, you shall not cook it in milk and then sell it, i.e., meat cooked in milk is prohibited for benefit and may not be sold.
Derived from Repetition of בישול
דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל תָּנָא: ״לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ״ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים, אֶחָד לְאִיסּוּר אֲכִילָה, וְאֶחָד לְאִיסּוּר הֲנָאָה, וְאֶחָד לְאִיסּוּר בִּשּׁוּל.
The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: The Torah states three times: “You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19, 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21). One verse serves to teach the prohibition against eating meat cooked in milk, and one serves to teach the prohibition against deriving benefit from it, and one serves to teach the prohibition against cooking meat in milk.
Derived from Transgression
חולין קטז.
תַּנְיָא, אִיסִי בֶּן יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן לְבָשָׂר בְּחָלָב שֶׁאָסוּר? נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ״כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה״, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן ״וְאַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיוּן לִי וּבָשָׂר בַּשָּׂדֶה טְרֵפָה לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ״, מָה לְהַלָּן אָסוּר, אַף כָּאן אָסוּר.
It is taught in a baraita: Isi ben Yehuda says: From where is it derived that it is prohibited to eat meat cooked in milk? It is stated here: “For you are a sacred people unto the Lord your God. You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Deuteronomy 14:21). And it is stated below: “And you shall be sacred men unto Me; therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn of animals in the field [tereifa]; you shall cast it to the dogs” (Exodus 22:30). Just as below it is prohibited to eat a tereifa, so too here it is prohibited to eat meat cooked in milk.
וְאֵין לִי אֶלָּא בַּאֲכִילָה, בַּהֲנָאָה מִנַּיִן? אָמַרְתָּ קַל וְחוֹמֶר: וּמָה עׇרְלָה שֶׁלֹּא נֶעֶבְדָה בָּהּ עֲבֵירָה – אֲסוּרָה בַּהֲנָאָה, בָּשָׂר בְּחָלָב שֶׁנֶּעֶבְדָה בּוֹ עֲבֵירָה – אֵינוֹ דִּין שֶׁאָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה!
And from this I have derived only that it is prohibited for consumption. From where do I derive that it is prohibited for benefit as well? You can say it can be derived by an a fortiori inference: Just as with regard to the prohibition against eating the fruit of a tree during the first three years after its planting [orla], which is treated less stringently as no sin has been committed in the planting of the tree and its production of fruit, it is prohibited for benefit, is it not right that meat cooked in milk, with regard to which a sin has been committed, should be prohibited for benefit?
…
Minority Opinion – Its benefit is permitted
דְּתַנְיָא: רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: בָּשָׂר בְּחָלָב אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּמוּתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה״, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן: ״וְאַנְשֵׁי קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיוּן לִי״.
(The Gemara notes: The mishna, which states that meat cooked in milk is prohibited for benefit, is not in accordance with the opinion of this tanna) as it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda says in the name of Rabbi Shimon: It is prohibited to eat meat cooked in milk but it is permitted to derive benefit from it, as it is stated: “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; you shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Deuteronomy 14:21). And the verse states elsewhere: “And you shall be holy people to Me; therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by animals [tereifa] in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs” (Exodus 22:30).
מָה לְהַלָּן אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּמוּתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה, אַף כָּאן אָסוּר בַּאֲכִילָה וּמוּתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה.
The use of the word “holy” in both verses indicates that just as there, with regard to a tereifa, it is prohibited to eat it but one is permitted to derive benefit from it, as one may give it to the dogs, so too here, with regard to meat cooked in milk, it is prohibited to eat it but one is permitted to derive benefit from it.
Kedusha as Issur Hana’ah
- חולין קיד:-קטו.
אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה,
Rav Ashi stated above that the product of any practice described in the Torah as abominable is prohibited for consumption. The Gemara asks: If that is so,
מַעֲשֵׂה שַׁבָּת לִיתַּסְרוּ, דְּהָא ״תִּיעַבְתִּי לְךָ״ הוּא.
then let the product of an action that desecrates Shabbat, e.g., food cooked on Shabbat, be prohibited for consumption, as desecration of Shabbat is a practice of which God states: I have made it abominable to you, in that it is prohibited to cook on Shabbat. How can this food be prohibited only to the one who cooked it as a penalty by rabbinic law, but be permitted to others (see 15a)?
אָמַר קְרָא: ״כִּי קֹדֶשׁ הִיא לָכֶם״ – הִיא קֹדֶשׁ, וְאֵין מַעֲשֶׂיהָ קֹדֶשׁ.
A product of the desecration of Shabbat is an exception to the rule, as the verse states with regard to Shabbat: “For it is sacred to you” (Exodus 31:14). One may infer: It, Shabbat itself, is sacred, but the products of actions that desecrate it are not sacred, i.e., not prohibited.
- רש”י שם
ליתסרו – הזרעים והדישה דהא הרחקתיך מהם כל הנך דקאמר ליתסרו באכילה ובהנאה קאמר דליתסרו:
- פסחים כא:-כב.
אָמַר חִזְקִיָּה: מִנַּיִן לְחָמֵץ בַּפֶּסַח שֶׁאָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״לֹא יֵאָכֵל חָמֵץ״ — לֹא יְהֵא בּוֹ הֶיתֵּר אֲכִילָה: טַעְמָא דִּכְתַב רַחֲמָנָא ״לֹא יֵאָכֵל חָמֵץ״, הָא לָא כְּתַב ״לֹא יֵאָכֵל״, הֲוָה אָמֵינָא: אִיסּוּר אֲכִילָה — מַשְׁמַע, אִיסּוּר הֲנָאָה — לָא מַשְׁמַע.
Ḥizkiya said: From where is it derived in the mishna that it is prohibited to derive benefit from leavened bread on Passover? As it is stated: “Leavened bread shall not be eaten” (Exodus 13:3). Since the verse uses the passive, it should be understood as follows: There shall be no permitted consumption of it at all, even deriving benefit, as benefit could be exchanged for money, which could be used to buy food. The reason deriving benefit is prohibited is that the Merciful One writes in the Torah: “Leavened bread shall not be eaten.” Had the Torah not written: “Shall not be eaten,” and instead used the active form: You shall not eat, I would have said that the prohibition of eating is implied but that the prohibition of deriving benefit is not implied.
וּפְלִיגָא דְּרַבִּי אֲבָהוּ. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״לֹא יֵאָכֵל״, ״לֹא תֹאכַל״, ״לֹא תֹאכְלוּ״ — אֶחָד אִיסּוּר אֲכִילָה וְאֶחָד אִיסּוּר הֲנָאָה (מַשְׁמַע), עַד שֶׁיִּפְרֹט לְךָ הַכָּתוּב כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁפָּרַט לְךָ בִּנְבֵילָה.
The Gemara comments: And this conclusion disagrees with the opinion of Rabbi Abbahu, as Rabbi Abbahu said that wherever it is stated: “It shall not be eaten,” “You, singular, shall not eat,” or “You, plural, shall not eat,” both a prohibition of eating and a prohibition of deriving benefit are implied, unless the verse specifies that one may benefit, in the manner that it specified with regard to an unslaughtered animal carcass.
- פסחים כ״ד.
See Pesachim 23b-24a where issur hana’ah generally is derived from examples of items that must be burned in relationship to the mikdash (e.g., hullin slaughtered in the azarah, notar korban meat, etc.). But the Gemara is clear that issurei hana’ah need not be burned generally – only those in the mikdash.
אִי, מָה כָּאן בִּשְׂרֵיפָה — אַף כׇּל אִיסּוּרִין שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה בִּשְׂרֵיפָה! אָמַר קְרָא ״בַּקֹּדֶשׁ … בָּאֵשׁ תִּשָּׂרֵף״, בַּקֹּדֶשׁ — בִּשְׂרֵיפָה, וְאֵין כׇּל אִיסּוּרִין שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה בִּשְׂרֵיפָה.
The Gemara continues: Lest one say that the verse indicates that just as here, the sin-offering is disposed of with burning, so too, all the prohibited items in the Torah must be disposed of with burning, therefore the verse said: “In the sacred place…shall be burnt with fire” (Leviticus 6:23). This indicates that only that which is disqualified in the sacred place is disposed of with burning, but all other prohibited items in the Torah need not be disposed of with burning
Ownership over that which you may not benefit from
- ירושלמי סוכה ג:א
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵה. בַּלּוּלָב כָּתוּב וּלְקַחְתֶּם לָכֶם. מִשֶׁלָּכֶם. לֹא מִשֶּׁלְאִיסּוּרֵי הֲנָיָיה.
Rebbi Yose said, about a lulav it is written: You shall take for yourselves, from what is your own. Not from what is forbidden for usufruct.
- שולחן ערוך אורח חיים תרמט:ב
וכן שאול ביום ראשון משום דבעינן לכם: הגה והמודר הנאה מלולבו של חבירו או מלולבו של עצמו אינו יוצא בו ביום א’ דלא הוי שלכם (תשובת רשב”א סימן תשמ”ו ותשמ”ז):
The same applies to a borrowed [lulav] on the first day, when we need it to be “yours.” Rema: One who takes a vow not to benefit from his lulav or from another’s lulav cannot fulfill his obligation with it on the first day, because it is not “theirs” (responsa of Rashb”a 746 and 747).
- פסחים ו:
דִּילְמָא מַשְׁכַּחַתְּ לֵיהּ לְבָתַר אִיסּוּרָא, וְלָאו בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ קָיְימָא, וְלָא מָצֵי מְבַטֵּיל. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים אֵינָן בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, וַעֲשָׂאָן הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: בּוֹר בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, וְחָמֵץ מִשֵּׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה.
The Gemara rejects this suggestion. Perhaps he will find it only after it is already forbidden, and at that time it is no longer in his possession and he is therefore unable to nullify leaven when it is already Passover, as Rabbi Elazar said: Two items are not in a person’s possession in terms of legal ownership, and yet the Torah rendered him responsible for them as though they were in his property. And these are they: An open pit in the public domain, for which the one who excavated it is liable to pay any damages it causes even though it does not belong to him; and leaven in one’s house from the sixth hour on the fourteenth of Nisan and onward. As this leaven has no monetary value, since it is prohibited to eat or to derive benefit from it, it is not his property, and nevertheless he violates a prohibition if it remains in his domain.
- רש”י שם
דלאו ברשותיה הוא – אינו שלו:
It is not in their domain: i.e., it is not theirs
