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Talking Talmud

Zevahim 71: Destroying the Many because of the Few

11.24.2025 | ד׳ בכסלו תשפ״ו

Chapter 8! And a new mishnah. On mixtures, when something that is prohibited for benefit is mixed with “regular” items (or, in these cases, animals) of the same kind – such that that which is prohibited for benefit cannot be identified, then the whole lot would need to be put to death. Or, depending on the nature of the prohibition, perhaps all animals put out to pasture until they got a blemish, rather than put to death. Those animals were then sold, and the money was used to purchase new offerings. Also, the details that “any amount” of that which is prohibited for benefit is startling in the larger amount that might be destroyed for that small amount. Note the parallel mishnah in Tractate Temurah, and the fact that both mishnayot (here and there) are needed to teach these laws, or we might end up drawing the wrong conclusions.

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Anne and Yardaena

Anne Gordon is the deputy editor of Ops & Blogs at The Times of Israel. She is a veteran educator, having taught in high school and post-high school institutions in Israel and America for several decades. Yardaena Osband is a pediatrician and teaches in her community and online. They both hail from Boston, proud alumna of Maimonides School, where they first learned Gemara. Talking Talmud is their conversation (via podcast) on the daf yomi. They say: “Learning the daf? We have something for you to think about. Not learning the daf? We have something for you to think about! (Along with a taste of the daf…) Join the conversation with us!”

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