Mesorat%20hashas for Zevachim 209:16

(בתר דבעיא הדר פשטה)

Thus the carcass of a clean bird is excluded: since It will eventually defile with stringent uncleanness, it does not require a qualification.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The whole Scriptural passage reads: And if aught of their carcass (sc. of unclean 'swarming things' - sherazim) fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. But if water be put upon the seed, and aught of their carcass fall thereon, it is unclean unto you. Thus 'seed' is a foodstuff which requires a 'qualification' to become unclean, viz., water must first fall upon it, and it must be touched by a sherez (q.v. Glos.) . When it is unclean, it can in turn defile only eatables and liquids, but not human beings or utensils or garments; thus its defilement is said to be light, not stringent. The School of R. Ishmael deduces that only such require a 'qualification' before they defile; but those which will defile human beings etc. do not require any qualification. The carcass (nebelah, q.v. Glos.) of a clean bird (i.e., one permitted for food) defiles the garments of the person who eats it; therefore it does not require a 'qualification'. Now, the red heifer, the goat that is sent away, and the bullocks which are burnt, will eventually defile garments; hence they do not need any qualification. and so defile even while they are alive.');">¹⁵</span> But as for the Rabbis, if they accept the teaching of the school of R'Ishmael, even the goat that is sent away too [should defile]; while if they reject it, how do they know [that] the [red] heife and the bullocks [defile foodstuffs]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Seeing that Scripture speaks only of garments.');">¹⁶</span> When R'Dimi came,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 301. n. 7.');">¹⁷</span> he said: In the West [Palestine] they said: They need a qualification for defilement from a foreign source.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The School of R. Ishmael meant that whatever will not eventually defile with stringent defilement needs a qualification from a foreign source, i.e., it must first touch a sherez or nebelah, whereas that which will eventually defile in this manner e.g. the red heifer, need not first touch a sherez or nebelah, but defiles foodstuffs and liquids automatically. Nevertheless, it must be such as is capable of defiling in general, and we find no instance of a living creature defiling.');">¹⁸</span> R'Eleazar asked: Can the bullocks which are burnt and the goats which are burnt defile foodstuffs and liquids within [the Temple court] as without?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to the foregoing, they defile foodstuffs because they defile with stringent defilement (sc. garments) . But that is only');">¹⁹</span> When it lacks going out, is it as though it lacks an action,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is necessary before it can defile.');">²⁰</span> or not? After he asked, he answered it: That which lacks going out is as though it lacked an action.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence they do not defile foodstuffs within.');">²¹</span> R'Abba B'Samuel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sh. M. emends: R. Abba b. Memmel.');">²²</span> asked R'Hiyya B'Abba: According to R'Meir, can as much as an olive of the nebelah of a clean bird defile?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Foodstuffs and liquids. - There is no question on the view of the Rabbis, as they maintain that before anything can defile it must conform to the general laws which govern it, and as much as an olive of this nebelah can defile only when it is in a man's throat. R. Meir, however, holds that whatever can eventually defile with a stringent defilement need not be fit for defilement. Hence on his view the question arises,');">²³</span> When it is lying on the ground, there is no question.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It certainly does not defile, for it may never reach the stage of stringent defilement, as perhaps none will take it in his mouth.');">²⁴</span> When one has it in his mouth, there is no question.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It certainly does defile, for it has already reached that stage.');">²⁵</span> The question arises when one is holding it in his hand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And about to eat it.');">²⁶</span> [Do we say:] Since it was not yet taken [to his mouth], it is as though it lacked an action,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To render it capable of defilement.');">²⁷</span> or not? [After he asked, he solved it]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sh.M. deletes bracketed words. Rashi reads: said he to him.');">²⁸</span>

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