Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Meilah 19 – How Misappropriations Do Not Combine

If one benefited from an article belonging to the Temple in the amount of half a perutah (small coin), and also deteriorated it for half a perutah (for example, he wore a garment for a short time and also tore it while wearing), he has not committed misappropriations. Also, if he used one article but caused deterioration in another – he is still not liable, since both the amount of benefit and of deterioration must be at least a perutah.

Misappropriation cannot be committed twice. For example, if one used a Temple's ax, it became deconsecrated through his action. Now if he or someone else uses it again, they do not commit misappropriation. The exception to this rule are sacrificial animals and Temple vessels: since they cannot be redeemed, they cannot be deconsecrated either, and if people rode on a sacrificial animal one after another, they have all committed misappropriation.

Rabbi Yehudah the Prince states a rule: whatever cannot be redeemed is subject to misappropriation after misappropriation. But that is the same as the first teacher!? – Rabbi Yehudah refers to his own opinion that we saw a while back, that if one donates wooden blocks, they are viewed as a sacrifice, and other blocks of wood are needed to burn these ones. Accordingly, donated wood cannot be redeemed, and one who uses it commits misappropriation.

Art: Blaise Alexandre Desgoffe - Still Life with Gold Box

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