Friday, April 20, 2012

Meilah 4 – Wrong Intention And Misappropriation

The laws of misappropriation for strictly holy sacrifices (such as burned offering) and for lighter holy (such as peace offering) are in some ways completely opposite.

Strict offering, once consecrated, belongs completely to God, and one should not use it. If one does, he commits misappropriation. After it is slaughtered and its blood is thrown on the Altar, the Kohanim eat portions of it, and misappropriation does not apply. By contrast, lighter holy offering belong to God and man, and there is no problem of misappropriation for it. Once it is slaughtered and its blood is thrown, some of its parts go on the Altar, and there is misappropriation for them.

In short, throwing the blood of strict offerings removes the law of misappropriation, but throwing the blood of the offering of lighter holiness brings about the law of misappropriation. All this is true if service was done correctly. If the Kohen had wrong intentions, either to eat the meat later than allowed, or to eat it in the wrong place, throwing the blood does not have the usual effect – so said Rav Gidel in the name of Rav. The Talmud shows multiple disproofs, then multiple proofs for his statement, and does not find a decisive one.

Art: Matheus van Helmont - A Peasant Woman And A Young Man Eating And Drinking At A Table

No comments: