Siman - Pesachim Daf 15
- Being metamei tahor terumah with one’s hands
In the Mishnah on 14a, Rebbe Meir said, מדבריהם למדנו ששורפין תרומה טהורה עם הטמאה בפסח – from their words we learn that we may burn tahor chametz of terumah with tamei chametz of terumah erev Pesach. The Gemara on 14b asks, מדבריהם דמאן – from whose words? After rejecting the first suggestion that Rebbe Meir was referring to the words of Rebbe Chanina, the Gemara brings Reish Lakish who said in the name of Bar Kappara that Rebbe Meir was referring to the words of Rebbe Yehoshua brought later in the Mishnah who says that one may burn safek tamei terumah chametz with tamei chametz.
Rebbe Meir derived his rule from a teaching of Rebbe Yehoshua in a Mishnah from Terumos in which Rebbe Yehoshua disagrees with Rebbe Eliezer in a case where a cask of terumah wine broke in the upper vat of a winepress and the lower reservoir contains chullin wine that is tamei. If one is not able to salvage a reviis of terumah in a state of taharah because he has no tahor vessel, Rebbe Eliezer says, תרד ותטמא – the terumah should be allowed to flow down and contaminate the chullin and one should not contaminate it with his own hand by taking a tamei vessel even though he would save the chullin. Rebbe Yehoshua said, אף יטמאנה ביד – he may even be metamei the terumah with his own hand by capturing the terumah in a tamei vessel. Thus, we see that where terumah is about to be rendered unusable, Rebbe Yehoshua allows even contaminating it with his own hand.
- Being metamei tahor terumah with one’s hands permitted because of monetary loss to chulin
In response to Rebbe Meir in the Mishnah, Rebbe Yose said, אינה היא המדה – it is not analogous, referring to Rebbe Yehoshua permitting one to capture tamei wine in a vessel from the broken cask even though he is metamei with his hands to the case of permitting one to burn safek tamei terumah chametz with tamei chametz. The Gemara asks, מדה ומדה היא – It is perfectly analogous. The Gemara answers, שאני התם דאיכה הפסד חולין – It is different because there is the consideration of the loss of chullin in the reservoir. Rebbe Yehoshua allows being metamei the terumah with his hands in order to preclude a monetary loss if the terumah was mixed with the chullin. In the case of burning safek tamei terumah chametz, he might forbid being metamei it with his own hands even where it is about to be destroyed.
- All agree that one can burn tahor terumah chametz with tamei chametz at seventh hour
Rebbe Assi said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan, מחלוקת בשש אבל בשבע דברי הכל שורפין – The machlokes between Rebbe Yose and Rebbe Meir pertains only during the sixth hour erev Pesach when chametz is assur mid’Rabbanon, that Rebbe Meir permits burning the tahor chametz of terumah with the tamei and Rebbe Yose forbids it. But during the seventh hour of the day and later, all agree that we may burn them together. Rashi explains that Rebbe Yose concedes that once chametz is forbidden mid’Oraysa, we may burn the tahor chametz of terumah with the tamei since it is tantamount to tamei terumah.
