Avodah Zarah, Daf Samekh Zayin, Part 6

 

Introduction

Today s section explains R. Shimon s opinion if the prohibited substance imparts a detrimental flavor, the mixture is permitted.

 

ור"ש מאי טעמא דתניא (דברים יד, כא) לא תאכלו כל נבלה לגר אשר בשעריך כל הראויה לגר קרויה נבילה שאין ראויה לגר אינה קרויה נבלה

 

And what is R. Shimon s reason? Because it has been taught: You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself [nevelah]; you may give it to the stranger that is within your gates (Deuteronomy 14:21). Whatever is fit for use by a stranger is called nevelah. And whatever is unfit for use by a stranger is not called nevelah.

 

For an animal to be called a nevelah and to be prohibited it must be something that people would eat. It must be something that if a Jew gave to a stranger, he would eat. If people would not eat it then it is not prohibited it is no longer called nevelah. So too anything with a bad taste if people would not eat it, then it is not prohibited for a Jew to eat it.

 

ור"מ ההוא למעוטי סרוחה מעיקרא

 

And R. Meir [how does he explain the verse]? Its purpose is to exclude what was rancid from the outset.

 

R. Meir says that this verse teaches that if the animal was never fit for consumption then it is not forbidden to eat it. By extension, it would not be prohibited to eat a food that was never something people would want to eat. But if a food is edible (and prohibited) and then becomes inedible (receives a bad flavor) it remains prohibited.

 

ור"ש סרוחה מעיקרא לא צריכא מיעוטא עפרא בעלמא הוא

 

And R. Shimon (what would he say)? An animal rancid from the outset does not need to be specially excluded because it is nothing more than dust.

 

R. Shimon would respond that the Torah does not need to permit an animal that never was fit for consumption. That is like telling people they can eat dirt. What the Torah does not need to teach is that if the animal was fit for consumption and then becomes prohibited it is only prohibited to the Jew as long as it is fit for consumption. If a substance imparts a bad taste to it, it becomes permitted.