Meilah 4:6 - 5:1

הערלה וכלאי הכרם מצטרפין (see also Tractate Orlah, Chapter 2, Mishnah 1) – that if he consumed half-of-a-measure from this one (i.e., Orlah/fruit that grows during the first three years after a tree was planted) and half-of-a-measure from that one (i.e., Kilei HaKerem/food crops in a vineyard – which unlike the prohibition of a mixture of seeds, it is prohibited to derive any benefit from the crop grown in the vineyard and all of the produce must be burned – see Tractate Kilayim), they combine [together to make that person liable] to be flogged [forty times – actually, forty minus one). Alternatively, Orlah and Kilei HaKerem are mixed together that fell into something permitted, they combine [to become prohibited] with dry produce in one out of two hundred, and with moist produce, if it provides a taste/flavor.

אינן מצטרפין – since they are two distinctive categories, but if there is in a pot to nullify her taste of the Orlah/fruit that grows during the first three years after a tree was planted, on its own, and the taste of Kilei HaKerem/food crops in a vineyard on its own, everything is permitted. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.

הבגד – which defiles [through the treading of someone with a flux] three handbreadths by three handbreadths.

והשק – that it defiles [through the treading of someone with a flux or other impurities] four handbreadths by four handbreadths.

והעור – five handbreadths by five handbreadths.

והמפץ (poor-man’s mattress) – six handbreadths by six handbreadths. The cloth/בגד combines with the sack/שק – that is less than it, to become defiled by four handbreadths by four handbreadths. And similarly, each other combines to that which is a less than it, and all of them combine with each other to defile according to the lesser measurement of defilement, but not the lesser with the greater.

מפני שהן ראוים לטמא מושב (suitable to be made unclean as that used for sitting) – that is to say, even though we have stated above (see Mishnah 3 of this chapter) that everything where their measurements are not equivalent they do not combine, here they combine even though their measurements are not equivalent, for since they are equivalent for this things – each one of them suitable to be made ritually impure as that used for the sitting of the person with a flux, therefore, they combine for the defilement of sitting.

הנהנה שוה פרוטה מן ההקדש אע"פ לא פגם מעל (even though he did not cause deterioration) – it is a dispute between Rabbi Akiva and the Sages is explained in the Gemara (Tractate Meilah 18a) in regard to a garment worn between other [garments] (literally, “middle garment), for the garment deteriorates immediately, because he rubs himself against the walls. But they also don’t dispute also regarding the inner garment that is against his skin, for that one also deteriorates immediately on account of sweat, but only regarding the “middle garment” [do they dispute]. Rabbi Akiva holds for since that is a thing that does not deteriorate immediately, even though it does deteriorate after time, it is like something that has no deterioration and they commit religious sacrilege with it, because he benefited from it the equivalent of a penny. But the Rabbis hold for since there is deterioration regardless, we don’t commit religious sacrilege with it until he causes deterioration.

כיצד – anything that does not deteriorate, as for example, [if a woman] put a chain around her neck, a golden chain/necklace dedicated to the Temple property, or a ring in her hand or she drank from a golden cup dedicated to the Temple property (see Tractate Tamid, Chapter 3, Mishnah 4). All of these, there is no deterioration in them, but rather, since she benefitted from them the worth of a penny, she has committed religious sacrilege. And how do we estimate benefit with them? We estimate how much a woman wants to give when she lends ornaments as they are to take them to a wedding meal to be honored by them, like that measurement that she pays to the Temple property the principal plus one-fifth when she used them.

וכל דבר שיש בו פגם – as for example, he wore a shirt or covered himself with a cloak or used an ax to split wood, because they will eventually deteriorate, he did not commit sacrilege until he caused deterioration in them the equivalent value of a penny.

תלש – [tore] hair.

מן החטאת – we are speaking of a sin-offering of something with a defect that stands to be redeemed and it is something that has a deterioration, therefore, he did not commit sacrilege until he causes deterioration the equivalent value of a penny, but in the pure sin—offering that the pulling of wool and hair out [of the lamb], he didn’t do anything, for as such it is appropriate to be offered now, like it was at the beginning, it would be like the golden cup which is something that has no deterioration, and since he benefitted from it, he has committed religious sacrilege.

כשהיא מתה כיון שנהנה מעל – for since it died, it is not redeemable, for we don’t redeem Holy Things to feed them to dogs, and we are speaking about whether it is was a pure sin-offering or a sin-offering with a defect (see Tractate Meilah 19a).