Zevachim 102B

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Text Excerpt

כי טמא; מה טמא ⁠– כמה דלא טהור לא אכיל, אף האי נמי ⁠– כמה דלא מתקן לא אכיל; קא משמע לן.

that the halakha of this priest is like that of a ritually impure priest: Just as an impure priest may not partake as long as he is not pure, so too, this priest with a temporary blemish may not partake as long as he does not become fit. The verse therefore teaches us that he may receive a share even before his blemish heals.

כל שאינו ראוי וכו׳. ולא?! והרי בעל מום, דלא ראוי לעבודה, וחולק! ותו, הא ראוי לעבודה חולק?! הרי טמא בקרבנות ציבור, דראוי לעבודה, ואינו חולק!

§ The Mishnah teaches: The principle is: Any priest who is unfit for the service that day does not receive a share of the sacrificial meat. The Talmud objects: But doesn’t he? Isn’t there a blemished priest, who is not fit for the service and who nevertheless receives a share of the meat, as the Mishnah itself teaches? And furthermore, this principle indicates that only priests unfit for the service do not receive a share, but any priest who is fit for the service does receive a share. But isn’t there an impure priest, who, with regard to offerings of the community, is fit for the service, and who nevertheless does not receive a share?

ראוי לאכילה קאמר.

The Talmud answers: The Mishnah is saying that any priest who is not fit for partaking of sacrificial meat does not receive a share. Blemished priests may partake of sacrificial meat, and impure priests may not.

והרי קטן, דראוי לאכילה, ואינו חולק! הא לא קתני.

The Talmud objects: This indicates that any priest who is fit to partake may receive a share. But isn’t there a minor, who is fit for partaking and who does not receive a share? The Talmud answers: This inverse principle, that any priest who is fit to partake may receive a share, is not taught. The Mishnah means to teach only that any priest who is unfit does not receive a share.

Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.