Shabbat 25: Limitations on the Uses of Consecrated Items

We begin with descriptions of positive mitzvot regarding resting on a Festival burning items that become ritually impure, and burning teruma that becomes ritually impure.  The Torah says that we should derive benefits from these things.

We learn about piggul, a mnemonic (peh, nun, kuf, ayin, kaf, samech).  It teaches us that if during slaughter, receiving blood, bringing it to the altar, or sprinkling the blood the priest thinks of eating the sacrifice when it is not fit for eating, the entire sacrifice is invalidated.  We also learn about Notar, which is the meat of a sacrifice that remained beyond its allotted time, which must be burned and not eaten.  A korban me'ila is one who accidentally derives benefit from consecrated items.  They must bring a guilt-offering.  Karet is the punishment for one who eats the consecrated item at the wrong time.  Asur le'onen is an acute mourner, one who lost someone that day and is not yet buried, cannot eat consecrated items.  These halachot may or may not be applied to terumah.  Chomesh is a non-priest who is prohibited from teruma but unwittingly ate teruma and must pay its value plus one-fifth of its sum to the priest.

Teruma is not subject to pidyon, redemption, because once consecrated it stays that way.  It is prohibited to zarim, non-priests.  There are more stringencies around consecrated items than around teruma.  The rabbis are more stringent regarding transgressions of teruma. 

The rabbis consider what is a mitzvah, a commandment, and what is an obligation.  Is it a mitzvah or an obligation to wash one's face, hands and feet before Shabbat?  In the context of the pleasure of preparing for Shabbat, we are reminded of Lamentations (3:17), "And my soul is removed far off from peace, I forgot prosperity".  Rabbi Abbahu says that our souls are moved far off from peace when we cannot light the Shabbat lights.  Forgetting prosperity is perhaps the lack of opportunity to bathe in the bathhouse, or perhaps washing one's hands and feet in hot water.  Or perhaps prosperity is a pleasant bed and the pleasant bedclothes that are on it.  Rabbi Abba suggests that prosperity is a made bed and a wife adorned (worthy and suitable for Torah scholars). 

The Gemara discusses the question, Who is wealthy?  Rabbi Meir says that this is anyone who gets pleasure from his wealth.  Rabbi Tarfon says it is one with one hundred vineyards and one hundred fields and one hundred slaves working in them.  Rabbi Akiva says anyone who has a wife whose actions are pleasant.  Rabbi Yosei says anyone who has a bathroom close to his table. 

We are told the story of a mother-in-law who hated her daughter-in-law and told her to cover herself in balsam oil.  After doing so, the mother-in-law told her to light the lamp.  Doing so, the daughter-in-law caught fire and died.   The rabbis continue to discuss what oils should be used for lighting, and what materials should be used for other tasks, particularly when those items are not readily available.