Avodah Zarah Daf 67 עבודה זרח דַף 67

Reish Lakish qualifies the permit of "נותן טעם לפגם" – [a prohibited food] which gives flavor to [a mixture’s] detriment: לא שיאמרו קדירה זו חסירה מלח יתירה מלח – this does not apply where [people] say, “This pot of food is missing salt,” or “it has too much salt,” חסירה תבלין יתירה תבלין - or it has too little or too much spice (meaning, if there are additional factors contributing to the detrimental flavor, it is not considered נותן טעם לפגם, and remains forbidden). Rather, כל שאין חסירה כלום – any mixture which is not missing anything, ואינה נאכלת מפני זה – and it is not eaten (i.e., it is less desirable) only because of this [forbidden flavor], is permitted as נותן טעם לפגם. In another version, Reish Lakish says the opposite, that in a case of נותן טעם לפגם, we do not suggest that the food has too little or too much salt or spice, and that proper seasoning would have offset the forbidden flavor so it would not harm the mixture. Rather, we say: השתא מיהא הא פגמה – now, in any event, it harms the flavor, and it is permitted.

Rebbe Yochanan said: כל שטעמו וממשו אסור ולוקין עליו – any mixture which includes both [the forbidden food’s] flavor and substance is forbidden, and one incurs malkus for eating it. וזהו כזית בכדי אכילת פרס – And this is where the הלכה למשה מסיני applies, that one who eats an olive’s volume in the time required to eat a פרס (“half” of a loaf large enough for two meals) receives malkus (Rebbe Yochanan is teaching that this also applies to a prohibited food mixed into permitted food). טעמו ולא ממשו – If the mixture only includes [the forbidden food’s] flavor, but not its substance (e.g., melted cheilev fell into a pot of food), אסור ואין לוקין עליו – it is prohibited, but one does not incur malkus for eating it. ואם ריבה טעם לפגם מותר – But if it added flavor that was to the mixture’s detriment, it is permitted to eat. The Gemara explains that Rebbe Yochanan used the expression “added” detrimental flavor, instead of "נתן" – gave detrimental flavor, to teach: דאע"ג דאיכא מילי אחרנייתא דפגמה בהדיה – that even though there are other things that harm the mixture’s flavor with it, such as if the mixture has too little or too much salt, the mixture is still permitted. This teaches that the halachah follow the second version of Reish Lakish cited above.

A Baraisa records a machlokes about נותן טעם לפגם. Rebbe Meir says: אחד נותן טעם לפגם – whether [a forbidden food] gives flavor to [the mixture’s] detriment ואחד נותן טעם לשבח – or whether it gives flavor to its improvement, it is forbidden. Rebbe Shimon says that נותן טעם לפגם is permitted. Rebbe Meir derives his opinion from גיעולי עובדי כוכבים – emissions of idolators’ utensils: the Torah required removing all forbidden flavor absorbed in utensils taken from מדין, although such flavors were נותן טעם לפגם (since they were presumably more than a day old). Rebbe Shimon would respond: לא אסרה תורה אלא קדירה בת יומא – the Torah only prohibited a pot (etc.) used that same day, whose flavor is not detrimental. However, Rebbe Meir would counter: קדירה בת יומא נמי אי אפשר דלא פגמה פורתא – even a pot used that day, it is impossible that it is not somewhat detrimental to the food cooked afterwards in it. Rebbe Shimon darshens the word "נבילה" written near the word "גר" to teach: כל הראויה לגר קרויה נבילה – whatever is fit for a stranger to eat is called neveilah, שאין ראויה לגר אינה קרויה נבלה - but whatever is not fit for a stranger to eat is not called neveilah. Rebbe Meir says this only refers to a נבילה which was סרוחה מעיקרא – rancid from the outset.