Menachos Daf 101 מנחוס דַף 101

On the previous Daf, the twelfth Perek began: המנחות והנסכים שנטמאו – menachos and nesachim which became tamei, then עד שלא קדשו בכלי – before they were sanctified in a כלי שרת, they can be redeemed (because they only have קדושת דמים – monetary sanctity), but after receiving קדושת הגוף in a כלי שרת, they cannot be redeemed. Shmuel says the קדושת דמים of מנחות and נסכים (before being placed in a כלי שרת) can even be redeemed while they are tahor and still viable for offering (he explains why the Mishnah discussed a case where it became tamei). This is challenged from the Mishnah’s ruling that wood for the מזבח, לבונה, and כלי שרת cannot be redeemed, even though עצים and לבונה are not susceptible to tumah before being fit for the מזבח, and כלי שרת can become tahor in a mikveh!? The Gemara answers that although קדושת דמים can ordinarily be redeemed, these cannot, because they are לא שכיחי – not common to find, and difficult to replace. The Gemara says the same for תמימים – unblemished animals, whose קדושת דמים cannot be redeemed. Rav Kahana disagrees with Shmuel, and says קדושת דמים cannot be redeemed unless it is tamei. Other Amoraim’s opinions are cited.

Rebbe Oshaya said he heard that Rebbe Shimon holds that a minchah which was made פיגול is not susceptible to tumah. Rebbe Shimon said that ערלה, כלאי הכרם, and other items which are אסור בהנאה are not susceptible to tumah (but concedes that בשר בחלב – meat cooked with milk can become tamei, because it had a שעת הכושר – moment of fitness before being cooked together). Rebbe Yochanan explains Rebbe Shimon’s source: "מכל האוכל אשר יאכל" – from any food which can be eaten, which teaches: אוכל שאתה יכול להאכילו לאחרים קרוי אוכל – food which you can feed to “others” (i.e., non-Jews) is called “food,” but food which is prohibited in benefit and cannot be given to gentiles is not called food, and cannot become tamei. Therefore, a minchah which became פיגול also cannot become tamei. Although a Baraisa proves that Rebbe Shimon holds פיגול can become tamei, that is where the grain had a שעת הכושר (i.e., it was permitted before becoming hekdesh), whereas Rebbe Oshaya’s case was דאקדשינהו במחובר – where he was makdish [the grain] while it was still attached to the ground (and not yet considered food).

The Gemara objects to the above answer: even if he was makdish grain while it was attached to the ground, let him redeem it!? [This question is according to the version that Rebbe Oshaya holds like Shmuel, that קדושת דמים can be redeemed even while tahor.] The Gemara answers that he never actually redeemed it (so it never had a שעת הכושר), but objects that he could have redeemed it, and Rebbe Shimon holds כל העומד לפדות כפדוי דמי – anything which stands to be redeemed is considered like it is already redeemed!? Rebbe Shimon taught in a Baraisa: פרה מטמא טומאת אוכלין – the meat of a shechted parah [adumah] contracts food-tumah, despite being prohibited in benefit, because it had a שעת הכושר, i.e., there was a moment after shechitah when it was (considered) permitted in consumption. Reish Lakish explained that Rebbe Shimon ruled פרה נפדית על גב מערכתה – a parah [adumah] may be redeemed [after shechitah] upon its pyre. Here, too, since he could have redeemed the grain, it should constitute a שעת הכושר!? The Gemara answers that regarding פרה אדומה, it is a mitzvah to redeem it (if a better cow is found), but there is no mitzvah to redeem a minchah. This discussion continues into the next Daf.