Mesechtas Meilah

Masechet Meilah is the eighth tractate in Seder Kodashim, the fifth order of the Mishnah. It contains six chapters which deal with the detailed laws of meilah (meaning benefiting from consecrated property). The sixth chapter discusses the laws of agency in meilah (a person who sends another person to perform an act of deriving benefit from consecrated property) and the unique aspects of agency in this area compared to other laws of agency in halacha, in that it deviates from the principle "ein shaliach l'dvar aveirah" (there is no agency for sinful acts), and holds the sender liable while exempting the agent (as long as the agent does not deviate from the sender's instructions). In the Babylonian Talmud, this tractate has 21 pages.

That They Should Engage in Mitzvot

The tractate mentions that Rabbi Matya ben Charash's yeshiva was in Rome, which was a distant place. It seems difficult to understand why he established his yeshiva in such a remote location that would require people to travel there, rather than in Eretz Yisrael like all the other Tannaim.

The Rebbe explains that Rabbi Matya ben Charash, who was from the spiritual root of Yosef HaTzaddik - the service of birurim (elevating the sparks of holiness), wanted there to be a yeshiva of Torah in Rome so that the Jews in that place would engage with it and disconnect from the avodah zarah (idol worship) in Rome.

In this matter, Rashi in Parshat Bo mentions the teaching of Rabbi Matya in Parshat Bo, and explains two reasons why Hashem specifically brought them the lamb on the tenth of the month: 1) So that they would have two mitzvot that would merit them redemption, the blood of the Pesach sacrifice and the blood of circumcision. 2) Because they were immersed in idol worship, and this would give them mitzvot to engage in.

The Rebbe explains that Rashi mentions his teaching in Parshat Bo about how Hashem specifically brought them the lamb on the tenth of the month: 1) So that they would have two mitzvot to engage in. 2) Because they were immersed in idol worship and would have mitzvot to engage in.

The Rebbe explains that both reasons provide an explanation for why taking the lamb needed to be already from the tenth of the month. According to the first reason, that they should have merits, the reason is that in order to fulfill the mitzvah of circumcision, one needs to rest for three days during which it is forbidden to travel due to danger. According to the second reason, the emphasis is that they should have the sheep for several days so they would engage with it.

The Rebbe asks why Rashi specifically mentions the name of Rabbi Matya ben Charash and not the name of the second Tanna - Rabbi Eliezer HaKappar. And with emphasis on Rashi's language "Rabbi Matya ben Charash would say," implying that Rabbi Matya ben Charash would always say this teaching. This is according to the constant teaching of Rabbi Matya, who had a yeshiva in Rome so that through the engagement in Torah and the yeshiva in Rome, they would illuminate the darkness of exile, and in this way, he would comfort his students.

External Links

• Mesechtas Meilah