[Avodah] Kelayim - Holy or Evil?

[Zev Sero]

Micha Berger wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 03:18:55PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:

>> It's "mekadesh", not "makdish", for what that's worth.
> 
> Actually, I doubt either of us know Northern Aramaic well enough to
> insist. The word in the gemara on 2:5 (10a in vilna ed.) is spelled
> malei with a yud after the dalet, similarly 4:5 22b, 5:5 27a, etc, etc....

I don't think that spelling is found in Mishnayos or Bavli.


>> I believe the translation of the word in that context is "separated",
>> i.e. you are separated from it and must not have anything to do with
>> it: http://www.mechon-mamre.org/i/5210.htm#7
> 
>> Or else it means "burned" as in "tukad esh" (Kiddushin 56b)
 
> That would certainly make "ein adam maqdish davar she'eino shelo"
> self-evident, but I really doubt that would be the topic of a
> machloqes. <gr>

And yet that is what the gemara says it means.  The Rambam says the
same thing in PHM on Kilayim.

 
> I guess it could in theory mean "something that is omeid for burning".
> But in general, when chazal say "qodesh" they mean "consecrated for
> avodas Hashem".

In general, yes.  But not in the context of kil'ei hakerem.  See
Devorim 22:9.  Unkelus translates the word "tikdash" as "tisto'av",
and Rashi explains that "any thing that is repulsive to a person,
whether in a good way such as hekdesh, or in a bad way such as an
issur, is called kodesh, as in (Yeshaya 65:5) 'Don't approach me
ki kidashticha'".


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Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
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