Monday, June 11, 2007

Yevamos 40a - Achilah Gassa - Overeating

Tosafos asks that we find in nazir and horyos that achila gassa is not mitzvah min hamuvchar but it is called "achila". Tosafos answers that there are 2 types of achila gassa (see Tosafos Yeshanim - first answer is very unclear ?). In Pesachim 107b Tosafos explains this answer that when a person has no desire to eat more that is achila gassa that is still called achila and therefore they fulfill their mitzvah of eating pesach. But when a person is so full that they are disgusted with eating, that type of achila gassa is not called achila i.e. you are not yotzei on pesach and you are not in violation on yom kippur.
Based on Tosafos, when the gemara is looking for 2 types of achila for abba shaul, we should answer like the gemara does that if he wants he can eat l'teiavon, and if he wants achila gassa. But the type of achila gassa that we would be refering to is the one where you have no desire to eat but are not at the point where you are disgusted with food and that type of achila gassa is called achila. The pasuk would be telling you that you must eat l'teiavon, to the exclusion of even this type of achila gassa. Why does the gemara only entertain the more sever type of achila gassa and not the lesser form of achila gassa?

1 comment:

Yossie Schonkopf said...

perhaps because the gemara knows the mitzvah of eating מנחות is that it should be eaten and not a חיוב on the גברא, we see this from the gemara in yuma that originally theט split the לחם הפנים and each one ate less then a כזית (see ביה"ל on that gemara), therefor if it is called אכילה there is no reason for the Torah to say its no good. ויש לעיין