Audio by Dr. Michael Sokolow

פרק ח - משנה א
כלאי הכרם A forbidden mixture in a vineyard
אסורין מלזרוע ומלקיים is forbidden to plant and to maintain
 ואסורין בהנאה and are prohibited from deriving any benefit from them;
כלאי זרעים Forbidden mixtures of plants
אסורין מלזרוע ומלקיים are forbidden to plant and to maintain
 ומותרין באכילה but may be eaten;
  כלאי בגדים Forbidden mixtures in garments
מותרין לכל דבר may be used for anything
 ואינן אסורין אלא מללבוש except they are not allowed to be worn;
  כלאי בהמה Forbidden mixtures of animals
מותרין לגדל ולקיים may be raised and maintained
 ואינן אסורין אלא מלהרביע and are not prohibited from anything except breeding
 כלאי בהמה forbidden mixtures of animals
אסורין זה עם זה are forbidden with each other
   
פרק ח - משנה ב
 בהמה עם בהמה A domestic animal with a domestic animal
 וחיה עם חיה and a wild animal with a wild animal
 בהמה עם חיה a domestic animal with a wild animal
 וחיה עם בהמה and a wild animal with a domestic animal
טהורה עם טהורה a kosher animal with a kosher animal
 וטמאה עם טמאה and a non-kosher animal with a non-kosher animal
.  טהורה עם טמאה a kosher animal with a non-kosher animal
 וטמאה עם טהורה and a non-kosher animal with a kosher animal
אסורין לחרוש it is forbidden to plow (with them yoked together)
 ולמשוך and to pull with them
 ולהנהיג and to drive them
   

NOTES

משנה א

אינן אסורין אלא מלהרביע - One may pen two animals of different genders and species together, and even take other steps to allow them to interbreed; the prohibition is only, to use the euphamism of the גמרא, to take the makeup applicator in your hand and insert it into the tube of makeup.

כלאי בהמה אסורין זה עם זה - In other words, one may not interbreed two animals that are themselves כלאי בהמה, even a mule (which is sired by a donkey) with a hinny (which is similar to a mule, but has a stallion for its father and its mother is a donkey).

 

משנה ב

Note:  This משנה is coming to resolve a question posed by the פסוק which states לא תחרוש שור אם חמור.  According to the רמב"ם, we learn from this that the prohibition is only between a kosher animal and a non-kosher animal, like in the פסוק.  Thus, the רמב"ם begins this משנה with the phrase "במה דברים אמורים", and reads the rest of the משנה as follows: 

What is the previous משנה referring to?  To a domestic animal with a domestic animal . . . . and a non-kosher animal with a non-kosher animal.  But, a kosher animal with a non-kosher animal, and a non-kosher animal with a kosher animal, one may not plow . . . . 

The other ראשונים are not גורס the words במה דברים אמורים, and say that the משנה is giving us an entire list of possible combinations which, although the __ refers only to a kosher animal with a non-kosher animal, are also forbidden to work together.

ולמשוך ולהנהיג - Again, there is a fundamental difference with how the רמב"ם and the other ראשונים understand this part of the משנה.  Most ראשונים  learn that ולמשוך refers to animals that are normally led, or pulled, like oxen, while להנהיג refers to animals that are normally driven from behind, like donkeys.  The רמב"ם learns that ולמשוך is referring to animal pulling something together, like a cart.

 

Click here for the hebrew/english of פרק ח from emishna.com

 

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