Torah Portion: Tzav
“והבשר אשר יגע בכל טמא לא יאכל, באש ישרף“ (ויקרא ז יט)
v It is a negative commandment to not eat consecrated meat that became defiled, as it is written, The flesh that touches any contaminated thing may not be eaten (Vayikra 7:19).
Among the roots of this mitzvah is the idea we have written above — we were commanded to raise our esteem of offerings, and certainly part of its splendor is that it may not be eaten in any other condition but with purity and a clean body.
This commandment applies when the Holy Temple stands, to both men and women. One who transgressed this and ate the volume of a kazayis of the contaminated meat of a consecrated offering, receives lashes.
v It is a positive commandment to burn consecrated [meat] that became defiled, as it is written, The flesh that touches any contaminated thing may not be eaten, it shall be burned in fire (ibid.).
Among the roots of the mitzvah is the idea we wrote above, with regard to nosar (leftover consecrated matter) — since it is the nature of all meat to become spoiled and unusable when it sits out, therefore, in order raise our esteem for offerings, we were commanded to burn it immediately from the world, so that no person would be repulsed by it or its odor. Now, [this method is used because] the ultimate form of destruction is burning by fire, which is more effective than pulverizing, casting into the wind, or any other method.
This commandment, of burning consecrated meat that became defiled, applies when the Holy Temple stands, to both kohanim and Israelites.
