Gedi Mekulas and Roasted Meat

Eduyot (2:11) | Yisrael Bankier | 3 days ago

One of the three laws listed that Rabban Gamliel ruled leniently compared to the Chachamim was that he allowed a gedi mekulas on pesach night, whilst the Chachamim forbade it. The Bartenura explains that the gedi mekulas was a young goat that was roasted in the same fashion as the korban pesach -- roasted whole with legs and intestines hanging on the outside.¹ This was done as a zecher (reminder) for that korban pesach that was offered when the Beit HaMikdash was standing. The Chachamim however forbad the practice since it gives the appearance that one is eating a korban outside the Yerushalaim in violation of a prohibition.

The Mishnah in Pesachim (4:4) however teaches that whether one ate roasted meat on Pesach night depended on the local minhag. The Gemara (Pesachim 53b) explains that those that would not, was because it appears that one was eating a korban outside.

The Or Zarua (Pesachim 230) understands from Rashi (74a, eize) that when the Mishnah explains that whether or not meat was eaten roasted was dependant on minhag, those places that forbad it, was only if it was prepared like a gedi mekulas but not any roasted meat. In other words, difference in minhag was depended on the debate in our Mishnah between Rabban Gamliel and the Chachamim.

The Rosh (Pesachin 4:6) however explains that roasting a gedi mekula is prohibited, irrespective of minhag. This is consistent with the opinion of the Chachamim. The difference in minhag is whether they forbad roasted meat more broadly. His position appears to be based on the continuation of the Gemara that cites the Tosefta where the Chachamim rebuked Todus who had allowed the people of Rome to eat the gedi mekula on Pesach night.

The Rashash (on the Mishnah Pesachim) also understands like the Rosh. He adds that there is a potentially a difference between the minhag and the basic law preventing gedi mekulas. That difference would be found by Pesach Sheni. Considering that the law in our Mishnah is out of concern that it appears like the korban is eaten outside, then consuming a gedi mekula on Pesach Sheni should also be prohibited. That is because the concern would equally be present then. Concerning the minhag to expand the scope of the prohibition, it is possible to understand that the minhag was only to do so on Pesach and not Pesach Sheni.

The Ran (Beitzah, 12a Rif) notes that since our Mishnah only mentions a gedi mekulas -- a young goat prepared in this fashion -- it would not apply to a lamb. To explain, both a young goat and lamb can be used for a korban pesach. The difference however is that with a lamb, the alya (tail-section) must be offered on the mizbach with the other sacrificial parts, whereas for a gedi it can be consumed. The reason why only a gedi mekulas would be prohibited is because if it was a lamb, since the alya would still be attached, it would not resemble the korban pesach. The Ran however rejects this position. Once again this based on the incident cited with Todus. The Ran explains that in the Tosefta, the Chachamim took issue with Todus who permitted telayim mekulasim -- imply that ruling applies equally to lambs.²

¹ The Bartenura explains that the term mekulas is used to describe an armed soldier, which the korban prepared in this fashion resembles.

² Interestingly, while that is the text in the Tosefta, the incident with Todus as cited in the Gemara only mentions the gediim mekulasim.

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