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Rabbi Abbahu says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: With regard to all prohibitions that are written in the Torah, a permitted substance does not combine with a forbidden substance. If one eats a permitted food with a forbidden food and together, they constitute the minimum prohibited measure, he is exempt from punishment for this act of consumption. This principle applies to all halakhot except for the prohibitions of a nazirite, who is liable for eating a mixture of that kind, as the Torah said with regard to a nazirite:
ג מִיַּיִן וְשֵׁכָר יַזִּיר, חֹמֶץ יַיִן וְחֹמֶץ שֵׁכָר לֹא יִשְׁתֶּה; וְכָל-מִשְׁרַת עֲנָבִים לֹא יִשְׁתֶּה, וַעֲנָבִים לַחִים וִיבֵשִׁים לֹא יֹאכֵל.
3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
Num 6:3
“Neither shall he drink anything soaked in grapes”.
This verse indicates that a nazirite is prohibited from consuming not only wine and vinegar, but also any food that was soaked in these liquids.
The Gemara introduces the concept of "Heter Mitztaref l'Isur." One is punished for transgressing the Torah's commandment against eating a forbidden item only when he eats an item of a minimum size. "Heter Mitztaref l'Isur"teaches that the minimum size may be comprised of the forbidden item combined with a permitted item.
Rebbi Avahu in the name of Rebbi Yochanan states that only with regard to the prohibitions of Nezirus does "Heter Mitztaref l'Isur"apply, but not to any other Isur in the Torah. An example of "Heter Mitztaref l'Isur" is when a Nazir dips his bread (which is permitted) into wine (which is forbidden) and eats the mixture, and together the bread and the wine have a total volume of a k'Zayis. Even though the wine alone does not comprise the minimum Shi'ur of a k'Zayis, the Nazir is liable since the total Shi'ur of the mixture is a k’Zayis.
We delve into the throaty of hermeneutics specifically halachic differences between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Ishmael as a result of their own interpretations of the scriptural text.