Rabbi Shimon taught in the Mishna on daf TY Shekalim 20a that the court instituted seven things and then goes on to enumerate them. Daf TY Shekalim 21 discusses the case of the red heifer. Preparing the ashes of the red heifer and the ceremony of sprinkling these ashes on somebody who is ritually unready in order to transform his state to one of ritual readiness is described in the Torah Numbers chapter 19.
“And the court also instituted regarding the parah adumah (the red heifer-gg) that there should not be me’ila (a misappropriation and misuse of something sanctified. This is a sin and atonement is made by restitution plus the fine and a sacrifice.-gg) associated with using is ashes. The Gemara explains what seems to be implicit in the Mishna: Rabbi Shimon bar Nakhman said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: it would seem from the Mishna that by biblical law (the ashes) of the parah adumah should be subjected to me’ilah, but (the Sages) decreed that they should not be subject to me’ilah.
“Accordingly, the Gemara asks: But a baraita states: By Torah referring to the parah adumah as a Chatat (a sin offering, Numbers 19:9) it teaches that it is subject to me’ilah. However only it (the red heifer itself-gg) is subject to me’lah, but is ashes are not subject to me’ilah. Thus, the baraita indicates that the ashes are biblically not subject to m’ilah!-?-
“The Gemara answers: Rabbi Abahu said: At first, since the ash was not subject to me’ilah (people) would debase it and put it on their wounds for medicinal purposes. So (the Sages) decreed that should be rabbinically subject to me’ilah. Once the decree accomplished its purpose and (people) became restrained in this matter, (the Sages) decreed that (the ash) should not be subject to me’ilah, restoring the law to its biblical form.” (Art Scroll translation)
This is a
rare example where the rabbis were so successful in changing the people’s
behavior that they felt comfortable enough to rescind their original enactment.
Mission accomplished!
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