לע"נ מרת אסתר בת ר' שמואל ומרת חנה בת אסתר
More based on HaGaon HaRav Yosef Engel [אתוון דאורייתא כלל ב]:
Rashi [Yevamos 86a ד"ה מה תרומה טובלת] says that the reason tevel is forbidden is because there is terumah mixed in with the tevel. This is in contrast to what we learned in a previous post that terumah is a continuation of the איסור טבל [for non-kohanim]. Here we see just the opposite: טבל is אסור because it contains terumah.
Tosfos [ד"ה מה תרומה טובלת] asks on Rashi: If he is correct then why is tevel not permitted to kohanim? If the whole problem is the terumah that is mixed in - kohaim are allowed to eat terumah. Problem solved!
When one is sick and needs to eat for pikuach nefesh there is a gradation of forbidden foods that one may eat. We must first give the foods that are the least stringently prohibited. This is called הקל הקל תחילה. There is an argument in the gemara [Yoma 83a] as to whether terumah is more stringent or tevel is more stringent. The rabbis hold that terumah is more stringent because you can't fix the איסור unlike tevel where you can fix the איסור. Ben Teima avers that טבל is more stringent because it is forbidden to all while terumah is only forbidden to זרים.
The machlokes can be explained by first answering the aforementioned question on Rashi asked by Tosfos. Rashi would answer Tosfos' question by saying that just as we find with respect to kodshim that before the throwing of the blood and buring of the innards the animal is forbidden and afterwards the owner "eats from G-d's table" - משלחן גבוה קזכי [Kiddushin 52b]. So too, tevel is essentially terumah mixed in with chullin and forbidden as kodshim before the throwing of the blood and after the separation the kohanim "eat from G-d's table". That answers Tosfos' question as to why according to Rashi the tevel is forbidden to kohanim before the separation if it is terumah and chullin mixed together. [See R' Elchonon in the Kovetz He-aros 38/10 and Mases Moshe of HaGaon R' Moshe Chevroni Pesachim 14].
This thesis is borne out by the magical language of the Rambam [Terumos 12/19] who write about terumah שעל שלחן המקום אוכלים - they are eating from G-d's table which parallels the language of the gemara משלחן גבוה קזכו that it says about kodshim in numerous places in the gemara.
We have so much more to say bl"n - stay tuned.
