More Discussions for this daf
1. milk 2. Midrashos 3. Tipah Meluchleches
4. Baby Nursing From Mother Who Is Teme'ah
DAF DISCUSSIONS - KERISUS 13

Pesach Feldman asks:

Lichvod Rav Kornfeld,

In background to Kerisus 13a, line 43, you wrote:

TIPAH MELUCHLECHES - (lit. the moisturizing drop) the drop of milk...

Indeed, Rashi in Shabbos sounds like this, but

1) Rashi here and most Meforshim seem to explain that it means dirty (therefore, it is not for consumption)

2) MELUCHLECHES with 'Chaf' is from the root of dirty. The root of moisture is with a Ches.

3) Based on my limited knowledge of grammar, the form MELUCHLECHES connotes that something happened to it (it became dirty), and not that it is used to do something to other matters (wet them).

Pesach Feldman, Yerushalayim

The Kollel replies:

I am not convinced. I think Meluchleches here means "moist" (and we will change the word in the entry from 'moisturizing' to 'moist').

This word is used in that sense (even with a Kaf) in many places in Midrash etc. See, for example, Vayikra Raba end of 22:10 "v'Yesh Bahem Lichluch Peh", or Yerushalmi Berachos 8:2 "Ein Netilas Yadayim Ela l'Davar... she'Yesh Bo Lichluch Mashkeh".

Rashi here certainly means this when he writes that the Dad is "Meluchlach" with the drop. The reflexive verb is used because the drop itself is moist (and not dried).

Best wishes,

Mordecai Kornfeld