In all the cases of korbanot (sacrifices) that we spoke about, where there is a mitzvah (commandment) to eat them, people are allowed to eat them in any way they’d like. They’re allowed to roast them. They’re allowed to cook them very well done. They’re allowed to cook them in a regular way. A person could put spices in them, both chullin (non-sacred food) spices and terumah (priestly portion) spices. This is the opinion of Rebbe Shimon. A person may think that a kohen (priest) who’s eating korbanot, eating from these items, has to be fully l’shem shamayim, has to be for the sake of heaven, and that it’s not supposed to be about the enjoyment. So we learn that a kohen is allowed to enjoy them, and he should enjoy them. The pasuk (verse) tells us that the korbanot are given to the kohanim for greatness: he has to eat them in a royal manner, like kings would eat them, which means they have to be prepared and seasoned the way the person wants them.
This is going to argue with Rebbe Meir. Rebbe Meir says, “You’re not allowed to put terumah spices onto a korban.” The problem becomes that, let’s say I have a korban that eventually becomes pasul (disqualified)—a korban that becomes problematic—and it passes the deadline for when I’m supposed to eat it. What happens there is I have to get rid of it, and I have to do something to it. But the terumah spices would also become problematic with it. They would become disqualified as well by becoming part of the korban, when generally there’s no time rule that applies to a korban. So that would become an issue. Therefore, to mitigate the risk, Rebbe Meir says, “You’re not allowed to put terumah spices onto a korban.”