Daf 122 — Chullin 122 Summary

Chullin 122 – Good Morning Raboisai Shechting a Non - Kosher Animal Shechita of a Pig The Gemara continues the fascinating case of: • A Jew performing a proper Shechita on a non - kosher animal • With intention that the animal should be used as food • While the animal is still mefarkeses – convulsing. If both simanim, or the majority of both, were cut: • The meat can receive Tumah of food • But while it is still convulsing, it does not yet give off Tumah of neveilah. Chizkiyah vs Rebbe Yochanan – Eiver Min HaChai If a limb is removed while the animal is still convulsing: Chizkiyah says: • Einah l’eivarim – it no longer has the status of eiver min hachai. Rebbe Yochanan says: • Yeshnah l’eivarim – eiver min hachai still applies. Rebbe Elazar supports: • Rebbe Yochanan. A Beraisa describes a limb removed at this stage as: • Eiver min hachai. A Piece of Meat Is Different The Beraisa distinguishes between: • An entire limb • An ordinary piece of meat. A complete limb removed while the animal is still alive: • Has the prohibition of eiver min hachai. Ordinary flesh removed: • Does not have the same Tumah status. Only One Siman Was Cut If only: • One siman • Or the majority of one siman Was cut in the non - kosher animal: The Shechita has not accomplished: • The special status being discussed. Similarly, if the animal was killed through: • Nechirah – rather than proper Shechita It does not receive: • This special Tumah - of - food status while still convulsing. The Point Even though this is a non - kosher animal: • The Shechita must still be a halachically valid Shechita • For these laws to apply. A Non - Jew Shechting a Kosher Animal The Reverse Case The Gemara gives the parallel case: • A non - Jew shechts a kosher animal • Intending it for food • And the animal is still convulsing. Again: • It can receive Tumah of food • But does not yet give off Tumah of neveilah. A limb removed at this point: • Can have the status of eiver min hachai. A Non - Jew Starts and a Jew Finishes A non - Jew cuts: • Half of the kaneh. At this point: • The animal has not yet become a treifah from that cut. A Jew then completes: • The Shechita. The Shechita can be: • Kosher. Why? The Jew took over while: • The animal was still capable of a valid Shechita And he performed: • The cut that completed the required Shechita. Eating Meat While the Animal Is Still Convulsing Meat Immediately After Shechita The Gemara discusses someone who wants to eat: • Meat cut from the area of the Shechita • Before the animal has completely stopped moving. The meat requires: • Very thorough salting • And thorough rinsing. Why Extra Salting? The blood has not yet: • Drained in the usual manner. When the piece is cut immediately: • Blood can remain absorbed inside it. Therefore: • Extra care is required to remove the blood. Wait Until the Animal Dies Alternatively: • Simply wait until the animal has completely died. Although after a valid Shechita the meat is permitted min haTorah: • The Rabbanan did not want a Jew eating from an animal while it is still visibly convulsing. Even the Knife Must Be Checked Shehiyah and Derasah on a Pig Rebbe Elazar asks: What happens if, while shechting the non - kosher animal, the person performs: • Shehiyah – an invalid pause • Derasah – pressing the knife instead of slicing properly? Do we really require: • All the normal rules of Shechita Even though: • The animal is non - kosher anyway? A Proper Shechita Is Required The answer is: Yes. Rebbe Yochanan teaches: • The Shechita requires the same preparation as the Shechita of a kosher animal. Rav Shmuel bar Yitzchak explains: • Even the knife must be checked. Remarkable Chiddush A person shechting a non - kosher animal for this Tumah status must perform: • A genuine halachic Shechita. An invalid knife or an invalid Shechita: • Does not produce the same result. Can a Convulsing Animal Protect What Is Inside It? A Vessel Inside the Animal The Gemara discusses a vessel swallowed by: • An animal that has been shechted • But is still mefarkeses. The animal enters: • A place containing Tumah. The question is: Does the animal protect: • The vessel inside its body From the Tumah outside? Is It Alive or Dead? There are arguments in both directions. On the one hand: • A living animal cannot receive ordinary Tumah • But this animal can already receive Tumah of food. This makes it appear: • Dead. On the other hand: • It does not yet give off Tumah of neveilah. This makes it appear: • Still alive. Abaye – We Apply the Chumros Abaye explains that we treat the animal stringently in both directions. Regarding protecting the vessel: • It does not protect it from Tumah. But regarding someone committing bestiality with the animal: • He is still liable. The Animal Has an Unusual Status It is therefore: • Dead enough for certain laws • Yet alive enough for others. This continues the concept from the previous Daf of: • An animal occupying an intermediate halachic state while mefarkeses. Returning to Olal Meat Left on the Hide The Gemara returns to the Mishnah's olal. One explanation is: • Small scraps of meat left attached to the hide when the animal is skinned. Rebbe Yehudah says: If these pieces are gathered together and total: • A kezayis They can have: • Tumah of neveilah. Rav Huna – A Person Must Gather Them Rav Huna says: • The scraps must be gathered by a person. Why? Their status depends upon: • Machshavah – considering them significant as food. An adult deliberately gathering them demonstrates: • He considers them valuable. A child or wind gathering them: • Does not provide the same intent. Two Half - Kezaysim on a Hide Are They Batel to the Hide? Rav Huna discusses: • Two separate half - kezaysim of meat • Remaining on a large hide. The issue is whether: • The small pieces retain their identity as meat Or: • Become batel to the hide. This is connected to a machlokes between: • Rebbe Yishmael • Rebbe Akiva. Human Cutting vs an Animal Tearing There is an important distinction between: • A butcher deliberately leaving meat on the hide • An animal tearing the hide and leaving meat behind. At first, we might say: A person has daas: • He can deliberately reject the remaining meat. An animal has no daas: • It cannot decide that the meat is worthless. Rav Huna's Chiddush Rav Huna can nevertheless follow Rebbe Akiva, who holds: • The meat becomes batel. The chiddush is: • Even when an animal tore off the hide. Why? The bittul does not necessarily come from: • The animal's intention. Rather: • The large hide itself causes the tiny pieces of meat to lose their independent significance. Therefore: • Even without human daas • They can become batel to the hide. Hides That Are Like Flesh Normally, Hide Is Not Meat The Mishnah now introduces a new subject. Ordinary animal hide: • Is not considered flesh • And does not have the same Tumah as meat. However: • Certain particularly soft hides are treated like flesh. Which Hides Are Included? The Mishnah lists several examples: • Human skin • Skin of a domesticated pig • The soft hump of a young camel • Skin from the head of a young calf • Skin around the animal's feet • Skin of the female reproductive area • Skin of a fetus • Skin underneath the tail • Certain skins of the eight sheratzim. Common Factor These are: • Softer, flesh - like skins And therefore: • Can have the status of the flesh itself. Human Skin Human Skin Min HaTorah Ulla teaches a surprising halacha: Min haTorah: • Human skin is tahor. Its Tumah is: • Rabbinic. Why Did the Rabbanan Make It Tamei? They were concerned that otherwise: • A person might preserve the skin of a deceased relative • And keep it as a remembrance or household object. Therefore: • The Rabbanan gave human skin Tumah. Before or After Processing? There are two versions of Ulla's teaching. One understands: • Even ordinary unprocessed human skin is tamei only mid'Rabbanan. The other understands: • The chiddush applies specifically after the skin has been processed. According to that version: • The concern is that processed human skin might deliberately be preserved and used. The Soft Hump of a Camel What Makes a Camel “Young”? The Mishnah included: • The soft hump of a young camel. The Gemara asks: Does “young” mean: • Its age Or: • That it has never yet carried a load? In other words: Is carrying a load: • What hardens the skin Or is it merely: • An indication that the camel has reached the age when the skin naturally hardens? Reish Lakish Shows Great Respect Reish Lakish asked this question and was given the answer. He responded to the person who taught him: • Sit here beside me. Why? Reish Lakish showed tremendous respect: • For someone who had taught him even this one piece of Torah. The Gemara highlights: • How highly Torah knowledge was valued. Rebbe Zeira – A Very Different Reaction A similar incident happened with Rebbe Zeira. When someone repeated: • Something he had already said Rebbe Zeira sharply responded: • Is that the only teaching you have? The Gemara contrasts: • The strict personality of Reish Lakish • With the famously pious Rebbe Zeira. Yet Reish Lakish: • Showed great kavod to someone who taught him Torah While Rebbe Zeira: • Could react strongly when he felt someone was unnecessarily repeating a teaching. Rebbe Zeira's Chassidus The Gemara recalls the exceptional conduct of Rebbe Zeira. Before moving from Bavel to Eretz Yisrael: • He fasted extensively • In order to forget the Bavli method of learning • And begin learning the Torah of Eretz Yisrael afresh. He was also known for: • Regularly examining his spiritual standing • And exceptional personal piety. The contrast demonstrates: • How surprising his sharp response was. Skin of a Young Calf How Young Is a “Young Calf”? Ulla says: • During its first year. Rebbe Yochanan says: • As long as it is still nursing. The Gemara investigates whether Ulla requires: • Both being within the first year • And still nursing Or only: • Being within the first year. Rebbe Yochanan's Shiur From Rebbe Yochanan's wording: • “As long as it is nursing” The Gemara concludes that: • Nursing itself determines its status. Therefore: • Even beyond the first year • If it is still nursing • Its skin can retain the status of the soft skin of a young calf. The discussion continues on the next Daf. Key Chazarah • A proper Shechita of a non - kosher animal can give it the status of food for Tumah while it is still convulsing. • Chizkiyah and Rebbe Yochanan disagree whether eiver min hachai still applies during this stage. • If only one siman is cut, or the animal is killed through nechirah, the special Shechita status does not apply. • Even when shechting a non - kosher animal, the normal rules of Shechita apply – including avoiding shehiyah and derasah and checking the knife. • Meat taken immediately after Shechita requires especially thorough salting and rinsing because of the blood. • A convulsing animal has an unusual intermediate status: for some laws it is treated as dead, while for others it remains alive. • Rav Huna teaches that scraps of meat deliberately gathered from a hide can regain significance. • Tiny pieces of meat can become batel to a large hide; according to Rav Huna this can apply even when an animal, rather than a person, tore the hide. • Certain unusually soft hides are treated like flesh, including human skin, domesticated pig skin, a young camel's hump and the skin of a young calf. • Ulla teaches that human skin is tahor min haTorah; the Rabbanan imposed Tumah because of concern that people might preserve the skin of deceased relatives. • Reish Lakish showed great kavod to someone who taught him even one new point of Torah. • Rebbe Zeira's contrasting reaction is notable because of his exceptional chassidus. • Ulla defines a young calf as within its first year, while Rebbe Yochanan focuses on whether it is still nursing. 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