Commentary for Kiddushin 49:3
בעו מיניה עבד שסרסו רבו בבצים מהו כמום שבגלוי דמי או לא לא הוה בידיה אמרו לו מה שמך אמר להו המנונא אמרו ליה לאו המנונא אלא קרנונא
not attend the session? ' 'Why should we attend? ' replied they, 'when we ask him questions which he cannot answer? ' 'Have you ever asked me anything,' he retorted: 'which I could not solve? ' [Thereupon] they asked him: What if a slave's stones are castrated by his master, is it an open blemish or not? As he was unable to answer it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he did not have it in his hand'.');"><sup>6</sup></span> they said to him, 'What is your name? ' 'Hamnuna,' he replied.'
Daf Shevui to Kiddushin
R. Hamnuna cannot answer the question of whether a master who castrated his slave must set him free. Does this count as an open blemish, one that others will notice, and therefore the slave goes free. The elders of Nazunia laugh at Hamnuna and changed his name to Karnuna. Evidently Hamnuna is read as meaning a “hot” (ham) fish “nuna.” But Karnuna is a cold fish. Good one elders!
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