Chullin 127

עוברי דגים

fish roe.)

ותניא גבי ביצים אלו הן סימני ביצים

And these are the characteristics which distinguish the eggs [of clean birds]: All that are arched an rounded, with one end broad and the other end narrow, are clean.

כל שכודרת ועגולגולת ראשה אחד כד וראשה אחד חד טהורה

Those that are broad at both ends or narrow at both ends are unclean.

ב' ראשיה כדין או ב' ראשיה חדין טמאין

Those with the white outside and the yolk in the center are clean, those with the yolk outside and the white in the center are unclean; if the white and the yolk are mixed up, one may be certain that it is a reptile's egg? - This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The necessity that the gentile name the bird.');">¹</span>

חלבון מבחוץ וחלמון מבפנים טהורה חלמון מבחוץ וחלבון מבפנים טמאה

must be resorted to only where the eggs were broken.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it is no longer possible to examine the egg by the external characteristics.');">²</span>

חלמון וחלבון מעורבין זה בזה בידוע שהיא ביצת השרץ

But they can still be examined by the position of the yolk and white? - They were beaten up in a dish.

לא צריכא דחתוכות

But is it then permissible to purchase such from them [gentiles]?

וליבדוק בחלמון וחלבון

Surely it has been taught: One may not sell to a gentile the egg of a bird that was trefah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For fear that he will re-sell it to a Jew.');">³</span>

בטרופות בקערה

unless it was beaten up in a dish.

וכה"ג מי זבנינן מינייהו

For this reason one may not buy from them eggs beaten up in a dish!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For in all probability the eggs were of a bird that was rendered trefah and were sold by a Jew to this gentile.');">⁴</span>

והא תניא

- Rather, said R'Zera: The distinguishing characteristics [of the eggs of clean birds] do not rest on Biblical authority.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And we may not rely upon them.');">⁵</span>

אין מוכרין ביצת טרפה לעובד כוכבים אלא א"כ טרופה בקערה לפיכך אין לוקחין מהם ביצים טרופות בקערה

For should you not hold this, then when R'Assi stated 'There are eight birds about which there is a doubt',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra p. 340.');">⁶</span>

אלא אמר ר' זירא

it could rightly be asked: Why not examine their eggs;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the shape of the egg of each bird would decide whether the bird was clean or not, according to the above-mentioned distinguishing signs.');">⁷</span>

סימנין לאו דאורייתא

you must therefore say that the characteristics do not rest on Biblical authority.

דאי לא תימא הכי הא דאמר רב אסי

To what purpose then were they stated above?

שמנה ספיקות הן ליבדוק בביצים דידהו

To teach the following: If both ends [of the egg] were broad, or both narrow, or if the yolk was outside and the white in the center, it is certainly unclean; if, however, one end was broad and the other narrow, and the white outside and the yolk in the center, and if, in addition, the gentile says.'

אלא ש"מ

It is of such and such a bird', which is clean, he may be relied upon, but without this express statement he may not be relied upon,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the egg is unclean, for the characteristics by themselves are not absolutely reliable.');">⁸</span>

סימנין לאו דאורייתא

for there is the raven's egg which resembles that of a dove.

אלא למאי הלכתא קתני לה

The Master said: 'If the white and the yolk are mixed up, one may be certain that it is a reptile's egg'.

הכי קאמר

Fo what reason is this stated so?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., why does it not say simply 'it is unclean'.');">⁹</span>

ב' ראשיה כדין או ב' ראשיה חדין או חלמון מבחוץ וחלבון מבפנים ודאי טמאה

- R''Ukba B'Hama answered: To teach that if [the embryo within was] developed and [the shell] perforated, then a lentil's bulk thereof would convey uncleanness.

רישיה חד חד רישיה חד כד וחלבון מבחוץ וחלמון מבפנים ואמר לך

Rabina demurred, saying: Perhaps it is a serpent's egg!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which does not convey uncleanness at all.');">¹⁰</span>

של עוף פלוני וטהור הוא סמוך עליהם

- Rather, said Raba, It is to teach that if [the embryo within was] developed, whosoever eats it would incur stripes for [eating] creeping things that crawl upon the earth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Lev. XI, 41. The Baraitha therefore stated 'it is a reptile's egg' to inform us of the appropriate prohibition that must be declared to the transgressor as a warning before he commits the offence, in order to render him liable to stripes.');">¹¹</span>

בסתמא לא תסמוך עליהם דאיכא דעורבא דדמי לדיונה

If so, why [do we argue about the egg] of an unclean bird?

אמר מר

Even of a clean bird [there is also this prohibition]! For it has been taught: [The verse,] And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');">¹²</span>

חלבון וחלמון מעורבין זה בזה בידוע שהיא ביצת השרץ

למאי הלכתא

אמר רב עוקבא בר חמא

לומר שאם ריקמה וניקבה (בכעדשה מטמא)

מתקיף לה רבינא

ודלמא דנחש היא

אלא אמר רבא

שאם ריקמה ואכלה לוקה עליה משום שרץ השורץ על הארץ

אי הכי מאי איריא דטמאה

אפילו דטהורה נמי

דתניא

(ויקרא יא, מא) כל השרץ השורץ על הארץ