Chullin 15

Chapter 15

א א"ר זירא אמר שמואל

1 R'Zera said in the name of Samuel: If one made a knife red-hot and slaughtered with it, the slaughtering is valid, because [the effect of] the sharp edge precedes [the effect of] the heat.1

ב ליבן סכין ושחט בה שחיטתו כשרה חידודה קודם לליבונה

2 But, what about the sides [of the knife]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They would scorch the organs of the throat before the requisite amount had been cut through, and then the slightest scorching of the gullet would invalidate the slaughtering.');">2

ג והאיכא צדדין

3 - The cut opens wide.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the place (or house) of slaughtering, i.e., the cut. The two sides of the cut spring apart as soon as the throat, which has been stretched taut, has been cut; therefore only the sharp edge touches the throat, but not the sides of the knife.');">3

ד בית השחיטה מירווח רווח

4 The following question was raised: If one made a spit red-hot and struck with it, is the resulting wound4

ה איבעיא להו

5 to be regarded as a boil5

ו ליבן שפוד והכה בו משום שחין נדון או משום מכוה נדון

6 or as a burning?6

ז למאי נפקא מינה לכדתניא

7 But what is the difference between the two?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in what case is it of consequence whether the wound is regarded as a boil or a burn. The text proceeds to discuss the law as to boils and burns and provides an illustration of such a case.');">7

ח שחין ומכוה מטמאין בשבוע אחד בשני סימנין בשער לבן ובפסיון ולמה חלקן הכתוב

8 Even as it has been taught: A boil and a burning, each is declared unclean within seven days by one of two symptoms: by white hair, or spreading.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The appearance of white hair ill the wound, and the wound spreading further on the skin, are the symptoms, in cases of a burning or a boil, by which one is declared unclean as a leper. V. Lev. XIII, 18-28. Furthermore, if these wounds remained stationary for seven days they are declared clean, whereas with other leprous wounds it is necessary to keep them under observation for a further seven days. V. Lev. XIII, 5.');">8

ט לומר שאין מצטרפין זה עם זה

9 Why, then, did the Torah deal with them separately?

י ותניא

10 To teach you that they cannot unite one with the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The minimum size of a leprous wound to be declared unclean is that of a bean. Leprous wounds of different classes cannot unite; e.g., a boil the size of half a bean next to a burning also the size of half a bean cannot unite to form together a leprous wound the size of a whole bean and make one unclean as a leper.');">9

יא איזהו שחין ואיזהו מכוה

11 And we have learnt: What is a boil, and what is a burning?

יב לקה בעץ באבן בגפת בחמי טבריא ובכל דבר שלא בא מחמת האור לאתויי אבר מעיקרו זהו שחין

12 A wound caused by wood, or stone, or olive-peat, or the hot springs of Tiberias, or any wound that is not caused by fire, including a wound caused by lead just taken from the mine, is a boil.

יג ואיזהו מכוה

13 And what is a burning?

יד נכוה בגחלת ברמץ בסיד רותח בגפסית רותח ובכל דבר הבא מחמת האור לאתויי חמי האור זו היא מכוה

14 A burn caused by a live coal, or hot ashes, or boiling lime, or boiling gypsum, or any burn that is caused by fire, including a burn caused by water heated by fire, is a burning.

טו ותניא

15 And it was further taught: In the case of [a wound which is both] a boil and a burning, if the boil came first then the subsequent burning annuls the boil [and it is considered a burn]; but if the burning came first then the subsequent boil annuls the burn [and it is considered a boil].

טז שחין ומכוה אם שחין קודם למכוה בטל מכוה את השחין ואם מכוה קודמת לשחין בטל שחין את המכוה

16 Now the circumstances of our case are as follows: A man had a boil of the size of half a bean,10

יז והכא היכי דמי

17 and was struck close to it with a red-hot spit, another wound of the size of half a bean resulting, [making the whole wound the size of a whole bean].

יח כגון דהוה ביה חצי גריס שחין מעיקרא וליבן שפוד והכה בו ונפק ביה חצי גריס אחר מאי

18 In such a case how [are we to consider the resulting wound]?

יט חבטא קדים ואתי הבלא ומבטל ליה לחבטא והוה ליה שחין ומכוה ולא מצטרפין

19 Did the force of the blow take effect first, and the burn caused by the glowing heat that followed annul the effect of the blow, so that the whole wound is composed of a boil and a burning [each to the extent of half a bean] which do not unite [to make him unclean]?

כ או דלמא הבלא קדים ואתי חבטא ומבטל ליה להבלא והוה ליה שחין ושחין ומצטרף

20 Or did the glowing heat take effect first, and the force of the blow that followed annul the effect of the glowing heat, and consequently the whole wound is composed of two boils [each to the extent of half a bean] which unite [to make him unclean]?

כא ת"ש דאמר ר' זירא אמר שמואל

21 Come and hear: R'Zera said in the name of Samuel: If one made a knife red-hot and slaughtered with it, the slaughtering is valid, because the effect of the sharp edge precedes the effect of the heat.

כב ליבן סכין ושחט בה שחיטתו כשירה חידודה קודם לליבונה

22 It thus proves that the force of th blow precedes [the glowing heat]! - No; in the case of a sharp edge it is different.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The sharp edge of a knife, being thin and pointed, cannot contain great heat; therefore only in such cases can it be said that the heat follows the blow, but not elsewhere.');">11

כג אלמא חבטא קדים

23 Come and hear: If one was struck with a red-hot spit, the resulting wound is regarded as a 'burning by fire'.12

כד חדוד שאני

24 It thus proves that the force of the blow precedes [the glowing heat].

כה ת"ש

25 - No; here too, the wound was made by a thrust with the point, which is a sharp edge.13

כו ליבן שפוד והכה בו נדון משום מכות אש אלמא חבטא קדים

26 R'Nahman said in the name of Rabbah B'Abbuha: A knife which has been used in connection with idolatrous services14

כז התם נמי דברזייה מיברז דהיינו חדוד:

27 may be used for slaughtering, but it may not be used for cutting up meat - 'It may be used for slaughtering', for thereby one impairs [the value];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A living animal is more useful and of more value than a slaughtered one; for, living, it may be used for breeding, for ploughing, and for food, but slaughtered, it has only its food value.');">15

כח אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה

28 'but it may not be used for cutting up meat', for thereby one enhances [the value],16

כט סכין של עבודת כוכבים מותר לשחוט בה ואסור לחתוך בה בשר

29 Raba remarked: There are times when one may not slaughter with it, to wit, if the animal is at the point of death;17

ל מותר לשחוט בה מקלקל הוא ואסור לחתוך בה בשר מתקן הוא

30 and there are times when one may cut up meat with it, to wit, if the meat was in large pieces intended for a present.18

לא אמר רבא

31 But should not the prohibition thereof be considered on account of the forbidden fat?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely the knife should be forbidden to be used even for cutting up meat on account of the forbidden fat of carrion that it has absorbed in the past. This forbidden fat would now be imparted into the meat.');">19

לב פעמים שהשוחט אסור במסוכנת ומחתך מותר באטמי דקיימין לקורבנא

לג ותיפוק ליה משום שמנונית דאיסורא

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