Chullin 190

מחוור רישא

washing the head [of an animal in the water].

נפל מיניה אזל אייתי סילתא שדא אסיק תרין

It fell out of his hand, so he went and fetched a basket, threw it [into the water] and brought up two heads.

אמר רב

Said Rab, 'Is this what usually happens? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On losing one thing to find two.');">¹</span>

עבדי נמי הכי

And he forbade him both [heads].

אסרינהו ניהליה

Thereupon R'Kahana and R'Assi said to Rab, 'Are only forbidden [heads] found here and not permitted ones? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The second head might very well have been a permitted one which had previously fallen into the river.');">²</span>

אמרי ליה רב כהנא ורב אסי לרב

He replied.'

דאיסורא שכיחי דהתירא לא שכיחי

The forbidden ones are more frequently found'.

אמר להו

But what if it was only inferred?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This incident clearly shows Rab's view as stated above (p. 533, n. 9) .');">³</span>

דאיסורא שכיחי טפי

- It was a jetty frequented mostly by gentiles.

וכי מכללא מאי

Indeed you may be certain of this from his reply: 'The forbidden ones are more frequently found [here]'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which can only be explained by the fact that the place was frequented mostly by gentiles. In other districts, however, both heads might have been permitted, even though they had been out of sight for some time. Thus Rab's principle cannot be definitely inferred from this incident.');">⁴</span>

פרוותא דעובדי כוכבים הואי

According to this how could Rab eat meat?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it would be forbidden if only it was, for one moment, out of sight.');">⁵</span>

תדע דקאמר להו

- You may say [that he ate meat] soon [after the slaughtering], so that he did not lose sight of it; or only if it was wrapped up and sealed, or if it bore some distinguishing mark.

דאיסורא שכיחי טפי

Thus Rabbah son of R'Huna used to cut up [the meat] in the shape of a triangle.

אלא רב היכי אכל בשרא

Rab was once going to his son-in-law R'Hanan when he saw a ferry-boat coming towards him.

בשעתיה דלא עלים עיניה מיניה

Said he to himself: When the ferry-boat comes to meet one it is a good omen.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it will be a good day in there', i.e., at the place where he proposed to go.');">⁶</span>

איבעית אימא

As he came to the door he looked through the crack of the door and he saw the meat of an animal hanging up.

בציירא וחתומא

He then knocked at the door and everybody came out to meet him, even the butchers too.

ואי נמי

Rab however did not take his eyes off [the meat] and said to them: 'If that is how [you look after things], then you are giving my daughter's children forbidden meat to eat'.

בסימנא

And Rab did not eat of that meat.

כי הא דרבה ב"ר הונא מחתך ליה אתלת קרנתא

But why?

רב הוה קאזיל לבי רב חנן חתניה חזי מברא דקאתי לאפיה אמר

If because of meat that had disappeared from sight, but here he did not lose sight of it; and if because of the omen,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which he had expressed about the ferry-boat coming towards him.');">⁷</span>

מברא קאתי לאפי יומא טבא לגו

but Rab himself has said: An omen which is not after the form pronounced by Eliezer,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Gen. XXIV, 14.');">⁸</span>

אזל קם אבבא אודיק בבזעא דדשא חזי חיותא דתליא

Abraham's servant, or by Jonathan<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. I Sam. XIV, 9, 10.');">⁹</span>

טרף אבבא נפוק אתו כולי עלמא לאפיה אתא טבחי נמי לא עלים רב עיניה מיניה

the son of Saul, is not considered a divination!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the sense that is forbidden by Lev. XIX, 26. In the two cases mentioned the action to be taken was entirely dependent upon the happening of a certain event, and this is prohibited. But to interpret a certain event as an omen either for good or evil, is not prohibited.');">¹⁰</span>

אמר להו

- [The reason is that] it was a meal of free choice<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As opposed to a meal in fulfilment of a religious precept.');">¹¹</span>

איכו השתא ספיתו להו איסורא לבני ברת

and Rab would not partake of a meal of free choice.

לא אכל רב מההוא בישרא

Rab used to regard a ferry-boat as a sign.

מ"ט

Samuel a [passage in a] book,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the ferry-boat was coming towards one, or if a passage selected at random from a book or the verse quoted by a child was of a happy nature, - each was regarded as a good omen for a successful venture. hknd hkhud');">¹²</span>

אי משום איעלומי הא לא איעלים

and R'Johanan [a verse quoted] by a child.

אלא דנחיש והאמר רב

During the lifetime of Rab, R'Johanan used to address him thus in his letters: Greetings to our Master in Babylon! After Rab's death R'Johanan used to address Samuel thus: Greetings to our colleague in Babylon! Said Samuel to himself, 'Is there nothing in which I am his master'?

כל נחש שאינו כאליעזר עבד אברהם וכיונתן בן שאול אינו נחש

He thereupon sent [to R'Johanan] the calculations for the intercalation of months for sixty years.

אלא סעודת הרשות הואי ורב לא מתהני מסעודת הרשות

Said [R'Johanan], 'He only knows mere calculations'.

רב בדיק במברא ושמואל בדיק בספרא רבי יוחנן בדיק בינוקא

So he [Samuel] wrote out and sent [R'Johanan] thirteen camel loads<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Reading . According to R. Han.: , 'parchment scrolls'.');">¹³</span>

כולהו שני דרב הוה כתב ליה רבי יוחנן

of questions concerning doubtful cases of trefah.

לקדם רבינו שבבבל

Said [R'Johanan], 'It is clear that I have a Master in Babylon; I must go and see him'.

כי נח נפשיה הוה כתב לשמואל

So he said to a child, 'Tell me the [last] verse you have learnt'.

לקדם חבירינו שבבבל

He answered: 'Now Samuel was dead'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. XXVIII, 3.');">¹⁴</span>

אמר

Said [R'Johanan], 'This means that Samuel has died'.

לא ידע לי מידי דרביה אנא

But it was not the case; Samuel was not dead then, and [this happened] only that R'Johanan should not trouble himself.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To go to Babylon to visit Samuel.');">¹⁵</span>

כתב שדר ליה עיבורא דשיתין שני

It was taught: R'Simeon B'Eleazar says: Although a house or a child or a marriage must not be used for divination, they may be taken as a sign.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If a man's first undertaking immediately after a great day in his life, such as the building of a house, the birth of a child or his marriage, proves to be successful, he may regard it as suspicious and as a prognostic of success, and may view cheerfully all future undertakings of a similar nature. If, on the other hand, it proves to be unsuccessful, he should in the future view similar undertakings with apprehension. To place implicit faith and absolute reliance upon the outcome of the first undertaking is forbidden by the Torah as augury and divination (v. Lev. XIX, 26) . One may, nevertheless, regard it as an indication of the future.');">¹⁶</span>

אמר

R'Eleazar added: Provided it was established so on three occasions,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he met with a sequence of three successes or three reverses.');">¹⁷</span>

השתא חושבנא בעלמא ידע

for it is written: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me all these things come.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XLII, 36.');">¹⁸</span>

כתב שדר ליה תליסר גמלי ספקי טריפתא

R'Huna enquired of Rab: What if [pieces of meat were] strung together?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the entire string of meat had disappeared for a moment from sight.');">¹⁹</span>

אמר

- He replied: Don't be a fool; if strung together it is certainly a distinguishing sign.

אית לי רב בבבל איזיל איחזייה

Others report this as follows:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not as a question put by R. Huna but as a definite statement of the law.');">²⁰</span>

א"ל לינוקא

R'Huna said in the name of Rab, If pieces of meat were strung together this is regarded as a distinguishing sign.

פסוק לי פסוקיך

R'Nahman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' MS.M. R. Hanan.');">²¹</span>

אמר ליה

of Nehardea once came to R'Kahana at Pum Nahara<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the Tigris.');">²²</span>

(שמואל א כח, ג) ושמואל מת

on the eve of the day of Atonement when they saw ravens dropping [from their beaks] pieces of liver and kidneys.

אמר

Said [R'Kahana] to the other, pick them up and eat them, for to-day that which is permitted is more common.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For much meat was eaten on the eve of the Day of Atonement in preparation for the fast, v. supra 83a, and therefore any meat found, or carried away by ravens, would in all probability be meat that was ritually slaughtered.');">²³</span>

ש"מ נח נפשיה דשמואל

R'Hiyya B'Abin once lost the large intestine of an animal amongst a stack of barrels [and subsequently found it] and he came to enquire about it of R'Huna.'

ולא היא לא שכיב שמואל אלא כי היכי דלא ליטרח רבי יוחנן

Have you a distinguishing mark on it'?

תניא רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר

asked [R'Huna].'

בית תינוק ואשה אף על פי שאין נחש יש סימן

No', he replied.'

אמר ר' אלעזר

Would you be able to recognize it [by general impression]? 'Yes', he replied.'

והוא דאיתחזק תלתא זימני דכתיב

Then you may go and take it.'

(בראשית מב, לו) יוסף איננו ושמעון איננו ואת בנימין תקחו

R'Hanina Hoza'ah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of Hozae, the modern Khuzistan.');">²⁴</span>

בעא מיניה רב הונא מרב

once lost a side of meat [and subsequently found it].

בחרוזין מהו

He came to R'Nahman who said to him, 'Have you a distinguishing mark on it? ' He replied: 'No'.'

א"ל

Would you be able to recognize it? ' He replied: 'Yes'.'

אל תהי שוטה

Then you may go and take it'.

בחרוזין הרי זה סימן

R'Nathan B'Abaye once lost a ball of blue wool.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was prepared for use in the Zizith (cf. Num. XV, 38) . The blue dye was very scarce and every precaution had to be taken to guard against imitations and spurious kinds.');">²⁵</span>

איכא דאמרי אמר רב הונא אמר רב

He came before R'Hisda who said to him, 'Have you a distinguishing mark on it? ' He replied: 'No'.'

בחרוזין הרי זה סימן

Would you be able to recognize it'?

רב נחמן מנהרדעא איקלע לגבי רב כהנא לפום נהרא במעלי יומא דכפורי אתו עורבי שדו כבדי וכוליתא

He replied: 'Yes'.'

אמר ליה

Then you may use it'.

שקול ואכול האידנא דהיתרא שכיח טפי

Raba said: At first I thought that [identification by] a distinguishing mark was more reliable than [identification by] general impression,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'impression of the eye'.');">²⁶</span>

רב חייא בר אבין איתבד ליה כרכשא (בי דינא) אתא לקמיה דרב הונא אמר ליה

since we must return a lost article [to anyone who mentions] a distinguishing mark on it,

אית לך סימנא בגויה

א"ל

לא

אית לך טביעות עינא בגויה

אמר ליה

אין

אם כן זיל שקול

רב חנינא חוזאה איתבד ליה גבא דבשרא אתא לקמיה דרב נחמן אמר ליה

אית לך סימנא בגויה

אמר ליה

לא

אית לך טביעות עינא בגויה

אמר ליה

אין

אם כן זיל שקול

רב נתן בר אביי איתבד ליה קיבורא דתכלתא אתא לקמיה דרב חסדא אמר ליה

אית לך סימנא בגויה

אמר ליה

לא

אית לך טביעות עינא בגויה

אמר ליה

אין

אם כן זיל שקול

אמר רבא

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