Chullin 199

בריה שאני:

It is different with the case of a separate entity.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is complete in itself it will not be neutralized in any quantity, however large.');">¹</span>

וכן חתיכה של נבלה [וכו']:

AND SO IT IS WITH A PIECE OF NEBELAH etc. Why is it not neutralized in the larger quantity [of the other substances in the mixture]?

ותבטיל ברובא

Now this is well according to him who says that the expression 'whatsoever one is wont to count'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In M. 'Orlah III, 6, 7 in the list of substances which are not neutralized in any quantity, however large.');">²</span>

הניחא למאן דאמר

was used;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' All things which a man might sell by number, even though this is not the invariable practice with regard to them for a man might sell them by weight or by bulk too, are not neutralized in any quantity. Pieces of meat, too, a man might sell by number, and therefore would come within the category of substances which do not become neutralized in a larger quantity.');">³</span>

כל שדרכו לימנות שנינו אלא למ"ד

but according to him who says that the expression '[only] that which one is wont to count'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whatsoever is more comprehensive than that. According to the former teaching neutralization is not permitted in the case of objects which are regarded as of sufficiently high commercial value to be sold in units rather than in bulk. According to the latter teaching neutralization is permitted in all cases except those where the objects are of such high value as not to be sold save by counting single units. Those things, however, which are sold by weight as well as by number would be neutralized in the larger mixture, v. Yeb. (Sonc. ed.) p. 551, n. 11. The question therefore remains, why is not the piece of nebelah neutralized in the larger mixture?');">⁴</span>

את שדרכו לימנות שנינו מאי איכא למימר

was used, what shall we say? - It is different with a whole piece since it is suitable to be offered to guests.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being a piece suitable for presentation it will never lose its identity or be neutralized in any quantity, however large.');">⁵</span>

שאני חתיכה הואיל וראויה להתכבד בה לפני האורחים

Now both cases were necessary to be stated [in the Mishnah].

וצריכא דאי אשמעינן גיד משום דבריה היא אבל חתיכה אימא לא ואי אשמעינן חתיכה הואיל וראויה להתכבד בה לפני האורחים אבל גיד אימא לא צריכא

For if we were taught only the case of the [sciatic] nerve, [we should have said that it is not neutralized] because it is specific entity, but this is not so with the case of a piece [of meat]; and if we were taught the case of a piec [of meat we should have said that it is not neutralized] because it is a piece suitable to be offered to guests, but this is not so with the case of the [sciatic] nerve.

דרש רבה בר בר חנה

Therefore both cases were necessary [to be stated].

חתיכה של נבלה ושל דג טמא אינה אוסרת עד שתתן טעם ברוטב ובקיפה ובחתיכות

Rabbah B'Bar Hana stated in a public lecture: A piece of nebelah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was recognizable in the mixture and so was removed therefrom. The only consideration being the essence or flavour that exuded from it.');">⁶</span>

אוקי רב אמורא עליה ודרש

or a piece of an unclean fish<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was recognizable in the mixture and so was removed therefrom. The only consideration being the essence or flavour that exuded from it.');">⁶</span>

כיון שנתן טעם בחתיכה חתיכה עצמה נעשת נבלה ואוסרת כל החתיכות כולן מפני שהן מינה

will not render forbidden [the mixture in which it is] until it imparts a flavour to the broth, in the sediments and in the pieces [of the stew].

אמר ליה רב ספרא לאביי

Rab thereupon appointed an Amora<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Speaker', 'interpreter'; the person who attended upon the lecturer for the purpose of expounding at length and in popular style the main points of the discourse given to him by the latter.');">⁷</span>

מכדי רב כמאן אמרה לשמעתיה כרבי יהודה דאמר

who stated as follows: As soon as it [the piece of nebelah] imparted its flavour to one piece that piece<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the piece which was first in the pot together with the piece of nebelah before the other pieces were put in, or the piece which was nearest the piece of nebelah and which therefore absorbed most of the essence of the latter.');">⁸</span>

מין במינו לא בטיל מאי איריא כי נתן טעם

itself is rendered [forbidden] like nebelah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it was not sixty times as large as the piece of nebelah.');">⁹</span>

אפילו כי לא נתן טעם נמי

and it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the piece which was first in the pot together with the piece of nebelah before the other pieces were put in, or the piece which was nearest the piece of nebelah and which therefore absorbed most of the essence of the latter.');">⁸</span>

אמר ליה

in turn renders all the other pieces forbidden<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even though the other pieces in the pot were as much as sixty times the volume of the piece of nebelah plus the one next to it.');">¹⁰</span>

הכא במאי עסקינן בשקדם וסלקו

for they are of like kind.

רבא אמר

R'Safra said to Abaye. Consider, Rab's ruling agrees, does it not, with the opinion of R'Judah who maintained that homogeneous substances cannot neutralize each other [in a mixture]? Why then [does he declare], 'As soon as it imparted its flavour'? Surely even if it did not impart any flavour to it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the piece which was first in the pot together with the piece of nebelah before the other pieces were put in, or the piece which was nearest the piece of nebelah and which therefore absorbed most of the essence of the latter.');">⁸</span> it would also [render the entire contents of the pot forbidden]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the forbidden substance is of the same kind as the rest of the contents of the pot.');">¹¹</span> - He replied: We are dealing here with the case where he straightway removed it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The piece of nebelah as well as the broth in the pot was removed before the other pieces were put in, leaving behind only one piece. If this piece therefore which remained contains the flavour of the nebelah, it is then regarded as nebelah itself and will render forbidden the pieces which are subsequently put in with it.');">¹²</span> Raba replied,