Chullin 245:1

איבו אמרה וארבעי אמר בה וחדא מינייהו עבודה

It was Aibu who reported this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish, and not R. Abbahu.');">¹</span>

א"ר יוסי בר' חנינא

and he mentioned four things, one of which was the trampling for tanning.

לא שנו אלא לפניו אבל לאחריו אפילו מיל אחד אינו חוזר

R'Jose B'R'Hanina said: This 'teaching applies only to the distance ahead of him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This distinction obviously according to Rashi does not refer to the case of the kneader, for to him it would make no difference in which kcdk direction he would have to go. V. however, Tosaf. supra ');">²</span>

רב אחא בר יעקב אמר

but [as for going] back he need not turn back even one mil.

ומינה מיל הוא דאינו חוזר הא פחות ממיל חוזר:

R'Aha B'Jacob said: From this [can be inferred that] a distance of one mil he need not turn back, but a distance of less than a mil he must turn back.

ת"ר

Our Rabbis taught: If a [Roman] legion which passes from place to place enters a house, the house is unclean, for there is not a legion that does not carry with it several scalps.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As mementos of victories, or, as Rashi suggests, to serve as charms against danger in battle.');">³</span>

ליגיון העובר ממקום למקום ונכנס לבית הבית טמא שאין לך כל ליגיון וליגיון שאין לו כמה קרקפלין

And be not surprised at this; for R'Ishmael's scalp was placed upon the head of kings.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. A.Z. 11b, Sonc. ed., p. 58.');">⁴</span>

ואל תתמה שהרי קרקפלו של ר' ישמעאל מונח בראש מלכים:

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>IF A MAN WAS FLAYING CATTLE OR WILD ANIMALS, CLEAN OR UNCLEAN,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Either the animal was clean (i.e., of the species fit for food, and also slaughtered ritually) and the man who flayed it was unclean, or the animal was unclean (i.e., either of the former species but not ritually slaughtered, or of the species that are forbidden to be eaten even though slaughtered ritually) and the man who flayed it was clean.');">⁵</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> המפשיט בבהמה ובחיה בטהורה ובטמאה בדקה ובגסה לשטיח כדי אחיזה ולחמת עד שיפשיט את החזה

SMALL OR LARGE, IN ORDER TO USE THE HIDE FOR A COVERING,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For this purpose the hide was slit the whole length of the animal and flayed on both flanks, the result being one large sheet of hide.');">⁶</span>

המרגיל כולו חבור לטומאה ליטמא ולטמא

[THE HIDE] IS REGARDED AS A CONNECTIVE [WITH THE FLESH] IN RESPECT OF UNCLEANNESS, FOR THE FLESH TO CONTRACT UNCLEANNESS OR CONVEY UNCLEANNESS, UNTIL SO MUCH [OF THE] HIDE HAS BEEN FLAYED AS CAN BE TAKEN HOLD OF;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Until this much has been flayed that portion which has actually been flayed is not regarded as entirely disconnected from the flesh but rather as a 'handle' which conveys uncleanness to and from the flesh. Once this extent (- for the measure v. Gemara -) has been flayed the hide is regarded as disconnected and can no longer serve as a handle.');">⁷</span>

עור שעל הצואר רבי יוחנן בן נורי אומר

OR IF [IT WAS BEING FLAYED] FOR A WATER-SKIN,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For this purpose the hide was not slit lengthwise but was cut around the neck and flayed whole from the animal so as to form a receptacle to hold liquids.');">⁸</span>

אינו חבור

UNTIL THE BREAST HAS BEEN FLAYED;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The breast is the most difficult part of the operation of flaying for the hide adheres fast there and, therefore, so long as the region of the breast has not been flayed that which has already been flayed serves as a connective or 'handle' to the flesh.');">⁹</span>

וחכ"א

OR IF IT WAS BEING FLAYED FROM THE FEET UPWARDS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In this manner of flaying, the region around the breast is the last important section to be flayed, although there yet remains the skin around the neck to be flayed.');">¹⁰</span>

חבור עד שיפשיט את כולו:

UNTIL THE WHOLE HIDE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whether this includes the flaying of the skin around the neck or not, is the subject of the following dispute between R. Johanan b. Nuri and the Sages.');">¹¹</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מכאן ואילך מאי

[HAS BEEN FLAYED].

אמר רב

AS FOR THE SKIN THAT IS ON THE NECK, R'JOHANAN B. NURI DOES NOT REGARD IT AS A CONNECTIVE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is negligible and soon falls away of itself by the weight of the rest of the hide, and therefore can no longer serve as a connective.');">¹²</span>

טהור המופשט

BUT THE SAGES DO REGARD IT AS A CONNECTIVE UNTIL THE WHOLE HIDE HAS BEEN FLAYED.

רבי אסי אמר

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>What is the law when more than this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. as much as can be taken hold of; a handgrip.');">¹³</span>

טפח הסמוך לבשר טמא

[has been flayed]? - Rab said: That which has already been flayed is clean;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But that which still adheres to the flesh serves as a 'protection' and conveys uncleanness to and from the flesh.');">¹⁴</span>

מיתיבי

R'Assi said: The handbreadth nearest to the flesh is unclean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The last handbreadth of the skin that had been flayed nearest to the flesh is unclean, i.e., it serves as a 'handle' to convey uncleanness to and from the flesh.');">¹⁵</span>

המפשיט כשיעור הזה מכאן ואילך הנוגע במופשט טהור

An objection was raised: If a man had flayed this extent,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As much as a handgrip.');">¹⁶</span>

מאי לאו אפי' בטפח הסמוך לבשר

henceforth whosoever touches that which has already been flayed is clean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Assuming the animal was itself unclean; for it does not serve as a 'handle'.');">¹⁷</span>

לא לבד מטפח הסמוך לבשר

Presumably [this is so] even [if he touches] the handbreadth nearest to the flesh?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Contra R. Assi.');">¹⁸</span>

תא שמע

- No, except for the handbreadth nearest to the flesh.

בעור שכנגד הבשר טמא עור שכנגד הבשר טמא

Come and hear: [Whosoever touches] the skin opposite the flesh is unclean.

הא בטפח הסמוך לבשר טהור

[That is, presumably whosoever touches] the skin opposite the flesh only is unclean, but [whosoever touches the skin in] the handbreadth nearest to the flesh is clean! - This Tanna expresses the handbreadth nearest to the flesh by the term 'the skin opposite the flesh'.

תנא כל טפח הסמוך לבשר עור שכנגד הבשר קרי ליה

Come and hear: If a man flayed cattle or wild animals, clean or unclean, small or large, in order to use the hide for a covering, [and he flayed] so much [of the hide] as can be taken hold of, [it does not serve as a connective], and the handbreadth nearest to the flesh is clean! - That refers to the first handbreadth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Assi admits that where only so much of the hide as can be taken hold of plus one handbreadth had been flayed the handbreadth nearest to the flesh is not deemed a 'handle' for the amount flayed is too little to be made use of as a handle. For a var. text and interpretation v. Tos. s.v. aurhpc .');">¹⁹</span>

ת"ש

It was taught: How much is meant by 'so much as can be taken hold of'? - A handbreadth.

המפשיט בבהמה ובחיה בטהורה ובטמאה בדקה ובגסה לשטיח כדי אחיזה וטפח הסמוך לבשר טהור

But it was taught: Two handbreadths! - Abaye explained (The former Baraitha meant) a double handbreadth.

הכא במאי עסקינן בטפח ראשון

And so it has been expressly taught: How much is 'so much as can be taken hold of'.

תנא

A double handbreadth.

כמה כדי אחיזה טפח

We have learnt elsewhere:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kel. XXVIII, 8.');">²⁰</span>

והא תניא טפחיים

If a man had begun to tear a garment<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order to render it clean by making it unfit for its former use.');">²¹</span>

אמר אביי

, so soon as the greater part of it is torn<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The original garment is now deemed to be destroyed and with it the uncleanness it bore, even though each part of the garment is of a substantial size (Rashi) . According to Tosaf. the garment was torn to shreds there was no piece the width of three fingerbreadths but these ,gac shreds were joined at one end (v. Tosaf. supra ');">²²</span>

טפח כפול

the parts can no longer be deemed to be joined and it is clean.

תניא נמי הכי

R'Nahman said in the name of Rabbah B'Abbuha: This [teaching] applies only to a garment which had been immersed that same day,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ordinarily the garment by evening would be clean, but this man desiring to use it immediately with clean things sets a bout to tear it. Now since he has actually immersed it in the waters of a mikweh, an act which certainly does not improve the garment, he will have no hesitation in tearing the greater part of the garment.');">²³</span>

כמה כדי אחיזה טפח כפול

for since he did not shrink from immersing it, he likewise will not shrink from tearing the greater part of it; but it does not apply to a garment which had not been immersed that same day, for it is to be feared that he will not tear the greater part of it.

תנן התם

Thereupon Rabbah said: There are two objections to this argument.

טלית שהתחיל בה לקורעה כיון שנקרע רובה שוב אינו חבור וטהורה

In the first place [it certainly cannot apply to a garment which had been immersed that same day], for people might say that immersion during the day is sufficient [to render an article clean];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For those who saw the immersion of the article by day and later see it used that selfsame day with clean things, will be led to believe that immersion by itself renders an article clean without the additional necessity of waiting until sunset of that day, for they might not be aware of the fact that the garment had been torn.');">²⁴</span>

אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה

secondly,

לא שנו אלא בטלית טבולת יום דמיגו דלא חס עלה ואטבלה לא חייס עלה וקרע לה רובה

אבל טלית שאינה טבולת יום לא גזרה דלמא לא אתי למיקרעה רובה

אמר רבה

שתי תשובות בדבר חדא שמא יאמרו טבילה בת יומא עולה ועוד