Chullin 253

ת"ל (ויקרא יא, כט) השורץ כל מקום ששורץ

The text therefore teaches: That creep<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');">¹</span>

או אינו אלא השורץ (יכול) כל המשריץ יטמא שאין משריץ לא יטמא אוציא עכבר שחציו בשר וחציו אדמה שאין פרה ורבה

signifies, wherever it creeps<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the light of this interpretation it could not have been maintained that a mouse cannot render unclean if it fell into the sea and there came into contact with some object. Consequently the term 'upon the earth' must be explained with regard to species, thus only land species can render unclean but not the sea species. .ra');">²</span>

ודין הוא

[it renders unclean].

טימא בחולדה וטימא בעכבר מה חולדה כל ששמה חולדה אף עכבר כל ששמו עכבר

But perhaps it is not so but that the expression 'that creep' signifies, all that breed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. might also mean to propagate, breed; cf. Ex. I, 7. Rashi, however, explains the word in the sense that the creature is the product of copulation of the sexes, which is not the case with the mouse that is generated by the earth itself. In some MSS. of Rashi this explanation is not found.');">³</span>

אביא עכבר שחציו בשר וחציו אדמה

can render unclean, but those that do not breed cannot render unclean, and so I would exclude the mouse which is half flesh and half earth since it does not breed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Consequently the expression 'upon the earth' would signify that all creatures, whether land or sea creatures, if they have fallen into the sea, cannot render anything unclean.');">⁴</span>

או כלך לדרך זו

There is, however, a good argument [against this]: [Scripture] declared the weasel unclean and the mouse unclean, therefore as the weasel refers to all that bear the name weasel, so the mouse refers to all that bear the name mouse, and [in this way] I include the mouse which is half flesh and half earth.

מה חולדה פרה ורבה אף עכבר פרה ורבה

Or you might argue in this way: As the weasel breeds so the mouse [includes all species that] breed, [and so I would exclude the mouse which is half flesh and half earth]! The text therefore teaches.

ת"ל (ויקרא יא, כט) בשרץ

Among the creeping things.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XI, 29. This would include even the mouse generated by the earth.');">⁵</span>

אמר ליה ההוא מדרבנן לרבא

A certain Rabbi said to Raba: Perhaps the expression 'among the creeping things' includes the mouse which is half flesh and half earth, and the expression 'that creep' signifies all that creep, thus including the sea-mouse, and as for the expression 'upon the earth', it would be interpreted as follows: While upon earth it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc., any mouse, whether land-mouse or sea-mouse, or the mouse generated from the earth.');">⁶</span>

אימא בשרץ לאתויי עכבר שחציו בשר וחציו אדמה השורץ כל שהוא שורץ ואפילו עכבר שבים

can render unclean, but if it went down into the sea it cannot render anything unclean? - He replied: Since you regard the sea as a place of uncleanness, then it is all one, whether here or there.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a breeding place for species that can render unclean. Since it has been established that the sea-mouse can render unclean, there is no sufficient reason, indeed it is illogical to limit such uncleanness to the time when it creeps upon the land.');">⁷</span>

ואי משום על הארץ על הארץ יטמא ירד לים לא יטמא

But is not the expression 'upon the earth' required to exclude a floating uncleanness where there is a doubt [concerning contact]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if a dead reptile was floating upon the water and there arose a doubt as to whether or not it had come into contact with some object, even if the doubt arose in a private domain (in which case the established rule is that the state of doubt is resolved according to its more stringent aspect. i.e., unclean) , the object remains clean. This is deduced from the strict interpretation of the expression 'upon the earth'. V. Nazir 64a.');">⁸</span>

אמר ליה

For R'Isaac B'Abdimi stated: The expression 'upon the earth' excludes a floating uncleanness concerning which there is a doubt! - 'Upon the earth' is written twice.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XI, 29 and 41.');">⁹</span>

ומאחר דשויתיה לים מקום טומאה מה לי הכא מה לי הכא

Our Rabbis taught: The toad after its kind,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XI. 29. surg');">¹⁰</span>

והאי על הארץ מיבעי ליה להוציא ספק טומאה צפה

includes the 'arod,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , a species of lizard; a cross between a snake and a toad. 'The watersnake' according to Lewysohn, op. cit. pp. 241-2. ihkhpb ihkhpb ic');">¹¹</span>

דא"ר יצחק בר אבדימי

the ben-nephilin,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' or , the skink; so Lewysohn, p. 225.');">¹²</span>

על הארץ להוציא ספק טומאה צפה

and the salamander.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A kind of lizard which was supposed to exist in fire without being burnt; v. Hag. end.');">¹³</span>

תרתי על הארץ כתיבי

When R'Akiba read this verse he used to say: 'How manifold are Thy works, O Lord!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CIV, 24. skj');">¹⁴</span>

ת"ר

Thou hast creatures that live in the sea and Thou hast creatures that live upon the dry land; if those of the sea were to come up upon the dry land they would straightway die, and if those of the dry land were to go down into the sea they would straightway die.

(ויקרא יא, כט) הצב למינהו להביא הערוד וכן הנפילים וסלמנדרא

Thou hast creatures that live in fire and Thou hast creatures that live in the air; if those of the fire were to come into the air they would straightway die, and if those of the air were to go down into the fire they would straightway die.

וכשהיה ר"ע מגיע לפסוק זה אומר

How manifold are Thy works, O Lord!'

(תהלים קד, כד) מה רבו מעשיך ה'

Our Rabbis taught: Every creature that is on the dry land is also to be found in the sea, excepting the weasel.

יש לך בריות גדלות בים ויש לך בריות גדלות ביבשה שבים אילמלי עולות ביבשה מיד מתות שביבשה אילמלי יורדות לים מיד מתות

R'Zera said: Where is there proof for this from Scripture?

יש לך בריות גדלות באור ויש לך בריות גדלות באויר שבאור אילמלי עולות לאויר מיד מתות שבאויר אילמלי יורדות לאור מיד מתות

Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XLIX, 2. 'The world' is expressed by the rare word (heled) which is similar to the word for the weasel (holed) . The world (heled) is the specific habitation of the weasel (holed) , for the latter is not to be found in the sea.');">¹⁵</span>

מה רבו מעשיך ה'

R'Huna the son of R'Joshua said.

תנו רבנן

The beavers around Naresh<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Identical with Nahras, on the canal of the same name, on the East bank of the Euphrates.');">¹⁶</span>

כל שיש ביבשה יש בים חוץ מן החולדה

are not land [creatures].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So according to Rashi. Tosaf., however, gives an entirely different rendering: 'The inhabitants of Bibri and of Naresh are not fit for human society' (i.e., they are in every way wicked, see following statement of R. Papa) . Accordingly Bibri (Be-Bari) is taken as the town close to Naresh; cf. 'Er. ');">¹⁷</span>

אמר ר' זירא

R'Papa said.

מאי קראה (תהלים מט, ב) האזינו כל יושבי חלד

The ban upon Naresh, its fat, its hide, and its tail!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The inhabitants of Naresh, both great and small, all without exception are wicked, and should be put under the ban. The fat, the hide, and the tail, indicate the various sections of the community.');">¹⁸</span>

אמר רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע

O Land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXII, 29.');">¹⁹</span>

ביברי דנרש אינן מן הישוב

Said R'Papa.

אמר רב פפא

Yet the inhabitants of Naresh would not hear the word of the Lord.

בשמתא נרש תרביה משכיה ואליתיה

R'Giddal said in the name of Rab, If an inhabitant of Naresh has kissed you then count your teeth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For they are all thieves and insincere in their profession of friendship.');">²⁰</span>

(ירמיהו כב, כט) ארץ ארץ ארץ שמעי דבר ה' אמר רב פפא

If a man of Nehar Pekod accompanies you it is because of the fine garments he sees on you.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He will steal it from you at the first opportunity.');">²¹</span>

לא אבה נרש שמוע דבר ה'

If a Pumbedithan accompanies you then change your quarters.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That he may not rob you. rgh');">²²</span>

אמר רב גידל אמר רב

R'Huna B'Torta said: I once went to Wa'ad<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The name of a certain place whose inhabitants used to engage in crossbreeding animals. A variant reading is, , 'a forest'.');">²³</span>

נרשאה נשקיך מני ככיך

and saw a snake wrapped round a toad; after some days there came forth an 'arod from between them.

נהר פקודאה לוייך מגלימא שפירא דחזי עלך

When I came before R'Simeon the pious, [and related this to him,] he said to me: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: They have produced a new creature which I had not created into my world, I too will bring upon them a creature which I had not created in my world.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the 'arod whose bite is deadly; cf. Ber. 331.');">²⁴</span>

פומבדיתאה לוייך אשני אושפיזך

²⁵ All creatures whose manner of copulation is the same and whose period of gestation is the same can bear young from each other and suckle each other, but all creatures whose manner of copulation is not the same and whose period of gestation is not the same cannot bear young from each other nor suckle each other?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The periods of gestation of a snake and a toad differ greatly; with the latter it is six months, with the former seven years, cf. Bek. 8a, consequently they cannot be crossed.');">²⁶</span>

אמר רב הונא בר תורתא

- Rab said: It was a miracle within a miracle.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' First that each should leave its own kind, and secondly that these two kinds should bear from each other.');">²⁷</span>

פעם אחת הלכתי לוועד וראיתי נחש שהוא כרוך על הצב לימים יצא ערוד מביניהם

But this is for chastisement!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' God surely would not perform miracles for the purpose of chastisement.');">²⁸</span>

וכשבאתי לפני ר' שמעון החסיד אמר לי

- It was a micracle<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M. Cur. edd., 'what is the meaning of a miracle within a miracle? For the purpose of punishment.'');">²⁹</span>

אמר הקב"ה

within a miracle even for chastisement!"&gt;

הם הביאו בריה שלא בראתי בעולמי אף אני אביא עליהם בריה שלא בראתי בעולמי

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>LIMBS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., pieces consisting of bones, flesh and sinews. A limb entirely severed from the living animal renders unclean men and vessels like a carcass, whereas a piece of flesh entirely severed from the animal has no uncleanness whatsoever, v. infra 128b.');">³⁰</span>

והאמר מר

OR PIECES OF FLESH WHICH HANG LOOSE FROM THE [LIVING] ANIMAL ARE RENDERED UNCLEAN IN RESPECT OF FOOD UNCLEANNESS WHILST THEY ARE IN THEIR PLACE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although they are not severed from the animal and the animal whilst alive cannot contract or convey uncleanness, they are in this respect regarded as detached from the animal, provided they were expressly intended to serve as food (for a gentile, cf. 'Uk. III, 2) , so as to contract uncleanness like ordinary foodstuffs and also to convey it.');">³¹</span>

כל שתשמישן ועיבורן שוה יולדין ומגדלין זה מזה וכל שאין תשמישן ועיבורן שוה אין יולדין ומגדלין זה מזה

AND REQUIRE TO BE RENDERED SUSCEPTIBLE TO UNCLEANNESS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By being moistened by water or one of the seven liquids (v. Maksh. VI, 4) at any time after they have been torn loose.');">³²</span>

אמר רב

נס בתוך נס

האי פורענותא הוא

מאי נס בתוך נס לפורענות:

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> האבר והבשר המדולדלין בבהמה מטמאין טומאת אוכלין במקומן וצריכין הכשר