Chullin 279:1

(דניאל ד, ט) ובענפוהי ידורן צפרי שמיא

It is written: And the zippor of the heaven dwelt in the branches thereof!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. IV, 9. Since here there is no other synonym for bird mentioned in the verse, then surely the term 'zippor' includes all, both clean and unclean birds.');">¹</span>

צפרי שמיא איקרו צפרי סתמא לא איקרו

- They<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. unclean birds.');">²</span>

ת"ש

are designated 'the zippor of the heaven', but not 'zippor' alone.

(דברים יד, יא) כל צפור טהורה מכלל דאיכא טמאה

Come and hear: It is written: Every zippor that is clean ye may eat;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIV, 11.');">³</span>

לא מכלל דאיכא אסורה

from which we may deduce that there is [a zippor] that is unclean! - No, we may deduce that there is [a zippor] that is forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although it is a clean bird.');">⁴</span>

מאי היא

But which is that?

אי טרפה בהדיא כתיב

If it is one that is trefah, but this is expressly stated<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Lev. XXII, 8, which verse, according to Rabbinic tradition, refers to a clean bird that was rendered trefah.');">⁵</span>

ואי בשחוטה דמצורע מסיפא דקרא נפקא (דברים יד, יב) וזה אשר לא תאכלו מהם לרבות שחוטת מצורע

[to be forbidden].

לעולם בשחוטה דמצורע ולעבור עליו בעשה ובלא תעשה

And if it is the slaughtered bird of the leper,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIV, 4, 5. Of the two birds used in the purification rites of a leper one was slaughtered and was thereupon rendered forbidden for all purposes, cf. Kid. 57a, A.Z. 74a.');">⁶</span>

ולוקמה בטרפה ולעבור עליו בעשה ולא תעשה

but this is inferred from the next verse: And these are they of which ye shall not eat,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIV, 12. 'Of which' clearly refers to those clean birds mentioned in the preceding verse, implying that some of those are forbidden even though clean.');">⁷</span>

דבר הלמד מענינו ובענינא דשחוטה כתיב

which includes the slaughtered bird of the leper!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Kid. loc. cit.');">⁸</span>

ת"ש

- It is, in truth, the slaughtered bird of the leper,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That is excluded from v. 11.');">⁹</span>

(ויקרא יד, ד) שתי צפרים חיות

and [it is repeated so as to teach that] one infringes on that account a positiv and also a negative precept.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By deriving any benefit from the slaughtered bird of the leper one transgresses the negative precept implied in Deut. XIV, 12, and also the positive precept (i.e., the negative inference from a positive precept which has the force of a positive precept) derived from Deut. XIV, 11.');">¹⁰</span>

מאי חיות לאו שחיות בפיך מכלל דאיכא לאו שחיות בפיך

But why not say that it is a trefah bird [that is meant, and it teaches that] on infringes on that account a positive and also a negative precept? - 'The meaning of a verse is to be deduced from its context', and the context deals with those that are slaughtered.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the passage begins with the verse: 'Every clean bird ye may eat', which means, of course, only if slaughtered.');">¹¹</span>

לא מאי חיות שחיין ראשי אברים שלהן

Come and hear: It is written: Two living zipparim.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIV, 4.');">¹²</span>

ת"ש מסיפא

Now what is meant by 'living'?

טהורות מכלל דאיכא טמאות

It means, does it not, those that are fit for your mouth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'living in your mouth', i.e., permitted to be eaten.');">¹³</span>

לא מכלל דאיכא טרפות

and from which follows that there are also those [zipparim] that are not fit for your mouth? - No, by 'living' is meant those whose principal limbs are living.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And only excludes those clean birds which have an entire limb missing.');">¹⁴</span>

טרפות מחיות נפקא

Come and hear from the next word [in the above verse]: Clean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIV, 4.');">¹²</span>

הניחא למאן דאמר טרפה חיה אלא למ"ד טרפה אינה חיה מאי איכא למימר

Is not the inference that there are unclean [zipparim]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which are excluded from use in the purification rites of a leper.');">¹⁵</span>

ועוד בין למ"ד טרפה חיה בין למ"ד אינה חיה מדתנא דבי ר' ישמעאל נפקא דתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל

- No, the inference is that there are trefah [clean birds].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which are excluded from use in the purification rites of a leper.');">¹⁵</span>

נאמר מכשיר ומכפר בפנים ונאמר מכשיר ומכפר בחוץ מה מכשיר ומכפר האמור בפנים עשה בו מכשיר כמכפר אף מכשיר ומכפר האמור בחוץ עשה בו מכשיר כמכפר

But are not trefah birds excluded by the term 'living'?

אלא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק

Of course this presents no difficulty t him who says that a trefah can continue to live,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 42a.');">¹⁶</span>

למעוטי צפורי עיר הנדחת

but according to him who says that a trefah cannot continue to live what can be said?

למאי

Moreover, both according to him who says that a trefah can continue to live and him who says that it cannot continue to live, this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a trefah bird may not be used in the purification rites of a leper.');">¹⁷</span>

אי לשילוח לא אמרה תורה שלח לתקלה

is inferred from the teaching of a Tanna of the school of R'Ishmael.

אלא לשחיטה

For a Tanna of the school of R'Ishmael taught: There have been prescribed qualifying and atoning sacrifices within the Temple, and there have been prescribed qualifying and atoning sacrifices outside the Temple;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A qualifying sacrifice is one that renders a person fit to enter the Temple and partake of sacred food; in most cases (e.g., the sin-offering brought by a woman after childbirth, or the guilt-offering of a leper) the service of the sacrifice was performed inside the Temple, but in some cases (e.g. the bird-offerings of a leper) the service was performed outside the Temple. An atoning sacrifice, on the other hand, is one that atones for a sin committed; in most cases (e.g., the usual sin-offerings and guilt-offerings) the service of the sacrifice was performed inside the Temple, but in a few cases (e.g., the Scapegoat, and the heifer whose neck was to be broken) the service was performed outside the Temple.');">¹⁸</span>

רבא אמר

just as with regard to the qualifying and atoning sacrifices prescribed within the Temple, the qualifying sacrifices are equal to the atoning sacrifices, so with regard to the qualifying and atoning sacrifices prescribed outside the Temple, the qualifying sacrifices are equal to the atoning sacrifices!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore what is regarded as unfit for an atoning sacrifice, e.g. an animal that is trefah or has a physical blemish, may not be used for a qualifying sacrifice. Hence a trefah bird may not be used for the purification rites of a leper, and there is no need for any express term to exclude it.');">¹⁹</span>

למעוטי שלא לזווג לה אחרת קודם שלוחיה למאי

- Rather said R'Nahman B'Isaac, [The expression 'clean'] serves to exclude the birds of a beguiled city.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A city whose inhabitants were enticed into idolatry was to be utterly destroyed and everything belonging to it was forbidden absolutely; cf. Deut. XIII, 13ff. The term 'clean' thus excludes the birds of this town from being used in the purification rites of the leper.');">²⁰</span>

אי לשחיטה הא בעיא שילוח

But for which one?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For which of the two birds of the leper's offering could such a bird be used? Cf. Lev. XIV, 4ff, where two birds are prescribed for the leper's offering, one was to be slaughtered whilst the other was to be set free.');">²¹</span>

אלא לשילוח

If for the one that must be set free, but surely the Torah would not enjoin to set it free if it would thereby lead to transgression!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'for a stumbling-block'. The finder of the bird, not knowing that it originally came from a beguiled city, will eat it, and so be led into sin by another's performance of a precept. On this ground therefore it cannot be suggested that birds from a beguiled city may be used for the leper's offering.');">²²</span>

רב פפא אמר

Rather it could serve for the one that must be slaughtered.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word 'clean' is therefore necessary to exclude such a bird.');">²³</span>

לצפורים שהחליפו (בצפורי) עבודה זרה דכתיב (דברים ז, כו) והיית חרם כמוהו כל מה שאתה מהייה הימנו כמוהו למאי

Raba said, [The expression 'clean'] serves to exclude [the following case]: that one may not use this bird before it is set free so as to make up the pair of birds [for the purification rites] of another leper.

אי לשילוח לא אמרה תורה שלח לתקלה

But for which one?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the second leper's birds would it at all be possible for this to be used.');">²⁴</span>

אלא לשחיטה

If for the one that was to be slaughtered, but surely it must be set free!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order to fulfil the rites for the purification of the first leper; thus it certainly may not be slaughtered for the second leper.');">²⁵</span>

רבינא אמר

Rather it could serve for the one that was to be set free.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it could' serve this same purpose for both lepers, were it not for the fact that the word 'clean' excludes such a case.');">²⁶</span>

הכא במאי עסקינן בעוף שהרג את הנפש היכי דמי

R'Papa said, [The expression 'clean'] serves to exclude birds that were obtained in exchange for an idol, for it is written: And become a devoted thing like unto it;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VII, 26.');">²⁷</span>

אי דגמר דינא בר קטלא הוא

whatever you bring into being from [the devoted thing] is to be treated like it.

אלא קודם גמר דינא ולמאי

But for which one?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra n. 2.');">²⁸</span>

אי לשילוח בעי לאתויי לבי דינא וקיומי (דברים יג, ו) ובערת הרע מקרבך

If for the one that must be set free, but surely the Torah would not enjoin to set it free if it would thereby lead to transgression! Rather it could serve for the one tha must be slaughtered,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The term 'clean' is therefore necessary to exclude such a bird from use in the purification rites of the leper.');">²⁹</span>

אלא לשחיטה:

Rabina said: We are dealing here with a bird that had killed a man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 807, n. 10.');">³⁰</span>

עוף טמא רובץ על ביצי עוף טהור:

But what are the circumstances?

בשלמא עוף טמא רובץ על ביצי טהור בעינן צפור וליכא

If it had already been condemned, then it must be put to death; we must therefore say that it had not yet been condemned.

אלא עוף טהור רובץ על ביצי עוף טמא הא צפור הוא

But for which one [of the leper's birds might this be used]?

כדאמר רב כהנא

If for the one that must be set free, but surely it must be brought to the Beth din so as to carry into effect the verse: So sh thou put away the evil from the midst of thee!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIII, 6.');">³¹</span>

(דברים כב, ז) תקח לך ולא לכלביך הכא נמי

Rather it could serve for the one that must be slaughtered.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For by being slaughtered it is put away from the midst of thee'. Hence the verse is necessary to exclude it.');">³²</span>

תקח לך ולא לכלביך

IF AN UNCLEAN BIRD WAS SITTING ON THE EGGS OF A CLEAN BIRD.

והיכא איתמר דרב כהנא

[ONE IS NOT BOUND TO LET IT GO].

אהא דתניא

This is indeed clear of an unclean bird sitting on the eggs of a clean bird, for the law [of letting the dam go] applies only to a 'zippor',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a clean bird.');">³³</span>

אם טרפה חייב בשילוח אפרוחים טרפות פטור משילוח מנא הני מילי

and this is not the case here; but why [is one not bound to let go] the clean bird that was sitting on the eggs of an unclean bird?

אמר רב כהנא

It is a zippor, is it not? - As R'Kahana said [in another connection].

דאמר קרא תקח לך ולא לכלביך

It is written, [But the young] thou mayest take for thyself,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXII, 7.');">³⁴</span>

ולהקיש אם טרפה לאפרוחים מה אפרוחים טרפות פטור משילוח אף אם טרפה נמי פטור מלשלח

'for thyself' but not fo thy dogs; here too [we say the same], 'Thou mayest take for thyself', but not for thy dogs. In what connection was this statement of R'Kahana said? - In connection with the following Baraitha which was taught: If the dam is trefah, one is still bound to let it go; if the young ones are trefah, one is no bound to let the dam go. Whence is this derived? - R'Kahana said: It is written: '[But the young] thou mayest take for thyself'; 'for thyself' but not for thy dogs. But should we not regard a trefah dam on the same footing as [trefah] young ones, and as in the case of trefah young ones one is not bound to let the dam go so in the case of a trefah dam one is not bound to let it go?