Chullin 35

וכמה פגימת המזבח

And what is the size of a notch which renders the altar unfit?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Zeb. 59a.');">¹</span>

כדי שתחגור בה צפורן

- Such a notch as would catch the finger-nail [when passed over it].

מיתיבי

An objection was raised.

כמה פגימת המזבח

It was taught: What size of notch renders the altar unfit?

ר' שמעון בן יוחאי אומר

R'Simeon B'Yohai says: The size of a handbreadth; R'Eliezer B'Jacob says: The size of an olive.

טפח ר"א בן יעקב אומר

- This is no objection, for 'the opinions in this [Baraitha] refer to an altar of cement, whereas here we are dealing with an altar of stones.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In this case the altar must be perfectly smooth for it is written: Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones. Deut. XXVII, 6.');">²</span>

כזית

R'Huna said: A slaughterer who does not present his knife<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to turn' (the slaughtering knife on all sides) .');">³</span>

לא קשיא

to a Sage for examination is to be placed under the ban.

הא בסידא הא באבנא

Raba said: He is to be removed [from his vocation], and it is to be announced publicly that his meat is trefah.

אמר רב הונא

Now these Rabbis do not disagree; for the former deals with the case where the knife on examination was found to be satisfactory,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He is, therefore, to he put under the ban in accordance with the rule: The Court excommunicates a person for lack of respect to a Rabbi; Ber. 29a.');">⁴</span>

האי טבחא דלא סר סכינא קמי חכם משמתינן ליה ורבא אמר

whereas the latter deals with the case where it was not found to be satisfactory.

מעברינן ליה ומכרזינן אבשריה דטרפה היא

Rabina said that where the knife was not found to be satisfactory the meat is to be soiled with dung so that it may not even be sold to gentiles.

ולא פליגי

There was a case of a slaughterer who did not present his knife for examination to Raba B'Hinena.

כאן בשנמצאת סכינו יפה כאן בשלא נמצאת סכינו יפה

The latter thereupon put him under the ban, removed him [from his] vocation and announced publicly that his meat was trefah.

רבינא אמר

Mar Zutra and R'Ashi happened to call on the said Raba B'Hinena who said to them, 'Would you, Masters, look into this case, for there are small children dependent on him'?

היכא דלא נמצאת סכינו יפה ממסמס ליה בפרתא דאפי' לעובד כוכבים נמי לא מזדבן

R'Ashi examined the knife<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the instructions of Raba b. Hinena.');">⁵</span>

ההוא טבחא דלא סר סכינו קמיה דרבא בר חיננא שמתיה ועבריה ואכריז אבשריה דטרפה היא

and found it satisfactory; he thereupon declared him fit again [to act as slaughterer].

אקלעו מר זוטרא ורב אשי לגביה אמר להו

Mar Zutra then said to him: 'Are you not concerned at all in overruling this Sage'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the elder' Sc. Raba b. Hinena.');">⁶</span>

ליעיינו רבה במלתיה דתלו ביה טפלי

- R'Ashi replied.'

בדקה רב אשי לסכיניה ונמצאת יפה ואכשריה

We were only carrying out his instructions'.

אמר ליה מר זוטרא

Rabbah son of R'Huna said: One may slaughter in the first instance with a loose tooth or a loose finger-nail.

ולא ליחוש מר לסבא

But have we not learnt: EXCEPTING A SCYTHE, A SAW, TEETH OR A FINGERNAIL, SINCE THESE STRANGLE? - As regards teeth there is no contradiction, for Rabbah's statement deals with a single [tooth], whereas our Mishnah deals with two [teeth];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case the slaughtering is invalid, even though the teeth are detached from the animal, because of the notch that must of necessity be between one tooth and the other.');">⁷</span>

א"ל

and as regards a finger-nail there is no contradiction, for Rabbah's statement deals with a nail that is detached from the finger, whereas our Mishnah deals with a nail that is attached to the finger.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The slaughtering is therefore invalid in accordance with the view of Rabbi, supra 15b.');">⁸</span>

שליחותיה קא עבדינן

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>IF ONE SLAUGHTERED WITH A SCYTHE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A scythe has a serrated edge but the points all run in the one direction, to wit, the handle. Therefore by moving the scythe forward the points glide over the throat without tearing.');">⁹</span>

אמר רבה בר הונא

MOVING IT FORWARD ONLY, BETH SHAMMAI DECLARE THE SLAUGHTERING INVALID, AND BETH HILLEL DECLARE IT VALID.

שן תלושה וצפורן תלושה מותר לשחוט בה לכתחלה

IF THE TEETH OF THE SCYTHE WERE FILED AWAY IT IS REGARDED AS AN ORDINARY KNIFE.

והא אנן תנן

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>R'Hiyya B'Abba said in the name of R'Johanan.

חוץ ממגל קציר והמגירה והשינים והצפורן מפני שהן חונקין

Even when Beth Hillel declared the slaughtering valid they intended thereby to teach that the animal was to be regarded as clean and not a nebelah, but as for eating it they certainly held that it was forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Only as a precautionary measure lest the slaughterer makes both a forward and backward motion, in which case the edges of the scythe would certainly tear the throat.');">¹⁰</span>

שן אשן לא קשיא

R'Ashi said: This is supported by the context, for it reads in the Mishnah: BETH SHAMMAI DECLARE THE SLAUGHTERING INVALID, AND BETH HILLEL DECLARE IT VALID; but it does not read: Beth Shammai forbid it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To be eaten.');">¹¹</span>

הא בחדא הא בתרתי

and Beth Hillel permit it! But according to your argument, should not the Mishnah read: 'Beth Shammai declare it unclean and Beth Hillel declare it clean'?

צפורן אצפורן לא קשיא

The fact is that the expressions 'declare valid and invalid' and 'permit and forbid' a synonymous.

הא בתלושה הא במחוברת:

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>IF ONE SLAUGHTERED [BY CUTTING] AT THE [TOP] RING<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. GEMARA: The reference is to the cricoid cartilage which forms a complete ring around the trachea or windpipe, as opposed to the other rings of the trachea which are incomplete. Lit., 'from within', i.e., beginning at the ring and proceeding upwards or downwards. This top ring of the windpipe is regarded in this Mishnah as the uppermost limit of the prescribed area within which the slaughtering may be performed.');">¹²</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> השוחט במגל קציר בדרך הליכתה ב"ש פוסלין וב"ה מכשירין

[OF THE WINDPIPE] AND LEFT A HAIR'S BREADTH OF ITS ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE [TOWARDS THE HEAD].

ואם החליקו שיניה הרי היא כסכין:

THE SLAUGHTERING IS VALID.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> א"ר חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן

R'JOSE SON OF R'JUDAH SAYS, IF ONLY THERE WAS LEFT [TOWARDS THE HEAD] A HAIR'S BREADTH OF THE GREATER PART OF ITS CIRCUMFERENCE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., after cutting the greater part of the top ring the slaughterer slipped the knife outside the ring towards the head and completed the slaughtering there. It is nevertheless valid according to R. Jose b. R. Judah, since in slaughtering it is not essential to cut through more than the greater part of the organ.');">¹³</span>

אף כשהכשירו ב"ה לא הכשירו אלא לטהרה מידי נבילה אבל באכילה אסורה

[THE SLAUGHTERING IS VALID].

א"ר אשי

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Rab and Samuel both agree that the law is in accordance with the view of R'Jose son of R'Judah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Accepting the principle that the greater portion of anything is regarded as the whole.');">¹⁴</span>

דיקא נמי דקתני ב"ש פוסלין וב"ה מכשירין ולא קתני ב"ש אוסרין וב"ה מתירין וליטעמיך ליתני

Howbeit, R'Jose son of R'Judah said this only with regard to the top ring, since [the cartilage] surrounds the windpipe entirely, but he did not say this with regard to the other rings.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which do not completely surround the windpipe but are connected by a mucous substance. These rings, therefore, being incomplete, are not regarded as the proper place for slaughtering. Accordingly Rab and Samuel hold that the slaughtering can only be performed by cutting either in the top ring or between the other rings. This is Rashi's interpretation. There are other interpretations suggested by Rashi and Tosaf. q.v.');">¹⁵</span>

ב"ש מטמאין וב"ה מטהרין

But does he not hold such a view with regard to the other rings?

אלא פוסלין ומכשירין ואוסרין ומתירין חדא מילתא היא:

Surely it has been taught: R'Jose son of R'Judah says.

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> השוחט מתוך הטבעת ושייר בה מלא החוט על פני כולה שחיטתו כשרה

ר' יוסי בר' יהודה אומר

מלא חוט על פני רובה:

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> רב ושמואל דאמרי תרוייהו

הלכה כר' יוסי בר' יהודה ואף ר' יוסי בר' יהודה לא אמר אלא בטבעת הגדולה הואיל ומקפת את כל הקנה אבל בשאר טבעות לא

ובשאר טבעות לא

והתניא רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה אומר