Chullin 38

דא"כ מפסדת לה לקמייתא

because if you do you defeat your decision in the first case.

התם מ"ט קא מכשרת

For there your reason for declaring it valid was that the life escaped at the time that he was cutting within the prescribed area; it follows then that in this c it should be invalid, because here the life escaped at the time that he was cutting outside the prescribed area'.

דכי נפקא חיותא בהכשירה קא נפקא הכא נמי כי נפקא חיותא בהגרמה קא נפקא

When R'Nahman once happened to come to Sura he was asked: What is the law if a slaughterer first cut a third of the windpipe within the prescribed area, another third outside it, and the last third within it? - He replied: Is not this the case that was taught by R'Eleazar B'Manyomi?

איקלע רב נחמן לסורא בעו מיניה

For R'Eleazar B'Manyomi said: Where the cutting of the organ is like a zigzag,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'like a comb'. The line of slaughtering is zigzagged like the teeth of a comb.');">¹</span>

שחט שליש והגרים שליש ושחט שליש מהו

the slaughtering is valid.

אמר להו

But perhaps this decision applies only to a slaughtering entirely within the prescribed area? 'Within the prescribed area'! But this goes without saying [that the slaughtering is valid]! - Indeed no.

לאו היינו דר' אלעזר בר מניומי דא"ר אלעזר בר מניומי

For you might have thought that there must be an open cut,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., cut in one place with a clean cut.');">²</span>

שחיטה העשויה כמסרק כשרה

and here it is not so; we are therefore taught [that it is not essential].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The position therefore is that the question put to R. Nahman cannot be decided with certainty from the teaching of R. Eleazar b. Manyomi.');">³</span>

ודלמא במקום שחיטה

<br>(Mnemonic: Bakad).<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A mnemonic, lit., 'in a jug' - omitted in many MSS. - consisting of the characteristic letters of the names of the Rabbis mentioned in the following passage: R. Abba, R. Kahana and R. Judah.');">⁴</span>

במקום שחיטה מאי למימרא

R'Abba was once sitting behind R'Kahana whilst R'Kahana was before Rab Judah, when R'Kahana asked: What is the law if a slaughterer first cut a third [of the windpipe] within the prescribed area, another third outside it and the last third within it? - Rab Judah answered: The slaughtering is valid.

מהו דתימא בעינן שחיטה מפורעת וליכא קמ"ל

And what is the law if a slaughterer first cut a third [of the windpipe] outside the prescribed area, another third within i and the last third outside it? - He replied: The slaughtering is invalid.

(סימן בכ"ד) יתיב רבי אבא אחוריה דרב כהנא ויתיב רב כהנא קמיה דרב יהודה ויתיב וקאמר

And what is the law if a slaughterer cut the windpipe in an existing gash?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the upper half of the windpipe was already mutilated and the slaughterer merely placed the knife in the gash and continued to cut.');">⁵</span>

שחט שליש והגרים שליש ושחט שליש מהו

- He replied: The slaughtering is valid.

א"ל

And what is the law if a slaughterer cut the windpipe terminating in an existing gash [in the windpipe]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In this case the lower half of the windpipe was already mutilated and the slaughterer cut the windpipe until he came to the gash.');">⁶</span>

שחיטתו כשרה

- He replied: The slaughtering is invalid.

הגרים שליש ושחט שליש והגרים שליש מהו

R'Abba then went and reported these decisions to R'Eleazar, and the latter went and reported them to R'Johanan.

א"ל

R'Johanan asked: Wherein lies the difference? - He [R'Eleazar] replied, [The case] where one cut the windpipe in an existing gash is the same as when a gentile began the slaughtering and an Israelite finished it;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case the slaughtering is valid, for that part of the windpipe severed by the gentile is of no consequence.');">⁷</span>

שחיטתו פסולה

and [the case] where one cut the windpipe terminating in an existing gash is the same as when an Israelite began the slaughtering and a gentile finished it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case the slaughtering is invalid.');">⁸</span>

שחט במקום נקב מהו

Whereupon R'Johanan exclaimed: Gentile, gentile!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Meaning: The analogy with the case of a gentile performing part of the slaughtering is not correct.');">⁹</span>

א"ל

Raba said: He was right in exclaiming.

שחיטתו כשרה

Gentile, gentile! For, in that case, [where the gentile finished the slaughtering.] the decision<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the slaughtering is invalid.');">¹⁰</span>

שחט ופגע בו נקב מהו

is reasonable, because the Israelite should have cut [at least] the greater portion and this he did not do, with the result that life escaped at the hand of the gentile.

א"ל

In this case, however, [where there is a gash in the windpipe,] he has indeed cut as much as he could, what difference, therefore, can there be whether he cuts in a gash or cuts terminating in a gash?

שחיטתו פסולה

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>IF ONE CUT AT<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'from within', cf. supra p. 89, n.3. ekn');">¹¹</span>

אזל רבי אבא אמרה קמיה דר' אלעזר אזל ר"א אמרה קמיה דר' יוחנן א"ל

THE SIDE [OF THE NECK], THE SLAUGHTERING IS VALID; IF ONE NIPPED OFF<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. , 'to nip off, to rend'. This is the method prescribed by the law for killing a pigeon or a turtle dove consecrated for a sacrifice. The officiating priest breaks with his finger-nail the neckbone, the spinal cord and the surrounding flesh, and also one (in the case of a sin-offering) or both (in the case of a burnt-offering) of the organs of the throat. V. infra 21aff. ;rg');">¹²</span>

מאי שנא

[THE HEAD] FROM THE SIDE OF THE NECK, THE NIPPING IS INVALID; IF ONE CUT AT THE BACK OF THE NECK.

א"ל

THE SLAUGHTERING IS INVALID; IF ONE NIPPED OFF [THE HEAD] FROM THE BACK OF THE NECK, THE NIPPING IS VALID.

שחט במקום נקב נעשה כמי ששחט עובד כוכבים וגמר ישראל

IF ONE CUT AT THE FRONT OF THE NECK.

שחט ופגע בו נקב נעשה כמי ששחט ישראל וגמר עובד כוכבים

THE SLAUGHTERING IS VALID; IF ONE NIPPED OFF [THE HEAD] FROM THE FRONT OF THE NECK.

קרי עליה

THE NIPPING IS INVALID.

עובד כוכבים עובד כוכבים

FOR THE WHOLE OF THE BACK OF THE NECK IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR NIPPING, AND THE WHOLE OF THE FRONT OF THE NECK IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR SLAUGHTERING.

אמר רבא

IT FOLLOWS, THEREFORE, THAT THE PLACE WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR SLAUGHTERING IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR NIPPING, AND THE PLACE WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR NIPPING IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR SLAUGHTERING.

שפיר קרי עליה עובד כוכבים עובד כוכבים

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>What is meant by THE BACK OF THE NECK?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. : strictly the second cervic vertebra, rendered in the LXX by Gr. **, which has this meaning. V. article by S. Daiches in Expository Times; Vol. XXXIX p. 426.');">¹³</span>

בשלמא התם מדהוה ליה לישראל למשחט רובא ולא שחט כי נפקא חיותא בידא דעובד כוכבים קא נפקא

Does it mean the actual back of the neck?

אלא הכא מכדי משחט שחיט מה לי במקום נקב מה לי פגע בו נקב:

If so, why is it, that only if one slaughtered there it is invalid?

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> השוחט מן הצדדין שחיטתו כשרה המולק מן הצדדין מליקתו פסולה

If one nipped there it would also be invalid, f in the Divine Law it is stated: Close to the back of its neck,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. V, 8. This verse prescribes the method for nipping off the head of a bird.');">¹⁴</span>

השוחט מן העורף שחיטתו פסולה המולק מן העורף מליקתו כשירה

but not the actual back of the head! - THE BACK OF THE NECK really means [the region] close to the back of the neck, and this is indicated in the subsequent clause which reads: FOR THE WHOLE OF THE BACK OF THE NECK IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR NIPPING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In this clause THE BACK OF THE NECK cannot mean the second cervic vertebra for one could not reasonably refer to it in such terms as: THE WHOLE OF THE BACK OF THE NECK. It must mean, therefore, the whole region close to and in front of the back of the neck.');">¹⁵</span>

השוחט מן הצואר שחיטתו כשרה המולק מן הצואר מליקתו פסולה

Whence do we know this? - From the following statement.

שכל העורף כשר למליקה וכל הצואר כשר לשחיטה

Our Rabbis taught: 'Close to the back of its neck', that is to say, the region which overlooks the back of the neck, as it is writt And they dwell clue to me;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXII, 5.');">¹⁶</span>

נמצא כשר בשחיטה פסול במליקה כשר במליקה פסול בשחיטה:

and it is also written: For they have turned unto Me the back of the neck and not the face.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jet. II, 27.');">¹⁷</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מאי עורף

Why another verse? - Because you might argue that [so long as] we do not know the true meaning of the back of the neck we cannot know what is meant by [the region] which is close to it.

אילימא עורף ממש מאי אריא שוחט

Therefore come and hear: It is written: 'For they have turned unto Me the back of the neck and not the face'; thus clearly showing that the back of the neck is directly opposite the face.

אפילו מולק נמי (ויקרא ה, ח) ממול ערפו אמר רחמנא ולא ערפו

The sons of R'Hiyya said: This is the proper method for nipping: [the priest] twists the organs of the throat around to the back of the neck and then nips off [the head].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Intending to sever the organs first and then the neckbone.');">¹⁸</span>

אלא מאי עורף

Some read, 'may twist'; others, 'must twist'.

ממול עורף כדקתני סיפא

It is more reasonable, however, to adopt the reading, 'may twist'.

כל העורף כשר למליקה

Why? - For the Mishnah reads: IF ONE CUT AT THE BACK OF THE NECK, THE SLAUGHTERING IS INVALID; IF ONE NIPPED OFF [THE HEAD] FROM THE BACK OF THE NECK, THE NIPPING IS VALID.

מנהני מילי

דתנו רבנן

ממול ערפו מול הרואה את העורף וכן הוא אומר

(במדבר כב, ה) והוא יושב ממולי ואומר

(ירמיהו ב, כז) כי פנו אלי עורף ולא פנים

מאי ואומר

וכי תימא

עורף גופיה לא ידעינן היכא דנדע מול דידיה היכא תא שמע

כי פנו אלי עורף ולא פנים מכלל דעורף להדי פנים

אמרי בני ר' חייא

מצות מליקה מחזיר סימנים לאחורי העורף ומולק

איכא דאמרי

אף מחזיר ואיכא דאמרי

מחזיר דוקא

ומסתברא כמאן דאמר אף מחזיר ממאי

מדקתני

השוחט מן העורף שחיטתו פסולה המולק מן העורף מליקתו כשרה