Chullin 39

ואי ס"ד מחזיר דוקא מאי איריא מולק

Now if you adopt the reading.'

אפי' שוחט נמי

must twist', then why is it that only if one nipped off [the head] there it is valid?

אלא לאו שמע מינה אף מחזיר ומתני' בדלא אהדר

Even if one slaughtered there [it would] also [be valid].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the organs would have been cut first.');">¹</span>

א"ר ינאי

You can, therefore, prove from this that the correct reading is, 'may twist'; and as for our Mishnah the case is that the organs were not twisted around, [and therefore the slaughtering is invalid].

יקבלו הרובין את תשובתן דקתני

R'Jannai said: Let these young men receive the refutation of their view.

נמצא כשר בשחיטה פסול במליקה כשר במליקה פסול בשחיטה

For our Mishnah reads: IT FOLLOWS, THEREFORE, THAT THE PLACE WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR SLAUGHTERING IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR NIPPING.

למעוטי מאי

AND THE PLACE WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR NIPPING IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR SLAUGHTERING.

לאו למעוטי מחזיר סימנין לאחורי העורף דלא

Now what does this rule exclude?

אמר רבה בר בר חנה

presumably the case where one twisted the organs around to the back of the neck!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case the slaughtering would be valid and the nipping invalid. This case, therefore, exemplifies the first clause of the rule stated, the second clause being added merely for the sake of completeness.');">²</span>

לא למעוטי שן וצפורן

- Rabbah B'Bar Hannah said: It is not so, but it excludes the use of a tooth or a finger-nail.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The finger-nail is essential in nipping whereas one is not permitted to slaughter with a finger-nail attached to the person. As to whether it is permitted to nip off the head with the teeth or not, v. Tosaf. ad. loc. This case, as explained, exemplifies the second clause of the rule stated.');">³</span>

שן וצפורן בהדיא קתני להו

But is not a tooth or a finger.

אלא א"ר ירמיה

nail expressly stated [to be invali for slaughtering]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 15b.');">⁴</span>

למעוטי מוליך ומביא

- Rather, said R'Jeremiah, it excludes the act of moving to and fro.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such movement of the finger.nail, it is assumed, invalidates the nipping, whereas it is essential to do so with the knife in the case of slaughtering. Accordingly the first clause of the rule in our Mishnah is the important one.');">⁵</span>

הניחא למ"ד

This is well, however, according to the one who holds that to move [the fingernail] to and fro whilst nipping is not allowed; but according to the one who holds that it is allowed, how is it to be explained? - The sons of R'Hiyya agree with him who holds that to move the fingernail to and fro whilst nipping is not allowed.

מוליך ומביא במליקה פסול אלא למ"ד

R'Kahana said: The precept of nipping requires pressing [with the finger-nail] downward; and this is the proper method.

כשר מאי איכא למימר

Now R'Abin thought this to mean that if he pressed with his finger-nail downward it is [valid], but if he moved it to and fro it is not [valid].

בני ר' חייא סברי לה כמ"ד

Whereupon R'Jeremiah said to him: But surely, to move the finger-nail to and fro whilst nipping is most certainly allowed!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For so long as any particular act is not expressly excluded by the law, the more the nipping is made to resemble the slaughtering the better.');">⁶</span>

מוליך ומביא במליקה פסול

And as for the words: 'This is the proper method', read instead, 'This also is a proper method'.

אמר רב כהנא

R'Jeremiah said in the name of Samuel: Whatsoever part of the front of the neck is valid for slaughtering, the corresponding part on the back of the neck is valid for nipping.

מצות מליקה קוצץ ויורד וזו היא מצותה

It follows, no doubt, that what is invalid for slaughtering is invalid for nipping.

סבר רבי אבין למימר

Now what does this exclude?

קוצץ ויורד אין מוליך ומביא לא

Can it exclude the case where the organs of the throat had been torn loose?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And implying that just as the slaughtering in such a case is invalid so presumably also the nipping.');">⁷</span>

א"ל ר' ירמיה

Surely not! For Rami B'Ezekiel has taught: The fact that the organs of the throat have been torn loose is not a defect in a bird.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Either for slaughtering or for nipping; but v. infra.');">⁸</span>

כ"ש דמוליך ומביא במליקה כשר

- R'Papa said: It excludes the head.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it is a place invalid for slaughtering as well as for nipping.');">⁹</span>

ומאי זו היא מצותה

'The head'! But this is obvious! For the Divine law enjoins.

אימא

Close to the back of its neck.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. V, 8.');">¹⁰</span>

אף זו היא מצותה:

but not on the head! - By 'head', he meant the slope of the head;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the lower part of the head which slopes down towards the neck.');">¹¹</span>

א"ר ירמיה אמר שמואל

and the case is as follows: he commenced to nip at the slope of the head and, moving [his finger-nail] gradually downwards, ended the nipping below.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although the nipping was concluded within the proper region, i.e., at the back of the neck, it is nevertheless invalid according to Samuel.');">¹²</span>

כל הכשר בשחיטה כנגדו בעורף כשר במליקה

This view is in agreement with that stated by R'Huna in the name of R'Assi.

הא פסול בשחיטה פסול במליקה למעוטי מאי

For R'Huna said in the name of R'Assi: If one cut a third [of the windpipe] outside the prescribed area [for slaughtering] and then cut two thirds within it, the slaughtering is invalid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 19a');">¹³</span>

אילימא למעוטי עיקור סימנין והא תני רמי בר יחזקאל

R'Aha the son of Raba said to R'Ashi: This dictum of Rami B'Ezekiel, namely, the fact that the organs have been torn loose is not a defect in a bird, can be maintained only by him who holds that according to the law of the Torah birds do not require shechitah; [

אין עיקור סימנין בעוף

אמר רב פפא

למעוטי ראשו

ראשו פשיטא (ויקרא ה, ח) ממול ערפו אמר רחמנא ולא בראשו

מאי ראשו

שיפוי ראשו כגון דנקט משיפוי ראשו והגרים ואזל עד דמטא תתאי

וכדרב הונא אמר רב אסי דאמר רב הונא אמר רב אסי

הגרים שליש ושחט שני שליש פסולה

אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי הא דתני רמי בר יחזקאל

אין עיקור סימנין בעוף לא אמרן אלא למ"ד

אין שחיטה לעוף מן התורה