Chullin 88

רוב עוביה ואמרי לה

The greater part of the outer circumference [of the windpipe].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the greater portion of its thickness'. It must be remembered that the trachea or windpipe is a cylindrical membranous tube, stiffened and held open by a series of many cartilaginous rings. These rings of cartilage are incomplete in part of their circumference, being about one third filled in by fibrous tissue. It is evident, therefore, that the greater part of the outer circumference which includes the thickness of the cartilage would not necessarily be also the greater part of the inner circumference.');">¹</span>

רוב חללה

Others say [in the name of Rab]: The greater part of the inner circumference.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the greater part of the cavity of the windpipe'.');">²</span>

ההיא פסוקת הגרגרת דאתאי לקמיה דרב יתיב וקא בדיק לה ברוב עוביה

An animal with its windpipe severed was brought before Rab.

אמרו ליה רב כהנא ורב אסי לרב

He set about to examine it on the basis of the greater part of the outer circumference; whereupon R'Kahana and R'Assi said: 'But you have taught us, Master, to examine it on the basis of the greater part of the inner circumference!' Rab therefore sent the case to Rabbah B'Bar Hana and he examined it on the basis of the greater part of the inner circumference.

לימדתנו רבינו ברוב חללה

He permitted it and actually bought from the meat of the animal to the value of thirteen common istirae.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Silver coins (staters) . 'Common' i.e., provincial coins as opposed to Tyrian coinage.');">³</span>

שדריה לקמיה דרבה בר בר חנה בדקה ברוב חללה ואכשרה וזבן מינה בתליסר איסתירי פשיטי בישרא

But was he right in doing so?

והיכי עביד הכי

Has it not been taught: 'If a Sage has declared aught unclean his colleague may not declare it clean, or if he has declared aught forbidden his colleague may not permit it'? - This case is different for Rab did not declare it forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rab came to no decision in the case.');">⁴</span>

והתניא חכם שטימא אין חבירו רשאי לטהר אסר אין חבירו רשאי להתיר

And why did he eat of it seeing that a Sage had to make a decision with regard to it?

שאני הכא דרב לא אסר מיסר

Behold it is written: Then said I, 'Ah Lord God! behold my soul hath not been polluted; for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself or is torn of beasts; neither came there abhorred flesh into my mouth'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. IV, 14. V. supra p. 201 and notes.');">⁵</span>

וכיון דאורי בה חכם היכי אכל מינה

And it has been interpreted as follows: 'Behold my soul hath not been polluted', for I did not allow impure thoughts to enter my mind during the day, so as to lead to pollution at night.'

והא כתיב

For from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself or is torn of beasts', for I have never eaten of the flesh of an anima which it had been exclaimed: 'Slaughter it! Slaughter it!' Neither came there abhorred flesh into my mouth, for I did not eat the flesh of an animal which a Sage declared to be permitted.

(יחזקאל ד, יד) ואומר אהה ה' אלהים הנה נפשי לא מטומאה ונבלה וטרפה לא אכלתי מנעורי ועד עתה ולא בא בפי בשר פגול הנה נפשי לא מטומאה שלא הרהרתי ביום לבא לידי טומאה בלילה ונבלה וטרפה לא אכלתי שלא אכלתי בשר כוס כוס מעולם ולא בא בפי בשר פגול שלא אכלתי מבהמה שהורה בה חכם

It was reported in the name of R'Nathan that this means: I did not eat of an animal from which the priestly dues had not been set apart! - This applies only to a matter which was declared to be permitted as the result of a logical argument; Rabbah B'Bar Hana, however, relied upon his tradition.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Received from his teachers, that the inner circumference of the windpipe must be examined. Where a master relies upon a tradition he may hfhv overrule a decision of a colleague. V. Tosaf. s.v. .');">⁶</span>

משום ר' נתן אמרו

But, in any case, there is the suspicion?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That he was given meat at a cheaper price in return for declaring the animal permissible, so that he appears to be receiving a reward or monetary advantage for deciding a case (Rashi) .');">⁷</span>

שלא אכלתי מבהמה שלא הורמו מתנותיה

And it has been taught: A judge who decided an issue declaring the one party entitled to a thing and the other disentitled, or who pronounced aught to be unclean or clean, or forbidden or permissible, likewise witnesses who gave evidence in a law suit, these may [in law] buy the matter that was in dispute, but the Sages have said: 'Keep aloof from anything hideous or from whatever seems hideous'! - This applies only to matters which are bought by appraisement;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., such things as are bought and sold by a general estimation of their weight or an approximate assessment of their value without resorting to the usual practice of weighing or measuring. Only in such a case is there ground for suspicion.');">⁸</span>

הני מילי מילתא דתליא בסברא רבה בר בר חנה אגמריה סמך

in this case, however, the selling by weight is proof against suspicion.

ותיפוק ליה משום חשדא

As in the following instance.

דתניא דן את הדין

Raba once declared an animal, a doubtful case of trefah, to be permitted and then bought some of the meat.

זיכה וחייב טימא וטיהר אסר והתיר וכן העדים שהעידו כולן רשאין ליקח אבל אמרו חכמים

Whereupon the daughter of R'Hisda<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' She was the wife of Raba, cf. B.B. 12b.');">⁹</span>

הרחק מן הכיעור ומן הדומה לו

said to him, 'My father once permitted a firstling<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After the destruction of the Temple a firstling was permitted to be slaughtered and eaten by priests only if it had a physical blemish which would have rendered it unfit for a sacrifice. It was therefore necessary for a Rabbi to examine the blemish and give a ruling on it.');">¹⁰</span>

ה"מ מידי דמזבין משומא הכא מתקלא מוכח

but would not buy of its meat'! To which he replied: 'This [suspicion] applies only in the case of a firstling since it may be sold only by appraisement;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Bek. 31a. The meat of a firstling was not permitted to be sold by weight in the butcher's shop but only by an approximate estimation of its value.');">¹¹</span>

כי הא דרבה שרא טרפתא וזבן מינה בישרא אמרה ליה בת רב חסדא

in my case, however, the selling by weight is proof against suspicion.

אבא שרי בוכרא ולא זבן מיניה בישרא

What other suspicion can there be?

אמר לה

That I receive a choice piece?

ה"מ בוכרא דאשומא מזדבן הכא מתקלא מוכח

But every day I am given the choicest meat'.

מאי איכא משום אומצא מעלייתא

R'Hisda said: Who is a scholar?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To whom a lost object is to be restored on his identifying it by general impression without mentioning any special distinguishing marks; cf. B.M. ');">¹²</span>

כל יומא אומצא מעלייתא זבנו לי

He who would declare his own animal trefah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When there has arisen a doubt with regard to it.');">¹³</span>

אמר רב חסדא

R'Hisda further said: To whom does this verse apply: He that hateth gifts shall live?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XV, 27.');">¹⁴</span>

איזהו תלמיד חכם זה הרואה טרפה לעצמו

To him who would declare his own animal trefah.

ואמר רב חסדא

Mar Zutra gave the following exposition in the name of R'Hisda: He who studies Scripture and the Mishnah, and attends the lectures of the scholars,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This sequence is different from the current ed, but is based on many MSS. and on Alfasi; cf. Ber. 47b.');">¹⁵</span>

איזהו (משלי טו, כז) שונא מתנות יחיה זה הרואה טרפה לעצמו

and would declare his own animal trefah, of him it is written: When thou eatest the labour of thy hands, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXXVIII, 2. thab');">¹⁶</span>

דרש מר זוטרא משמיה דרב חסדא

R'Zebid said: He is worthy of inheriting two worlds: this world and the world to come; 'Happy shalt thou be', in this world; 'and it shall be well with thee', in the world to come.

כל מי שקורא ושונה ורואה טרפה לעצמו ושימש תלמידי חכמים עליו הכתוב אומר

Whenever R'Eleazar was sent a gift from the house of the Nasi<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . 'price', the Patriarch Judah II.');">¹⁷</span>

(תהלים קכח, ב) יגיע כפיך כי תאכל אשריך וטוב לך

he would not accept it, and whenever he was invited out to dine he would not go, for he used to say: '[It seems that] you<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the Master', the Nasi.');">¹⁸</span>

רב זביד אמר

don't want me to live, for it is written: "He that hateth gifts shall live"'.

זוכה ונוחל שני עולמות העולם הזה והעולם הבא אשריך בעולם הזה וטוב לך לעולם הבא

Whenever R'Zera was sent a gift he would not accept it but whenever he was invited out to dine he would go, for he used to say,

ר' אלעזר כי הוו משדרי ליה מבי נשיאה מידי לא שקיל וכי הוו מזמני ליה לא אזיל אמר

לא קא בעי מר דאיחי

דכתיב ושונא מתנות יחיה

רבי זירא כי משדרי ליה לא שקיל כי הוו מזמנין ליה אזיל אמר