Chullin 120a

חולין ק״כ ע״א

Learn Chullin 120a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 120a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Items that join with meat for טומאת אוכלין, and when drinking counts as eating

Overview

The גמרא works through our משנה's list of things that join with meat to reach the size needed for טומאת אוכלין. ריש לקיש says only true protectors like bone count, so hair does not. רבי יוחנן says hair is also a שומר because it goes through the hide to the meat. When רב אחא asks how תפילין parchment could then be valid, the גמרא answers that a hole the ink covers is not a hole. רבי יוחנן's proof from a hair across from meat is answered by saying the hair is a handle (יד), as a hair among many hairs. The גמרא then defines רוטב as congealed fat and קיפה as spices, since those are not food on their own. A side discussion shows that drinking melted חלב, dissolved חמץ, or a liquefied bird נבלה still counts, because the word נפש includes one who drinks. The גמרא proves that all three mentions of נפש are needed. Last, it explains why a separate word is needed to forbid the liquids of שרצים: without it, the דיו rule would require a כזית.

Opening lines

The steps (47)

1. StatementThe argument is about our משנה's list of items that join with meat
2. Statementריש לקיש says bone counts as protection but hair does not
3. Statementרבי יוחנן says hair also counts as protection
4. Challengeריש לקיש asks how there can be a protection on top of a protection
5. ResolutionThe hair pokes through the hide and reaches the meat
6. Challengeרב אחא asks how תפילין could be written on hide full of holes
7. ResolutionInk covers the hole, so it is not a hole
8. Challengeרבי יוחנן's proof from a hair across from meat
9. ResolutionThe hair is a handle, not a protection
10. QuestionHow can one hair be a handle?
11. ResponseA hair among many hairs
12. QuestionWhere רבי אילעא originally said this
13. QuestionWhat is the רוטב in the משנה?
14. Responseרבא: it is the fat
15. Challengeאביי: that fat is food by itself
16. Responseאביי's definition: congealed fat
17. ChallengeWhy only congealed? Liquid should combine too
18. Resolutionיום הכפורים is about settling the mind
19. ResolutionFor impurity the fat has to be congealed to join
20. QuestionWhat is קיפה?
21. Responseרבה says קיפה is a meat hash
22. Challengeאביי objects: a hash is food on its own
23. Responseרב פפא says קיפה means spices
24. StatementEating congealed blood or drinking melted חלב
25. ChallengeCongealed blood makes sense, but how is drinking melted fat 'eating'?
26. ResolutionThe word 'soul' includes someone who drinks
27. StatementA similar ברייתא about dissolved bread on פסח
28. ChallengeDissolved מצה makes sense, but why is dissolved חמץ punished?
29. ResolutionThe word 'soul' includes someone who drinks חמץ
30. StatementA similar ברייתא about a kosher bird carcass
31. ChallengeBut the Torah says 'eating' about a carcass
32. ResolutionThe word 'soul' again includes someone who drinks
33. ChallengeThen the sun case should also make him impure
34. ResolutionIn the sun the carcass rots
35. ResolutionWhy the Torah needed 'soul' in all three places
36. Resolutionחמץ alone could not teach חלב or נבלה
37. ResolutionA carcass alone could not teach the other two
38. ChallengeWhy not learn one case from the other two together?
39. ResolutionA carcass cannot be learned from fat and chametz
40. ResolutionChametz cannot be learned from fat and a carcass
41. ResolutionLeaving out חלב also fails
42. QuestionIn what way was חלב permitted?
43. RejectionNot fat offered on the מזבח
44. ChallengeWild-animal fat seems to fail too
45. Resolutionכהנים eat from ה׳'s table
46. ChallengeWhy does the ברייתא need a word to forbid the liquids of שרצים?
47. ResolutionThe word is needed so the liquids are not limited to a כזית