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Chullin 122b

חולין קכ״ב ע״ב

Learn Chullin 122b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Young calves and skins that count like meat for טומאה: the עגל הרך, the משנה's list of skins, tanning, and four-מיל rules

Overview

This amud starts by settling an argument between עולא and רבי יוחנן about when a calf counts as a 'young calf' (עגל הרך). The precise wording of רבי יוחנן shows that, for him, a calf that is still suckling counts as young even after its first year. Next, ריש לקיש asks רבי יוחנן whether the skin of a young calf's head imparts טומאה the way meat does. רבי יוחנן says it does not, and he explains that the משנה listing this skin follows a lone opinion, which a ברייתא about פיגול in a עולה confirms. The גמרא then explains other items on the משנה's list: what 'the skin of the hooves' means, and why only some שרצים have skin that counts like meat. One approach learns this from the words of the פסוק, and the other goes by how soft each skin is. After that, the גמרא asks why a spread-out skin must be walked on to become טהור when a donkey's ear sewn onto a basket needs no walking. It also measures 'enough time for tanning' as the time it takes to walk four מילין. The amud ends with other four-מיל rules from ריש לקיש, for a kneader, for prayer and for washing hands, and רב נחמן בר יצחק's comment on them continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן:

And Rabbi Yochanan said to him:

כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁיּוֹנֵק.

As long as it is suckling.

אוֹ דִלְמָא, עוּלָּא בֶּן שְׁנָתוֹ קָאָמַר,

Or perhaps, Ulla says 'in its first year',

בֵּין יוֹנֵק וּבֵין שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹנֵק,

whether it is suckling or whether it is not suckling,

The steps (27)

  1. QuestionFirst option: רבי יוחנן's rule is the wider one
  2. QuestionSecond option: רבי יוחנן's rule is the narrower one
  3. Responseרבי יוחנן's wording settles it: suckling alone is enough
  4. Questionריש לקיש asks about the skin of a young calf's head
  5. Responseרבי יוחנן answers: the skin does not impart טומאה
  6. Challengeריש לקיש challenges from the משנה
  7. Resolutionרבי יוחנן says the משנה follows a lone opinion
  8. ProofThe ברייתא's first opinion: only the skin under the tail
  9. StatementThe minority view: all the listed skins count as meat
  10. QuestionWhat is the skin of the hooves?
  11. Responseרב and רבי חנינא explain the hooves
  12. StatementThe source that a gecko's skin counts like its meat
  13. StatementLimiting the rule to only some שרצים
  14. ChallengeDoesn't "these" cover all eight?
  15. ResolutionThe word "after its kinds" splits the list
  16. ChallengeWhy not count the תנשמת too?
  17. Resolutionרב is a תנא and does count the תנשמת
  18. ChallengeBut our משנה leaves out the תנשמת
  19. ResolutionOur משנה follows רבי יהודה, who goes by the skin's texture
  20. ConclusionThe only argument is about the texture of the לטאה's skin
  21. StatementQuoting the end of the משנה about tanned skins
  22. ChallengeWhy is treading needed if a sewn donkey ear is pure?
  23. ResolutionSewing is a real act; spreading alone is not
  24. QuestionHow long is 'enough time for tanning'?
  25. ResponseThe time it takes to walk four מילין
  26. StatementAnother four-מיל rule begins: the kneader
  27. StatementThe four מילין rule also applies to prayer and washing hands