Chullin 124a

חולין קכ״ד ע״א

Learn Chullin 124a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 124a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Broken ovens and torn hides: when a broken item still counts as whole, and when flesh on a hide is cancelled

Overview

The amud opens with an objection to ריש לקיש, who holds that a broken item still held together counts as one piece. The objection uses a משנה about purifying a טמא oven. רבא answers by rereading the משנה: everyone agrees a טמא oven must be divided into three and have its plaster scraped off. רבי מאיר is lenient only about keeping an oven from ever becoming טמא. Next the גמרא sets 'divide it into three' against another משנה that measures a broken oven's leftovers by four טפחים, and resolves the clash by the way the oven was cut. It then settles how small 'any size' is and which oven sizes go with each measure. Next comes a dispute between ריש לקיש and רבי יוחנן about whether a scarf-sized piece of a torn hide still counts. Finally a new משנה teaches when flesh on a נבלה hide makes a person טמא. The גמרא follows a long story about where רבי יוחנן's rule (flesh cut loose with a knife is cancelled) belongs, and its answer, built on a teaching of רב פפא, continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (38)

1. StatementEnd of the oven משנה: רבי מאיר's easier method
2. ChallengeWhy is the oven טהור if the plaster still holds it together?
3. Rejectionרבא: You could bring support from the רבנן instead
4. Resolutionרבא rereads the משנה: everyone agrees on the basic method
5. StatementHow to make an oven that never becomes טמא
6. StatementZooming in on 'divides it into three'
7. ChallengeA contradiction from the משנה about oven sizes
8. QuestionHow small is 'any size'?
9. ResponseOne handbreadth, because people make ovens that small
10. ChallengeThe רבנן seem to need four handbreadths for leftover pieces
11. ResolutionTwo different ways of cutting the oven
12. ChallengeWhat use is most of one handbreadth?
13. Resolutionאביי: the 'most of it' rule is about a large oven
14. ChallengeBut the Rabbis said four טפחים for a large oven
15. ResolutionA nine-טפח oven and a seven-טפח oven
16. StatementAnother version: the torn garment is טהור even with a scarf-sized piece left
17. Statementריש לקיש: this is only true of a garment, not a hide
18. Statementרבי יוחנן: even a hide is not valued
19. Challengeרבי יוחנן challenges from a טמא hide planned for straps and sandals
20. ChallengeWhy does hide cut below five handbreadths become pure?
21. ResolutionThe case is a hide meant as a seat for a זב
22. Statementמשנה: hide with an olive-size of flesh
23. StatementTwo half olive-sizes: carrying versus touching
24. Statementרבי עקיבא agrees about halves on a wood chip
25. QuestionWhy is the hide different?
26. ResponseThe hide cancels out the flesh
27. StatementOnly when an animal tore the flesh loose
28. QuestionDoes the rule apply even to huge pieces of flesh?
29. Rejectionרב נחמן refuses to accept the rule
30. Challengeרב נחמן is criticized in ארץ ישראל
31. Statementרבי אמי teaches the rule on the second half of the משנה
32. Statementרבי אמי's version: knife-cut half-כזיתים are cancelled
33. QuestionDo you teach the rule only on the second case?
34. QuestionDid עולא teach it on the first case?
35. Rejectionרבי אמי swears he would reject the first-case version
36. Statementרבין's group also taught it on the first case
37. ChallengeThen the old problem returns
38. ResolutionThe answer borrows a teaching of רב פפא