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Chullin 126a

חולין קכ״ו ע״א

Learn Chullin 126a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Whether hidden impurity (טומאה טמונה) breaks through according to רבי יוסי, the contradiction from the dead dog on the threshold and רבא's answer, and who argues with רבי יוסי

Overview

The גמרא cites a ברייתא where רבי יוסי declares something טהור, and asks which case of the משנה he is arguing about. He must be arguing on the case of impurity inside a chest in the house. There he rejects both of the תנא קמא's reasons, which shows he holds טומאה טמונה אינה בוקעת: hidden impurity does not break through. The גמרא then raises a contradiction from the משנה about a dead dog that ate flesh of a corpse and lies on a doorstep. There רבי יוסי seems to make the house טמא even when the impurity is hidden inside the dog. רבא answers that רבי יוסי looks at the empty space around the impurity, and that he disagrees with רבי מאיר on two points: the neck's טפח must be real open space, and only impurity from the lintel inward makes the house טמא. רב אחא בריה דרבא has a version of the משנה that says this outright. Finally the גמרא asks which תנא argues with רבי יוסי on whether touching and overlying combine, and answers that it is רבי שמעון, starting a ברייתא that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְתָנֵי עֲלַהּ:

And it is taught about it:

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מְטַהֵר.

Rabbi Yosei declares it pure.

אַהֵיָיא?

To which [case does this refer]?

אִילֵּימָא אַסֵּיפָא –

If you say [it refers] to the latter clause –

The steps (16)

  1. StatementA ברייתא: רבי יוסי rules it pure
  2. QuestionWhich case is רבי יוסי talking about?
  3. RejectionIt can't be the later clause
  4. ResponseIt's the case of impurity inside the chest
  5. Statementרבי יוסי rejects both reasons
  6. ChallengeA contradiction between two rulings of רבי יוסי
  7. StatementThe משנה of the dog on the threshold
  8. Statementרבי יוסי: It depends on where the dog lies relative to the lintel
  9. Statementרבי אלעזר and רבי יהודה בן בתירא: It depends on which way the dog faces
  10. ChallengeIs רבי יוסי talking about a dog whose neck has no opening of a טפח?
  11. ChallengeSo hidden impurity breaks through?
  12. Resolutionרבא: look at the empty space, and the first disagreement
  13. ResolutionThe second disagreement: where the dog lies
  14. Statementרב אחא's version says it outright
  15. QuestionWho is the תנא who argues on רבי יוסי?
  16. ResponseIt is רבי שמעון, as a ברייתא shows