Chullin 129a

חולין קכ״ט ע״א

Learn Chullin 129a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 129a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Hidden contact, הכשר, and food that 'acts like wood'; רבי שמעון on hanging limbs

Overview

The amud opens with a question on a ברייתא: flesh touches its limb only in a hidden spot, and טומאת בית הסתרים normally does not make things טמא. The answer that the ברייתא follows רבי מאיר is challenged, because רבי מאיר holds this only where no הכשר is needed. רבא suggests the flesh already had הכשר. When asked why such flesh would need הכשר at all, רבא answers that while it was on the limb it 'acted like wood,' not like food. The גמרא then uses this idea of acting like wood to answer five similar cases: leaven used as a seat, a food offering to עבודה זרה, food stuck to vessels, נבלה fat on the kidney, and seeds used as a roof. In each case, someone argued the strict impurity must be only rabbinic, and the answer is that the food was acting like wood. Next the גמרא turns to the משנה's line 'רבי שמעון rules it pure' and shows it refers to the first clause, about a limb hanging on a living animal. The amud ends as רבי יוחנן starts giving רבי שמעון's source: only food you can feed to others counts as 'food.' That explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. ChallengeHidden contact should not make the flesh impure
2. ResolutionThe ברייתא follows רבי מאיר
3. Rejectionרבי מאיר only says this when no הכשר is needed
4. RejectionMaybe the flesh already had הכשר
5. ChallengeWhy does the flesh need הכשר at all?
6. ResolutionWhile on the limb, the flesh acted like wood
7. StatementA lump of leaven set aside as a seat is no longer food
8. Proofאביי: the seat's impurity must be only rabbinic
9. RejectionAs a seat, the leaven acted like wood
10. Statementאביי quotes the rule of a food offering to idolatry
11. Proofאביי argues this impurity is only rabbinic
12. RejectionThe offering acted like wood, not food
13. Statementאביי quotes the rule of food stuck to vessels
14. Proofאביי argues this impurity is only rabbinic
15. RejectionThe connected food acted like wood, not food
16. Statementרב פפא quotes the rule of נבלה fat in villages
17. Proofרב פפא argues the fat's impurity from the kidney is rabbinic
18. RejectionThe fat acted like wood while serving the kidney
19. Statementרב מתנה's case: a house roofed with seeds
20. Proofרב מתנה argues the roof's impurity is only rabbinic
21. RejectionThe seeds acted like wood, not food
22. StatementQuoting the משנה: רבי שמעון rules it pure
23. ChallengeEither way, the limb should be impure
24. Resolutionרבי שמעון is arguing on the first line of the משנה
25. StatementThe verse behind רבי שמעון's ruling