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Chullin 134b

חולין קל״ד ע״ב

Learn Chullin 134b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Gifts to the poor and to the כהן: when the owner must deliver them, and the exact borders of the foreleg, thigh and jaw

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a list of four doubtful cases where a גר is exempt, because each one is only about money owed to a כהן. רבין then gives his own version of ריש לקיש's contradiction about standing grain. Next, רב ששת rules that when no poor people come, the owner may keep the לקט, since it is for the poor and not for birds and bats. The גמרא challenges this from תרומה and מתנות כהונה, which the owner must make sure reach a כהן. It concludes that those gifts are different because the Torah uses the word 'giving' about them. The extra word תעזב is then explained as teaching about a vineyard made הפקר and harvested. A story about רבי אמי taking a sack of coins gets two answers: he took it for the poor, or an important person is different. Finally a new משנה defines the foreleg, thigh and jaw. The גמרא explains why the foreleg is the right one, what the jaw and maw include, and how the jaw's limit fits a ברייתא, and the chapter הזרוע והלחיים ends.

Opening lines

רֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז וְהַמַּתָּנוֹת,

The first shearing and the gifts,

וּפִדְיוֹן הַבֵּן,

and the redemption of the firstborn son,

וּפִדְיוֹן פֶּטֶר חֲמוֹר – לִפְטוּר.

and the redemption of a firstborn donkey: to exempt.

כִּי אֲתָא רָבִין, אָמַר:

When Ravin came, he said:

The steps (35)

  1. StatementThe convert's four money doubts: he is exempt
  2. Challengeרבין's version: standing grain against standing grain
  3. StatementNo poor people around: the gleanings are not for birds
  4. ChallengeChallenge from תרומה: the owner must bring it to town
  5. Resolutionתרומה is different because it makes the crop טבל
  6. ChallengeChallenge from מתנות כהונה, which do not make the animal טבל
  7. Resolutionמתנות are different because the Torah writes 'giving'
  8. ConclusionThe 'giving' reason also explains תרומה
  9. ChallengeWhy does the Torah say 'you shall leave' twice?
  10. ResolutionThe extra word teaches about a vineyard that was made ownerless and then harvested
  11. Statementרבי אמי takes a sack of coins brought to the בית מדרש
  12. ChallengeHow could he take it, if gifts must be given?
  13. ResolutionHe took the coins for the poor
  14. ResolutionAn important person is different
  15. ProofHis brother כהנים must make the כהן גדול wealthy
  16. StatementThe משנה defines the foreleg and its matching thigh
  17. Statementרבי יהודה gives a different border for the thigh
  18. StatementThe משנה defines the jaw
  19. StatementA ברייתא teaches that the foreleg is the right one
  20. QuestionHow does 'the foreleg' show it is the right one?
  21. Response'The' means the most important one, as רבא taught
  22. QuestionWhat does the word 'and the jaw' come to add?
  23. ResponseThe jaw includes the wool and beard hair
  24. QuestionWhat does the word 'and the maw' come to add?
  25. ResponseThe maw includes its fat
  26. ProofProof from רבי יהושע that the fat belongs to the כהן
  27. StatementThe foreleg matches פינחס's hand
  28. StatementThe jaw matches prayer and the maw matches the stomach
  29. StatementAnother source: the foreleg of sacrifices from 'תרומה'
  30. ConclusionThe foreleg of ordinary animals from 'תתנו'
  31. ChallengeThe jaw's limit seems to clash with a ברייתא
  32. ResolutionThe two sources follow different תנאים
  33. ProofThe source for רבי חנינא's view: slipped שחיטה
  34. ResolutionAnother answer: 'with it' means with the animal
  35. ConclusionHadran: Closing the chapter of the foreleg and the jaw