Chullin 20a

חולין כ׳ ע״א

Learn Chullin 20a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 20a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How מליקה must be done: moving the סימנים behind the nape, sawing back and forth, and שמואל's rule matching מליקה to שחיטה

Overview

The sons of רבי חייא taught that one may move a bird's סימנים (windpipe and food pipe) behind the עורף and then do מליקה. The גמרא proves this means moving is allowed, not required. רבי ינאי attacks them from the משנה's line 'what is valid for שחיטה is invalid for מליקה'. רבי ירמיה answers that the line excludes מוליך ומביא, sawing back and forth, and the גמרא explains that the sons of רבי חייא hold sawing is invalid in מליקה. Next, רב כהנא says the מצוה of מליקה is to cut and go down, and רבי ירמיה insists sawing is also valid, reading the words as 'this too is its מצוה'. Then שמואל teaches that what is invalid in שחיטה is also invalid in מליקה. The גמרא searches for what this excludes: not עיקור סימנין, which רמי בר יחזקאל says does not apply to birds, but a cut that starts at the slope of the head, like רב הונא's rule about שחיטה. Finally, רב אחא בריה דרבא limits רמי בר יחזקאל's rule to the view that bird שחיטה is not from the Torah, and this discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. ProofProof that moving the סימנים is allowed, not required
2. Challengeרבי ינאי challenges the sons of רבי חייא from the משנה
3. Rejectionרבה בר בר חנה: the line excludes a tooth and fingernail
4. ChallengeTooth and fingernail are already stated openly
5. Resolutionרבי ירמיה: the line excludes sawing back and forth
6. ChallengeBut what about the view that sawing is valid in מליקה?
7. ResolutionThe sons of רבי חייא hold that sawing is invalid
8. Statementרב כהנא: The proper way to do pinching is to cut and go down
9. Statementרבי אבין reads this as ruling out back-and-forth cutting
10. Rejectionרבי ירמיה: Back-and-forth cutting is surely valid
11. ChallengeThen why say 'this is its מצוה'?
12. ResolutionRead it as 'this too is its מצוה'
13. Statementשמואל: What is valid or invalid in slaughter matches pinching
14. QuestionWhat does this rule come to exclude?
15. RejectionIt cannot be ripping out the סימנים, which doesn't apply to birds
16. Responseרב פפא: The rule excludes the head
17. ChallengeThe head is obvious: the verse says 'by its nape'
18. Resolution'Head' means the slope of the head, sliding down into place
19. ProofThis matches רב הונא's ruling: a third cut too high makes it invalid
20. Statementרמי בר יחזקאל's rule only fits one opinion