Chullin 20b

חולין כ׳ ע״ב

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

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Topic

עיקור סימנין in a bird, זעירי's ruling on a broken neck bone, and the מצוה of הבדלה in a bird עולה

Overview

This amud deals with three questions about bird שחיטה and מליקה. First, it asks how far רמי בר יחזקאל's rule, that עיקור סימנין does not disqualify a bird, reaches. One view ties the rule to the opinion that bird שחיטה is only מדברי סופרים. רב אשי argues the reverse: under the rabbinic view, bird שחיטה copies animal שחיטה completely, so עיקור should apply. רבין בר קיסי limits the rule a different way, to מליקה only, and the גמרא admits this disagrees with שמואל. Next, זעירי rules that a broken neck bone with most of the flesh makes an animal or bird a נבלה. רב חסדא tries to prove this from a bird pinched with a knife, but the proof is rejected, because pinching with a knife is not slaughter at all, whether due to מחליד or דורס. Finally, רבא challenges זעירי: if a broken neck makes a נבלה, why does the כהן keep pinching a bird that is already dead? This leads to a discussion of the מצוה of הבדלה in a bird עולה, which ends with the rule that whatever is part of שחיטה is part of הבדלה.

Opening lines

The steps (22)

1. StatementIf bird slaughter is from the Torah, ripping does disqualify
2. RejectionThe opposite makes more sense for the Torah-law view
3. RejectionThe rabbinic view copies animal slaughter completely
4. StatementA different limit: no ripping problem in pinching, but yes in slaughter
5. ChallengeChallenge: שמואל says pinching matches slaughter
6. ResolutionAnswer: this view disagrees with שמואל
7. StatementA broken neck bone with most of the flesh makes it a carcass
8. ProofProof from a bird offering pinched with a knife
9. RejectionPinching with a knife is not slaughter at all
10. QuestionWhy is pinching with a knife invalid?
11. ResponseTwo reasons: hiding the knife or pressing it
12. QuestionWhy doesn't רב הונא say pressing?
13. Responseרב הונא allows back-and-forth in pinching
14. QuestionWhy doesn't רבא say hiding?
15. ResponseHiding means covered, but here the knife is exposed
16. Challengeרבא asks why one keeps pinching a dead bird
17. Challengeאביי shows the same problem in a bird עולה
18. Resolutionרבא: the extra pinching fulfills the מצוה of הבדלה
19. ChallengeThen the skin should also need cutting
20. ResolutionOnly what blocks שחיטה blocks הבדלה
21. ChallengeThe minority of the סימנים breaks the rule
22. ResolutionCorrected rule: whatever is part of שחיטה is part of הבדלה