Chullin 24b

חולין כ״ד ע״ב

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Topic

Age limits for כהנים and other roles, the definitions of 'old' and 'young', and how a כלי חרס becomes טמא through its airspace.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the proof that the לויים had to sing together in one voice. It then defines 'old' for a כהן as the point when he begins to tremble. A משנה about a בעל קרי who immersed before urinating leads the גמרא to define 'young': anyone who can stand on one foot and take off or put on his shoe. A story follows about רבי חנינא, who could still do this at eighty and credited his mother's care. Next, ברייתות discuss when a man may lead the community and when a כהן may begin the עבודה. One view says from שתי שערות, and רבי says from twenty, based on a פסוק in עזרא. The גמרא then gives two versions of how the custom of waiting until twenty fits these views. Finally, a new משנה teaches that a כלי חרס becomes טמא through its airspace, while other כלים become טמא through their outside. The גמרא begins tracing this to the word 'תוכו', and רבי יונתן's answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (27)

1. ProofThe verse showing the Levites sang as one voice
2. QuestionHow old is 'until he ages'?
3. ResponseOld means when he starts to tremble
4. StatementA בעל קרי who immersed before urinating
5. QuestionUntil when is someone 'young'?
6. ResponseYoung means able to stand on one foot and handle a shoe
7. Statementרבי חנינא could still do it at eighty
8. Statementרבי חנינא credits his mother's care
9. StatementA full beard qualifies a man to lead the community
10. StatementWhen a כהן becomes fit for Temple service
11. QuestionAsking for רבי's source
12. ResponseThe פסוק in עזרא about age twenty
13. ResponseThe other opinion: overseeing is different
14. ChallengeThe פסוק is about לויים, not כהנים
15. Resolutionכהנים are sometimes called לויים
16. StatementA קטן is פסול for עבודה
17. StatementFit at puberty, but in practice they wait until twenty
18. StatementFirst version: the ברייתא follows רבי, with no disqualification at all
19. StatementSecond version: the ברייתא follows the רבנן, and after-the-fact service is valid
20. Statementמשנה: what is pure in an earthenware vessel is impure in other vessels
21. Statementברייתא explains: inside airspace versus outside surface
22. QuestionAsking for the source of these rules
23. ResponseThe word 'תוכו': impure even without touching
24. QuestionMust the impure item actually touch the clay vessel?
25. ResponseComparing the two uses of 'its inside'
26. QuestionHow do we know food inside becomes impure without touching?
27. ResponseThe Torah testified about the clay vessel