Chullin 29b

חולין כ״ט ע״ב

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Topic

The מצוה to finish the cut on יום הכפורים, and the dispute over whether שחיטה counts only at its end or from beginning to end, tested by cases and by the פרה אדומה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion about the כהן גדול on יום הכפורים. He cuts the majority of the סימנים, and another כהן completes the cut. The גמרא explains that this finishing causes no invalidation, not even a rabbinic one. It is done only because completing the cut is a מצוה. Next, ריש לקיש (quoting לוי סבא) and רבי יוחנן argue whether שחיטה counts only at its end or from beginning to end. רבא lists cases where everyone agrees: a גוי cutting one סימן, and a bird offering pinched partly below the red line. He then says they argue about one סימן cut outside the עזרה and one inside. רבה בר שימי quotes רב יוסף, who says that case is invalid for everyone, so the dispute is only about a small part cut outside and finished inside. רבי זירא challenges רבי יוחנן from a משנה about the פרה אדומה, and רבא answers that a ruined slaughter was never a slaughter at all. רבא then raises his own difficulty against ריש לקיש about two men slaughtering the פרה. רב יוסף replies that two people may not slaughter one offering, and אביי begins to challenge that answer, continuing on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (17)

1. ChallengeFinishing the cut would be a service done by someone else
2. ResolutionThe worry was only a rabbinic invalidation
3. QuestionThen why finish the cut at all?
4. ResponseFinishing the cut is a מצוה
5. StatementWhen does שחיטה take effect: only at the end, or the whole way through?
6. StatementEveryone agrees: a גוי cut one סימן, a Jew cut the other
7. StatementAnother case everyone agrees on: the bird burnt offering
8. Statementרבא's case of dispute: one סימן outside, one inside
9. Challengeרבה בר שימי: our teacher said that case is invalid for everyone
10. Statementרב יוסף's case of dispute: a small part cut outside, finished inside
11. Challengeרבי זירא quotes a משנה about the red heifer
12. ChallengeThe משנה should split the slaughter case too
13. ResolutionA ruined slaughter was never a slaughter
14. Challengeרבא's own difficulty: the משנה should mention two slaughterers
15. ResolutionTwo men may not slaughter one offering
16. StatementHow the spelling of the word teaches 'one slaughterer'
17. Challengeאביי: isn't that only one תנא's opinion?