Gemara Clarity

Chullin 31a

חולין ל״א ע״א

Learn Chullin 31a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chullin 31a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Arrow-שחיטה and כיסוי הדם, knife length and small blades, and whether שחיטה and טבילה require כוונה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the story of רבי יונה בר תחליפא, who slaughtered a flying bird with an arrow. The torn feathers prove the cut came from the front of the neck. He set aside the earth of the whole valley ahead of time, so there was 'earth below' for כיסוי הדם. Next, רבי זירא explains the משנה's case of cutting off the head in one stroke: the knife must be the width of the neck plus another full neck-width. רב מנשה limits the משנה's permission to use a scalpel to one without pointed corners. The גמרא then discusses whether a needle or a cobbler's needle may be used. A new משנה rules that a knife which fell by itself and slaughtered makes the animal פסולה. The גמרא infers that a knife a person dropped is כשרה even without intent, and רבא says this follows רבי נתן, who allows a knife thrown at a wall. Finally, רב and רבי יוחנן disagree about a נדה who was forced to immerse, and רב נחמן tries to prove from a falling wave that חולין need no כוונה. The גמרא questions that proof, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

גִּידְפֵי דְּמִיפַּרְמִי.

Feathers that are torn apart.

וְהָא בָּעֵי כִּסּוּי,

But it requires covering!

וְכִי תֵּימָא דִּמְכַסּוּ לֵיהּ,

And if you would say that he covers it,

וְהָאָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא אָמַר רַב:

but didn't Rabbi Zeira say that Rav said:

The steps (32)

  1. ResolutionThe torn feathers show the cut came from the front
  2. ChallengeBut the blood needs to be covered
  3. RejectionCovering afterward is not enough: earth is needed below and above
  4. ResolutionHe set aside the earth of the whole valley in advance
  5. StatementCutting off the head in one motion: the knife must be longer than the neck
  6. QuestionHow much extra length does the knife need?
  7. ProofA source about cutting two heads at once
  8. RejectionIt cannot mean only one neck
  9. ResponseIt means one extra neck beyond the two necks
  10. ConclusionProven: the extra must be a full neck
  11. StatementA scalpel is allowed only if it has no pointed corners
  12. QuestionCan you slaughter with a needle?
  13. ResponseA needle pierces instead of cutting
  14. QuestionWhat about a cobbler's needle?
  15. ProofProof from 'even any size'
  16. RejectionNo, 'any size' means a scalpel
  17. ChallengeBut the scalpel is already mentioned separately
  18. ResolutionThe scalpel line explains 'any size'
  19. ProofLogic supports the scalpel reading
  20. RejectionThe scalpel still needed to be mentioned
  21. StatementA knife that fell and slaughtered by itself
  22. StatementReading the משנה: a dropped knife is valid even without intent
  23. QuestionWhich תנא says intent is not needed?
  24. Responseרבא: it is רבי נתן, as shown by the knife thrown at a wall
  25. ChallengeDidn't רבא already say this once?
  26. ResolutionBoth statements are needed: a child still means to cut something
  27. ResolutionThe other direction of the צריכא
  28. StatementA forced immersion: רב and רבי יוחנן disagree
  29. Challengeרבא challenges רב with a קל וחומר
  30. ResolutionHer husband counts as חולין, which needs no כוונה
  31. ProofProof from a wave that falls on a person and vessels
  32. RejectionMaybe the person was waiting for the wave