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Chullin 31b

חולין ל״א ע״ב

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

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Topic

Does טבילה (and שחיטה) need כוונה? The wave and water-channel sources, רבי יוחנן and רבי יונתן בן יוסף, and רבי נתן versus the רבנן.

Overview

The גמרא keeps asking whether טבילה needs כוונה. First it shows that the משנה about a breaking wave proves nothing, and it explains what that משנה teaches: we make no גזירה against a wave, though one may not immerse in its arcs up in the air. Next it proves from the משנה about fruit in a water channel that טבילה for חולין works without כוונה. רבא challenges רב נחמן twice from the wording of another משנה, and then a ברייתא openly backs רב נחמן. אביי asks whether this refutes רבי יוחנן, and רב יוסף answers that רבי יוחנן follows רבי יונתן בן יוסף, who learns from the צרעת garment that immersion needs intent. רב שימי בר אשי objects from the סתם משנה about a dropped knife, and the גמרא answers that שחיטה of חולין is an exception that even רבי יונתן בן יוסף accepts. Along the way it explains the מחלוקת of רבי נתן and the רבנן about intent to cut. רב פפא then describes the forced-נדה case according to each view. The amud ends with רבא's ruling that a פרה אדומה slaughtered together with another animal is פסולה according to everyone.

Opening lines

וְכֵלִים דּוּמְיָא דְּאָדָם,

And vessels are similar to a person:

מָה אָדָם דְּבָעֵינַן כַּוָּונָה,

just as for a person we require intent,

אַף כֵּלִים נָמֵי

so too vessels as well

דְּקָא מְכַוֵּין לְהוּ אָדָם!

are purified where a person intends for them!

The steps (27)

  1. RejectionFlipping the comparison: vessels are like a person
  2. ChallengeIf he sits and waits, what is new?
  3. ResolutionThe novelty: no decree is made
  4. QuestionSource for not immersing in the arcs
  5. ProofA taught source: no immersion in the air
  6. QuestionWhat is the source that non-sacred food needs no intent?
  7. ProofProof from produce that fell into a water channel
  8. Challengeרבא challenges רב נחמן from the wording 'assumed status'
  9. Resolutionרב נחמן: the משנה means 'even though'
  10. Challengeרבא challenges again from the next line of the משנה
  11. Resolutionרב נחמן: not immersed for מעשר, but immersed for חולין
  12. Proofרבא finds a ברייתא that backs רב נחמן
  13. Challengeאביי asks if this ברייתא refutes רבי יוחנן
  14. Resolutionרבי יוחנן follows רבי יונתן בן יוסף
  15. ProofThe source: רבי יונתן בן יוסף requires intent for the second washing
  16. ChallengeShould the immersion also need a כהן's intent?
  17. Resolution'וטהר' teaches that any person's intent is enough
  18. ChallengeWould רבי יוחנן really require intent?
  19. ProofThe סתם משנה: a dropped knife is valid without intent
  20. ResolutionSlaughter is different: even the strict view agrees no intent is needed
  21. StatementThe Rabbis' view: no intent to slaughter, but intent to cut
  22. Rejectionרבא: the verse says 'slaughter', not 'cut'
  23. QuestionWhat exactly is the case of a forced נדה immersion?
  24. RejectionIf her friend forced her, there is real intent
  25. RejectionA second reason the other-woman case cannot be right
  26. Responseרב פפא explains the forced-immersion case for each view
  27. StatementSlaughtering a red heifer together with another animal