Gemara Clarity

Chullin 38b

חולין ל״ח ע״ב

Learn Chullin 38b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Life needed at the end of a process and signs of life in שחיטה; whether a נכרי owner's thoughts can disqualify a Jew's שחיטה

Overview

The עמוד opens by finishing a ברייתא that reads each phrase of the פסוק about קרבנות as excluding a kind of animal. The last phrase, 'תחת אמו', excludes a יתום. The גמרא shows that this יתום must be an animal whose mother died at the very end of its birth. From that it proves that when life is required, it must last to the end of the process, and this is why a בהמה מסוכנת must show life at the end of שחיטה. רבא then rules like a ברייתא: a small animal that stretched out its foreleg and did not pull it back is פסולה. Every other leg movement counts as a sign of life, and so does even a small flutter of a bird's wing or wag of its tail. The bird rule is the new point, since our משנה does not mention birds. A new משנה follows: a Jew who slaughters for a נכרי. The תנא קמא says the שחיטה is valid, רבי אליעזר disqualifies it, and רבי יוסי argues with a קל וחומר that only the שוחט's thoughts count. The גמרא gives two explanations of the dispute, and the second one continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

אוֹ כֶשֶׂב״ – פְּרָט לְכִלְאַיִם,

"Or a sheep" — to exclude an animal of mixed species,

״אוֹ עֵז״ – פְּרָט לְנִדְמֶה,

"Or a goat" — to exclude one that looks like another species,

״כִּי יִוָּלֵד״ – פְּרָט לְיוֹצֵא דּוֹפֶן,

"When it is born" — to exclude one born through the side,

״שִׁבְעַת יָמִים״ – פְּרָט לִמְחוּסַּר זְמַן,

"Seven days" — to exclude one not yet old enough,

The steps (15)

  1. ProofThe ברייתא finishes reading the פסוק about which animals can be קרבנות
  2. QuestionWhat kind of orphan? Not one whose mother died after a normal birth
  3. RejectionNot one whose mother died before the birth either
  4. ResponseThe orphan is one whose mother died right at the end of the birth
  5. ProofSo life is needed at the end of the process
  6. Statementרבא rules on a small animal that stretched out its foreleg
  7. StatementThe rest of the ברייתא: foreleg, small animals, and birds
  8. ChallengeWhat did רבא add? The משנה already says this
  9. ResolutionThe new part is the bird
  10. StatementNew משנה: slaughtering for a נכרי
  11. Proofרבי יוסי's קל וחומר: only the slaughterer's thoughts count
  12. StatementThe shared basis: owners can ruin a קרבן with their thoughts
  13. StatementThe argument is about a נכרי who said nothing
  14. Statementרבי יוסי: an owner's thought never counts
  15. StatementSecond version: they argue even when the נכרי said it