Gemara Clarity

Chullin 3b

חולין ג׳ ע״ב

Learn Chullin 3b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Explaining 'הכל שוחטין' and 'וכולן ששחטו': רבינא's readings, why each אמורא rejected the others, and the שחיטה of a כותי

Overview

The גמרא finishes testing רב אשי's reading of the opening משנה of חולין. In that reading, 'הכל שוחטין' includes a ישראל משומד whose knife is checked for him, while a חרש, שוטה, or קטן can never slaughter. The משנה's next line, 'וכולן ששחטו ואחרים רואין אותן', fits no case in this reading, so the גמרא calls it a קשיא. רבינא then offers a new reading in two versions. In the first, 'הכל' means experts in the laws of שחיטה. In the second, it means people established not to faint. In both versions, 'וכולן' refers to someone who cannot be tested or asked afterward, so only the fact that others watched him makes his שחיטה valid. The גמרא then sums up why each אמורא (אביי, רבא, רב אשי, רבה בר עולא, רבינא) did not accept the others' explanations. Finally, a ברייתא teaches that a כותי's שחיטה is permitted when a Jew watches him, or if he eats a כזית of the meat himself. It then begins a similar case that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בּוֹדֵק סַכִּין וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ,

One checks a knife and gives it to him,

וּמוּתָּר לֶאֱכוֹל מִשְּׁחִיטָתוֹ.

and it is permitted to eat from his slaughter.

אֲבָל לֹא בָּדַק וְנָתַן לוֹ –

But if one did not check it and give it to him –

לֹא יִשְׁחוֹט,

he should not slaughter,

The steps (35)

  1. StatementHow a careless Jew's slaughter can be permitted
  2. StatementWhy a deaf-mute, an imbecile, and a minor are excluded even after the fact
  3. QuestionWhat does 'and all of them who slaughtered' refer to?
  4. RejectionIt cannot refer to the deaf-mute, imbecile, and minor
  5. RejectionIt cannot refer to a careless Jew whose knife was checked
  6. RejectionIt also cannot refer to a careless Jew whose knife was not checked
  7. ConclusionThe current reading is left with a difficulty
  8. Resolutionרבינא's new reading: everyone who is an expert may slaughter
  9. ResolutionWhen an expert may slaughter, and testing someone after the fact
  10. ResolutionDeaf-mute, mentally incompetent person and minor are excluded even after the fact
  11. QuestionWhich case does 'and all of them who slaughtered' refer to?
  12. RejectionIt cannot refer to the deaf-mute, incompetent and minor
  13. ChallengeMaybe it refers to non-experts, but testing would be enough
  14. ResolutionWatching helps when he is not around to be tested
  15. ResolutionSecond version: everyone established may slaughter, even non-experts
  16. ResolutionEstablished means he slaughtered before us without fainting
  17. ResolutionAfter the fact, his word that he did not faint is enough
  18. ResolutionDeaf-mute, imbecile and minor are excluded even after the fact
  19. QuestionWhich case does 'and all of them who slaughtered' refer to?
  20. RejectionIt cannot refer to the deaf-mute, imbecile and minor
  21. ChallengeMaybe it means the non-established, but 'ברי לי' is enough for them
  22. ResolutionHe is not here to be asked
  23. ConclusionWhy רבינא and רבה בר עולא rejected the other explanations
  24. ConclusionWhy the others rejected רבה בר עולא's explanation
  25. ConclusionWhy the others reject the second version of רבה בר עולא
  26. ConclusionWhy the others reject the first version of רבינא
  27. ConclusionWhy the others reject the second version of רבינא
  28. ConclusionWhy רבא does not explain like אביי
  29. ConclusionWhy אביי does not explain like רבא
  30. ConclusionWhy רב אשי did not explain the משנה like אביי or רבא
  31. ConclusionWhy אביי did not explain the משנה like רב אשי
  32. QuestionWhy didn't רבא follow his own ruling?
  33. Responseרבא was only speaking according to אביי
  34. StatementA ברייתא on when a כותי's שחיטה is permitted
  35. StatementA similar case: what the Jew finds in the Samaritan's possession