Chullin 44b

חולין מ״ד ע״ב

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Topic

Measuring a cut windpipe, a חכם eating from and buying an animal he permitted, and praise for being strict with oneself and refusing gifts

Overview

This amud finishes רב's rule about how much of a cut windpipe makes an animal a טרפה. One version says most of its thickness, and another says most of its open space. In a story, רב starts checking by thickness. His students remind him that he taught 'open space,' so he sends the animal to רבה בר בר חנה. רבה בר בר חנה permits it and buys meat from it. The גמרא then asks three questions. How could a second חכם permit it? Because רב never actually forbade it. How could he eat from an animal he ruled on, given the פסוק in יחזקאל? Because he relied on a tradition from his teachers, not his own reasoning. Wasn't buying the meat suspicious? No, because meat is sold by weight, which is also how רבה answers his wife, the daughter of רב חסדא. The amud ends by praising one who is strict with his own doubtful animal and one who 'hates gifts.' It brings the examples of רבי אלעזר and רבי זירא, whose explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementTwo versions of רב's measure for a cut windpipe
2. Statementרב checks a cut windpipe by its thickness
3. Challengeרב's students remind him of what he taught
4. Conclusionרבה בר בר חנה permits the animal and buys its meat
5. ChallengeHow could a second חכם permit what the first was forbidding?
6. Resolutionרב never actually forbade it
7. ChallengeHow could he eat from an animal a חכם ruled on?
8. ChallengeThe meaning of יחזקאל's three claims
9. ResolutionRelying on a tradition is different from relying on reasoning
10. ChallengeA new challenge: avoiding suspicion
11. ResolutionMeat sold by weight cannot raise suspicion
12. Proofרבה permitted a טרפה question and bought its meat
13. Challengeרב חסדא's daughter points to her father's practice
14. Resolutionרבה explains why a firstborn is different from regular meat
15. Statementרב חסדא praises one who is strict with his own questionable animal
16. StatementThe verse about eating the labor of your hands
17. Statementרב זביד: such a person gains both worlds
18. Statementרבי אלעזר refuses gifts and invitations from the נשיא
19. Statementרבי זירא refuses gifts but accepts invitations